After thinking about it if cessna were to cut the price of a new Skycatcher to 50K I don't think it would make much of a difference.

The biggest issue is time. People just do not have the time anymore to take on 70 hours of flight training to be followed by free weekends to go fly.

Skyhigh

 

I hope that the Skycatcher works out for Cessna. Piper almost went out of business in the 90's by selling Cubs and Warriers at cost.

No matter how simular the planes look, much of the cost is in testing, development and the biggie, product liability. Don't think for a minute that Cessna was going to skimp on testing. Attorney's like Aurther Wolk would eat them live if they didn't test it fully.

The sad fact is that airplanes were expensive and will continue to be expensive. The cheap( a relative term at best) costs of the 1980-1990 were due in no small part to the big bubble of airplane manufactured in the 1970's. These planes are getting more and more expensive to maintain. While $300k for a tricked out C-172 is alot, keep in mind that it's far better constructed to survive 30 years or more. Yes, there's been innovation in GA. It comes at a cost. That's why a Cirrus costs 500-600k. More money than I can aford.

As far as training costs, the only cheap deal in aviation is flight instruction. Every thing else has gone up. The rental fleet is a far cry from what it was when I learned to fly in 1985.

While the alarmists will look at Pelton's comments about legislation with fear, what he's really concerned with is favorable tax policies that allow folks to buy $300k C-172 and put them in service. Without individuals like this, there would be no rental fleet. This is the top of the GA food chain. Without it, the chain would be broken and GA would slip into a footnote in the aviation landscape.

 

Nor the money to pay for 100LL. Unless you make 200,000+ recreational flying is just too expensive for most people to justify.

 

I bought some avgas today and went flying in my Cessna 150. I paid $4.68 a gallon. I was happy to have it.

Skyhigh

 

Its all about 1.)priorites 2.)budgeting 3.)responsibility. Before I hear all the excuses, yes I have two mortgages, 2 cars, wife, etc. I made half that last year.

As far as the expense of new manufactured a/c, you're going to see more and more the EAA and experimental a/c filling the void. I can buy an Rv-6 that'll do 160 on 8gph for 50-70K. Hard for the manufactured segment to compete with that.

 

I fill up at $2.65 on my C-150. Mogas is a smelly beautiful thing. Yes I know, ethanol is becoming a reality everywhere, but I won't tell if you don't . O-200 don't like that much lead anyways, and at 7:1 compression ratio, you might as well toss 20 dollar bills out the window while flying, 'cause that's the equivalent performance gain/cost you're getting for pumping 100LL into a C-150.

 

Yeah Rv-6s and 4s are about the most bang for the buck. 4s look fun but are too cramped/lack space for cross country flight and don't offer a trike version to help with insurance costs. The 6 is on the sweet spot pricing wise but finding anything not suspect below 55K is simply not easy. I find the 7/a/8/a/9/a's overpriced though. They don't offer competitive pricing when compared to certified 4 seater aircraft. Paying 95K for an RV-8 is just like paying 205K for a C-172. Same thing with the US median house priced RV-10. The only cost offset vice certified aircraft is the maintenance as long as you have a buddy A&P to sign off your work at the conditional inspection, unless you're the builder or have a repairman certificate. Other than that, the pricing is not competitive.

But yes, on the two seater mission profile market, you can't beat the RV. And they look fun as heck to fly. Truest all-around aircraft.

 

I got to sit in a Remos GX yesterday at an airshow and it was awesome !! They claimed a 1050 FPM climb rate with two pilots and 3/4 tanks. It was easy to get in and out of and had a fantastic full glass flight deck. A massive useful load too.

I cant wait to see a Skycatcher in the flesh. In addition a 787 Dreamliner made a fly by and you could hardly hear it.

 

I burn a lot of Mogas too, however I like to mix in a little Avgas once in a while. Thankfully auto fuel is still alcohol free where I live.

Skyhigh

 

I use to work for a pipeline patrol company that used mogas in thier 150. I hated that stuff. Stains white paint horribly if you spill it.