The news yesterday that Piper Aircraft Inc. is terminating its business relationship with Czech Republic-based Czech Sport Aircraft to market that company’s Light Sport Aircraft under the PiperSport name may worry some PiperSport owners, but Piper officials say they are intent on working out a deal so those owners will continue to get the service and support they need.
The company is working on a transition plan with Czech Aircraft Works, according to Jackie Carlon, a Piper spokesman. “We know our customers are eager to get information,” she said, noting that 47 PiperSports are now in the hands of customers, with a total of 70 LSAs sold. As to whether those who bought the LSA but haven’t received it yet will see a delivery is still up in the air. “We’re working out those details now,” she added.
Piper’s primary focus now is to manage the transition between the two companies, she said, noting that the business arrangement has caused some confusion in the GA community. “This was a distribution agreement,” she said. “We were the master distributor and set up a network of dealers. It is those dealers who support the airplane.”
In a terse statement released Jan. 12, Piper CEO Geoffrey Berger said that after a year of working with the Czech Republic-based Czech Sport Aircraft, “Piper determined that it is in our company’s best long-term interests to discontinue the business relationship which distributed a Light Sport Aircraft manufactured by the Czech company and distributed under Piper’s brand by a separate distributor network. Clearly, the company has a different business perspective and approach to the market than Czech Sport Aircraft.”
Carlon would not elaborate on those differences, but in the statement, Piper officials noted that as the company built the distributor network for the PiperSport, “it became clear that Piper’s core strengths and that of Czech Sport Aircraft were mismatched.”
And while Piper has no plans to develop its own LSA, Berger said those at Piper have a “close affinity with this emerging segment of the marketplace and we have great expectations for the LSA industry. The LSA we were distributing is a good one and we encourage aviation enthusiasts to continue their support of this segment of the market.”
“We certainly understand the implications of this development in the Light Sport Aircraft segment and do not take this action carelessly,” he added.
For more information: Piper.com
To “Roger M” # 5, Are you serious? You already have 4-5 “Cub” reproductions in the market place already! This “no-brainer” is just that; coming from someone with NO brains!
This is a real “black eye” for Piper. I too, was seriously considering a Piper Sport LSA. Now, I’m not sure I would consider purchasing any Piper product at all. There are two things I demand of a company I do business with; stability and integrity. This move calls both in question. I believe the only way they could earn back my respect, is if they announce a new LSA project, perhaps based on a reworked Tomahawk.
So, the careless decision must have been to start h relationship with CAW to begin with. I second the motion to produce the Cub, its a no-brainer.
The folks at Piper must have come from the same “school” as the guys in Detroit; the LSA is the aviation equivalent to the Jap import movement into the USA in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Assuming that a “buy” option was in their distribution agreement,the smartest move would to bring the aircraft here, MAKE it here, and now you have a MADE IN USA bird, which has tremendous creditability with propective aviation consumers. Perhaps the major problem facing the LSA imports was the poor “retail” infrastruture; dealer floor plan financing, repair centers, and retail lending sources. This made many potential buyers reluctent to buy these birds coming from “a cross the pond”! Althought the COST of most new LSA’s in in the $130-150K range, try pricing a new Skyhawk/172;about DOUBLE that amount! As far as bringing the “Cub” out of mothballs, no need, you already have Cubcrafters, Legend, etc filling that limited market. Frankly, I think the demand in say 10-15 years will be next to nothing for an aiframe design of the mid 30’s, since these birds are being sold to mainly nostalgia(aged)pilots that will become fewer in the future as this pilot population dwendles. My first experience was in the “J-3” but that was in 1956 – a wonderful little airplane, but like high buttom shoes, not “in vogue” in the 21st century. And finally, the BIGGEST market is in flight training for the LSA, NOT the older or propective pilot with medical issues; Cessna produced over 30,000 150/152’s between 1959-1985. If the LSA manufactures could place even 400-500 in training operations a year for 10-15 years, think of the exposure; much more than a “private” owner who may take another ALREADY licenced pilot buddy up for for a spin! Thats what Cessna
did 40-45 years ago; train in Cessna, BUY Cessna!
Perhaps Piper should reconsider producingthe original LSA-The Cub
Was seriously considering a purchase. I am glad that I dodged a bullet.
“…do not take this action carelessly.” – Are you serious?