The $427,000 Skylane
When I was a low-time pilot with a still-damp private certificate, I sat at an airport in
Now who, this fellow asked, would pay $36,000 for a Skylane?Another fellow opined that Cessna didn’t care if anyone bought one or not. “Cessna,” he said, “would love to get rid of the Skylane.” Why? Because everyone could remember when the Skylane cost about $15,000. The new models never had such a low price, so Cessna could raise the price and make more money.
Well, to tell you the truth, that line of reasoning didn’t make much sense to me then and doesn’t now. As we all know, many people did pay $36,000 and, as inflation rose over the decades and modest improvements were made in the Skylane, many more people paid a lot more for the airplane.
Now hear this: The June issue of Flying magazine has a story on a brand-new Turbo Skylane with an “approximate price” (whatever that means) of $427,400!
I’m one of those old-timers myself, now, and can remember when a new twin propjet cost less than that!
Of course the new Skylane is a lot different airplane now. It included a G1000 system, Synthetic Vision Technology, GFC 700 autopilot and WAAS, all by Garmin. If you measure capability, this airplane is vastly different from the old Skylane I flew for a while back in the early 1970s.
I wonder if somewhere, at some airport, old codgers like me are wondering who would buy such an airplane for $427,400. Probably so, I reckon.
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Clyde–
That is a good story–almost as good as the story about your uncle and the bank closing!
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
R,I know you like a good story…so this one is for you (all true).As a young lad, I remember an old store owner telling my father (as he complained about the new price of something). “Yeah & Wayne I remember when there was horse manure in the street out there too.” ’bout says it all, huh? Clyde
George–
As you know, I’ve seen your Mooney, and it still looks great. Aren’t you glad you bought it?
But, I bet you didn’t think it was inexpensive when you bought it!
Thanks for writing.
Ralph Hood
Ralph,
I always thought that when I became a successful engineer I could afford to buy a new Cessna 172. That never happened but I did finally purchase a six-year-old Mooney M20C for $10,500 in 1972. I thought I would use it as a stepping-stone to a newer higher performer when I had the money. Thirty -six years later I’m still flying that same Mooney (and proud of it). Who is going to pay $427,000 for a Cessna 182? People with the money, of course. That price, by the way, is about the same as the original Lear Jet.
Earl–
Here’s the funny thing—none of those prices seemed low, or like bargains, at that time! But now? Well, I wish I had a time machine. I’d go back a few years, buy some of those airplanes and–hey, wait a minute—how would I get them back? I reckon if I can imagine a time machine I can imagine one big enough to handle airplanes.
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
Ralph; Guess age and time is showing with both of us. I remember picking up a brand new King Air C-90 at the Wichita plant for my boss in 1970. $395,000. A new Lear 25B in in 1973. $1,070,000, 3rd one off the line WITH reversers….less than a Baron now….and beer was 50 cents and a cocktail was a buck…and that was in higher rolling places, too.
Jim Mansfield–
Ain’t that the truth? Except that you could, right up into the 1960s, buy a used Champ for less than your annual income! Guess you still can, really.
Hey, you been to Nassau lately?
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
Ralph,
Back in the late 70’s when we were selling new Pipers, I took my Dad ( a pilot since the thirty’s), for a ride in a T-tail Lance. He loved it, (He didn’t try to land it!) Of course he asked the price and was staggered by the sum of roughly $80,000. He declared with indignance “They’ve got it so a poor man can’t afford an airplane anymore!” I said “Dad, a poor man never could.”
Mike Pickett–
Ah, and a fine aircraft the Cherokee Six was. I remember the Christmas my wife and I loaded a Cherokee Six with three kids, one German shepherd dog, and all of the Christmas presents for all the kids from us and four grandparents. Mid-trip my wife looked around and said, “This is really a nice way to travel.”
Yes, it was indeed.
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
Glenn Carter–
Ahhh…,how right you are. I remember when my wife and I agreed that when my income got up to $25,000 we could buy an airplane (but we couldn’t). One thing we do forget is the simplicity of some of those older airplanes–remember the Airknocker, Pacer, Champ, Luscombe et al? They served many people very well. I hope LSA can bring back those happy hours in simple aircraft.
Thanks,
Ralph Hood
Jim–
Thanks so much for your comment. It’s good to have the support of someone who also remembers “back in the day.”
Ralph Hood
Ralph,
I guess we better put a checker on the spell checker! “checkere” Any perspective buyer would notice and remember that at one time we could actually think about buying a plane. But not today,with those prices. That is why the light sport aircraft is quickly becoming the plane of choice to someone who may have a tight budget. Great point and article Ralph…../s/Glenn Carter,USN(Ret) - Director -Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Orlando Metro Campus
You need to put a spell checkere on your blog. Make that “perspective” and “remember”
Okay, we’ve been at this too long. When it first came out in 1965, a new Cherokee Six was about $18,500. When the Bonanza went to $50,000, we said they would never sell at that price. To put it in perpective though, we were having a conversation about automobile gasoline prices one day. I could rmember 25 cents/gallon. One older lady said she could remember when it was a nickle. Trouble was, she said, nobody had a nickle then.
Ralph, you do remember good…I forget the exact price of the 1968 B-90 King Air but I carried a Check for $595,000. made out to Cessna for full price of Citation 500 #91 in 1973. By the time I picked up #224 the price was up to $645,000! Those were the days.
Robert–
The airplane is certainly not perfect. I guess my BLOG was not an airplane review, but about prices.
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
The $427,400 also includes the indicated design flaw of a lack of positive detection of water in the fuel tanks. For more information see FAA Safety Recommendations 99.283 and 99.284.