Wichita — After unveiling an upgraded version of its remanufactured Ascend 172 at this year’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Yingling Aviation has now created a dealer network for the airplane.
Air Orlando Sales at Orlando Executive Airport in Florida and Suburban Aviation at Suburban Toledo Airport in Ohio will sell the Ascend 172, as well as provide support to customers.
“Among the things we have learned during the past year, as AOPA toured the first Ascend 172 around the country, is that potential customers, especially flight schools and flying clubs, are looking for quick, responsive and local service providers and maintenance expertise that will keep their re-manufactured airplanes performing at peak efficiency,” said Lynn Nichols, chairman and CEO of Yingling. “They want easy access to, and a familiarity with the people who sold them the airplanes. The answer for that is, of course, to create a network of experienced and motivated professionals who share our same knowledge, training and standards, so we made that a priority, too.”
Founded in 1984, Air Orlando Sales is a Cessna Factory Authorized Service Center. It is also approved to provide service for Piper aircraft, including the Meridian and has recently expanded its service offerings to include Beechcraft Bonanza and Baron models, as well.
Suburban Aviation, which serves the greater Toledo, Ohio, area as well as Southeast Michigan, is a family-owned business that was also founded in 1984. The firm, which operates a Cessna Factory Authorized Service Station, offers on-site flight training, sales and service and, through its sister company, Eagle Flight Center at Willow Run Airport (KYIP), provides all of the flight instruction for Eastern Michigan University.
The Cessnas Beech and Pipers were all subject to CAR 3 regulations recodified to the FAR 23. The reason for the regulations was due to a fatality somewhere. The LSA manufacturers are not following the elegantly written ASTMS, want to mitigate the true testing they promised and the FAA ‘accepts’ it not approving it.
Inflated fuel costs too. Look when I started 80 octane was 34 cents and 91/97 was 38 cents, auto fuel was 32 cents a gallon. So, why did this happen? Look at the spread now example: CA auto fuel $2.80 and 100 LL going for $6.00 a gallon.
Aircraft insurance is expensive with more companies that will hire so called experts to weed thru the logs so the company does not have to pay out the claim because someone misspelled a word or use a different term not found in the FAA vocabulary.
The problem with new aircraft is the liability that Cessna, Beechcraft, Piper, Mooney pay for each aircraft. Aircraft were relatively inexpensive until the mid 70’s
Chew on this: NEW Cessna 172 (from Bluebook) Average equipment.
1956 – $11,750 – Inflation adjusted to 2012 – $99,181
1965 – $15,206 – Inflation adjusted – $110,831
1974 – $20,000 – Inflation adjusted – $93,141
1986 – $74,705 – Inflation adjusted – $156,494
1997 – $135,700 – Inflation adjusted – $194,117
2006 – $196,900 – Inflation adjusted – $224,241
2012 – $274.900
I was told that in the late 70’s to early 80’s roughly half of the price of a new aircraft was insurance that Cessna paid, either through the increased price from Vendor parts, or directly. The only people getting wealthy off of aviation are the Lawyers who will sue for someone crashing a plane.
Refurbishing older airframes is done all the time. It makes economic sense because the cost of the materials and labor for the airframe have already been paid for. They won’t be “modern” airplanes, no carbon fiber skins, etc., but a properly and thoroughly refurbished 172 for $150,000 beats the pants off a new one for $400,000, and is almost the same airplane.
The engine is the same, the avionics can be very, very comparable, paint is paint . . .
The hardest part about this is convincing lenders and insurance companies that a 25 year old airplane (because that is how they see it) could be worth this much money.
Personally, I’d like to see someone buy the type certificate for the Ercoupe and power it with a Rotax or a Viking (Honda conversion) engine. Simple airplane, not a bazillion parts in it (Fred W designed it for easy production) not hard to build or reproduce, add a few simple updates, and we could have a brand new two seater for say $60K?
Rebuilding older airframes in decent condition isn’t all bad. It’s all we CAN do given the $400K price of a new Skyhawk … which is identical (aerodynamically) to my ’75 C172M. It won’t fix all the ills of aviation but could be one part of a rebirth … IF the FAA would WAKE UP before it’s too late … likely is anyways.
Avionics manufacturers are — likewise — going the same way. I went to Airventure 2016 to buy ADS-B equipment for my C172, authorized a large hit on my credit card and came away with no money spent because the 800 pound gorilla of avionics will NOT sell directly … even to people well qualified to install their equipment. As an A&P and avionics type, I’m not good enough … their stuff HAS to be installed by their authorized install centers. Well then … keep your stuff! THAT is what’s wrong with aviation these days.
One of these days, the last piston singles will roll out the doors of the major name Companies and then all that will be left will be old airframes remanufactured and E-AB. In 2008, the 30,000th E-AB wa honored at Airventure. Meanwhile, back in Wichita, they’re counting ‘onesies’ and ‘twosies’ going out the door.
Now that the recent congressional change to Part 61 allowing GA pilots to self certify their medical status I believe the rebuilding of an old airplane is rediculous! If the bureaucrats @ 800 Independence will elimibate their coffee breaks and implement this congressinak mandate GA will grow without re-manufacturing old airplanes such as this. By the way, glider and balloon pilots have self certified their medical status for years in spite of some conducting commercial operations, like sight seeing.
Old aircraft rebuilt or not are still old aircraft.
Hey, Chuckles: we own a 1947 Cessna 120 and a 1943 Meyers that are in better condition than some airplanes built in the 1980-1990’s.
HI Chuck; Isn’t $$$ (profits?) the objective of good competent management? U, my “friend”, ARE the reason GA is failing – as long as “somebody” else is paying the tab?
A hand-rebuilt Cessna 172 is no more the answer to general aviation than a hand re-built ’56 Chevy is the answer to our automotive needs.
The entire regulatory Part 23 framework for general aviation is completely and totally outdated, and until Congress tosses this entire pile of regulatory garbage including the FAA’s inept rules in the trash, general aviation in this country will continue to decline until only home built experimental-class airplanes are available.
As we have clearly seen, a patch here and a patch there just won’t do it – the decline has not slowed down.
You are 100% right. For years, excessive litigation has destroyed the aviation business in the USA.
Yo, Peter H and Marcel, you’re on to the real world @800 independence Ave downtown DC: it’s a pecking order in Flight Standards starting with the airline industry having priority and the that trickles down from there through Part 135 operators and certified flight schools to GA. GA generally sucks hind tit and ATC has a large influence over all certified aircraft operations as they are often the most vocal if you get my drift? O, by the way, I served a time there in the commuter branch of the Air Transport Division. Air traffic folks seem to believe ‘see and avoid’ is outdated but I remind everyone ATC never existed during WWII so all the trainees managed to avoid near misses and congestion without Air traffic involvement!
This AOPA and Yingling reimagine idea is the best idea to come to General Aviation for long time. If we could recreate as many of the older airplanes, GA would leap forward. We can optimize flight safety and with ADS-B providing its intended safety contribution, GA would begin a long run of accident free, low cost revival back to the old glory days.
Chuck, it seems obvious to me you are either a millionaire or a young pilot to GA as your comments are contrary to what others of us believe safety of GA can exist without all the new electronic gadgets to allow our military and airline folks to see us rather than ‘see and avoid’ as I’ve done for many years! ADS-B is ridiculous to have installed in either of my 1940’s airplanes: 5-10 grand just to fly and that is in old airplanes that are valued less than 25 grand? I don’t think so!
This is a great idea for future pilots and a bad idea for the current new 172s. What is Cessna or Textron going to do if Yingling takes the new 172s to task with a more realistic approach to 172 sales. Management only sees $$$. Their brains will fry. But General Aviation will begin to move forward or maybe even recover.
Should Piper do the same with all of those old Cherokees and Cubs?
When AvGas becomes unleaded, we can all enjoy safe lower prices and clear air.