General aviation aircraft sales increased 6% in 2022, according to the latest report from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, with the value of airplane deliveries $22.9 billion, an increase of approximately 5.8% over 2021.
Piston airplanes sales increased 8.2%, with 1,524 delivered, compared to 1,393 in 2021.
But what were the top 10 best-selling piston airplanes of the year?
Cirrus Aircraft claimed the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, as well as the No. 5 spot, while the Cessna Skyhawk took the No. 3 spot and the Skylane took the No. 10 spot.
Aircraft from Piper, Diamond, and Tecnam round out the top 10 best-selling aircraft.
Here are the top-selling pistons in 2022:
1. Cirrus SR22T: 280 sold
2. Cirrus SR22: 159 sold
3. Cessna Skyhawk: 151 sold
4. Diamond DA40: 109 sold
5. Cirrus SR20: 100 sold
6. Piper Archer III: 93 sold
7. Tecnam LSA*: 70 sold
*Tecnam classifies several of its models, including the Astore (pictured), P92, and P2002, as ASTM LSAs.
8: Diamond DA62: 53 sold
9: Piper Pilot 100i: 53 sold
10: Cessna Skylane: 48 sold
Want to know more?
GAMA’s complete 2022 year-end report can be found at GAMA.aero, which includes a breakdown by each manufacturer and each model.
Wondering about Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and homebuilts? Check out the 2022 year in review story from our LSA expert Dan Johnson here.
Yay more lead for everyone
I’d be curious to see these numbers stacked up against the experimental first flights in 2022…
Prices???
Based on aircraft sold in 2022, American Manufacturer, CubCrafters is missing from the list.
Glad to see the Skylane in the top 10!
I didn’t see MAULE on the list…..
Obviously the Cirrus is the winner. However Cirrus and Continental are owned by Chinese companies which are controlled by the Chinese Communist Party is a problem for me…..
Isn’t for all of the inhabitants in the democratic world?
I tend to agree. However, that does create something of a challenge these days because the same is true for Diamond, plus Piper is owned by the Finance Ministry of Brunei. Oh, and while I know they don’t offer any piston planes, it’s probably worth mentioning Epic is owned by a very rich Russian.
So, frankly, I’m left wondering what the best “bad” option is these days. Really, if we acknowledge that Textron owns Cessna, Beechcraft, and Lycoming (not to mention Pipistrel), the list of “US” companies isn’t much of a list. Outside of the US, Tecnam might be an option, depending on your criteria in terms of company pedigree and mission requirements, plus there a number of LSA options. But, in terms of the “classic” piston GA airplane, there aren’t a lot of certified options from “western”-owned companies left.