During the Golden Age of GA (roughly 1955 to 1970), small business owners were the prime buyers in the light piston category- they were not hobby flyers they were motivated business travelers with people to meet. Most of the current cadre of light piston airplanes we keep using today owe their existence to small business owners of the time, a buying demographic barely exists any more. Light piston twins as a fresh commodity have almost disappeared in their absence. They travel now by airline or by interstate and the remaining cargo is much cheaper UPS or by Part 135 box hauler. The small businessperson no longer needs and airplane of their own. It still is an excellent way to get around, it just isn't the cheapest way any more. Many or most of the small airports in this country are turning into subdivisions, and buying a new airplane that can haul a thousand pounds now means getting a Cirrus, Corvalis, or perhaps a Piper product but not a twin. Safety has increased but sales are way down.
A new Cessna 150 was $15,000 in 1975 or about $60,000 today, so the relative selling price has doubled. You get a somewhat better airplane now in a Skycatcher or similar LSA, but light pistons selling so many less is pretty obviously due to their costing too much. On the other hand, if you split the cost with a single partner then you are back to the single owner levels of the past, and that's probably ok since they do not tend to fly very much.
Last edited by Cubdriver; 08-04-2010 at 04:59 PM.