RV12 FS @ Cecil County MD

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designrs
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Re: RV12 FS @ Cecil County MD

Post by designrs »

It comes down to capital and willingness to spend it.

Older model businesses will not spend $100k+ for that "little airplane that I'm not sure about" when they are so comfortable and familiar with $30K Cessnas. (Some probably have a hangar full of Cessna parts and partials to build at least two complete planes!)

Other business with substantial LSA experience and knowledge about LSA might desire to have an LSA program on the line, but still need $100k+ to do it... and it takes quite a bit of flight hours just for the aircraft to pay for itself... before any profit.
Jack Tyler
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Re: RV12 FS @ Cecil County MD

Post by Jack Tyler »

Might make business sense IF you are starting with a single choice for a do-it-all a/c. As I explained earlier, this is an existing flight school business with one Part 23 a/c on lease and one Part 23 a/c owned. Now the choice they face is whether or not to move into SPL training, for which they'll need an appropriate training a/c.

The point of my post was to illustrate the dilemma that some buyers of LSA's believe they face re: an investment now vs. a potential loss of value later should the 3rd class medical requirements be lessened.
Jack
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Nomore767
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Re: RV12 FS @ Cecil County MD

Post by Nomore767 »

Jack Tyler wrote:Might make business sense IF you are starting with a single choice for a do-it-all a/c. As I explained earlier, this is an existing flight school business with one Part 23 a/c on lease and one Part 23 a/c owned. Now the choice they face is whether or not to move into SPL training, for which they'll need an appropriate training a/c.

The point of my post was to illustrate the dilemma that some buyers of LSA's believe they face re: an investment now vs. a potential loss of value later should the 3rd class medical requirements be lessened.
The LSA used in a training environment doesn't have to be a do-it-all airplane, but there's no reason why it couldn't be. There is a market for folks that just want to fulfill the SP 'mission'…fly around the area, during the day, in good weather. If they really like flying they can expand into the PPL using the same LSA and then maybe upgrade to bigger Part-23 types.

For myself, should they change the Class 3 medical to encompass PPL and bigger, faster etc airplanes my choices of renting old, tired FBO airplanes still isn't attractive. Buying one is out of the question. Many flying clubs only offer the same planes, albeit probably in much better condition. A club near me offers a 152 for $90 hr. Or for about the same I can fly a Sport Cruiser, C162, CC Sport Cub or a Remos. The latter are newer, nicer and much better equipped. For me the choice is a no-brainer.
Changing the rule certainly doesn't make buying one of the older planes attractive at all.

Young students aspiring to fly professionally will do much better at one of the big schools in AZ, TX or FL where they can go from PPL to ATPL, for a hefty price.
If they choose to do it at an FBO I would argue a nicely equipped LSA is a good choice. Low cost time building solo for ratings and exposure to the more complex EFIS displays is attractive, as is the chance to fly in the same plane at night or IFR one they get their PPL. Starting with the SPL might be enough to get their feet wet and help them decide if a professional career in flying is what they want.
The FBO has to look at what the market actually wants not just trying to keep their costs in check, although that's important.

The airlines are starting to hire again. New hires will be given a simulator exercise in an Airbus or Being so time spent in a "LSA' like a Champ etc, though good for basic skills, isn't enough to meet the modern world. Besides the young kids are more attracted to the modern EFIS equipped sexier planes. I can't blame them.

I think a lot of the problem is that the same market says it wants low cost simple airplanes, and then demand to buy overly equipped complex LSAs so overloaded that they have little useful load. They want to overhaul their panel with $25k's worth of avionics because they feel that's what they should have. Even if they don't 'need' t. Manufacturers and flight schools face a dilemma trying to cater for such a fickle market.

Speaking of a fickle market. One local school I used put out feelers to me about buying their C162 since it hardly flies. When I spoke with the new owner, he decided that he didn't want to sell as Cessna required him to have a 'less than 3 year old Cessna' on his books to maintain his Cessna dealership status. He'd rather let the plane mostly sit in the hangar. Go figure.
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