GA Airplane Shipments Up for 2012

[JasonCT]

"The General Aviation Manufacturers Association says shipments of general aviation airplanes last year were up slightly..."

Article here: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-02-12/general-aviation-plane-2012-shipments-up-slightly

Thought this was interesting tho "Deliveries of turboprop airplanes were up by more than 10 percent last year. That helped to offset fewer deliveries of piston planes and business jets."

10% is a lot, no? Any guesses as to why this segment was up so much

 

[Bob Noel]

"The General Aviation Manufacturers Association says shipments of general aviation airplanes last year were up slightly..."

Article here: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-02-12/general-aviation-plane-2012-shipments-up-slightly

Thought this was interesting tho "Deliveries of turboprop airplanes were up by more than 10 percent last year. That helped to offset fewer deliveries of piston planes and business jets."

10% is a lot, no? Any guesses as to why this segment was up so much

a percentage increase could simply be the result of the baseline being so low. If I received a 10% raise this year, it might not look so good when considering that I had paycuts of 25% and 30% the previous two years (hypothetically).

 

[steingar]

Small numbers. That 10% increase could be two or three aircraft.

 

[Geico266]

"The General Aviation Manufacturers Association says shipments of general aviation airplanes last year were up slightly..."

Article here: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-02-12/general-aviation-plane-2012-shipments-up-slightly

Thought this was interesting tho "Deliveries of turboprop airplanes were up by more than 10 percent last year. That helped to offset fewer deliveries of piston planes and business jets."

10% is a lot, no? Any guesses as to why this segment was up so much

TSA.

 

[Alexb2000]

Some turbo props are the best values in aviation IMO. Look at a PC-12 or TBM, very little depreciation and easy to sell if that time ever comes. All that plus they are cheaper to operate with increasing fuel cost, makes them an attractive package. Looking at the billing numbers they are the same at $19B even though there is a 10% increase in aircraft delivered suggesting that the smaller turboprops that cost less are the ones selling.

 

[wabower]

The reason it's news is that the industry has been looking for a bottom from which a turn-around could commence since the end of 2009. Each year those within the industry would confidently announce that "this will be the year" while the financial and Wall Street analysts would respond with "not so fast there, Gonzalez, the slide may be slowing but the up-tick hasn't started yet."

Inventories of used planes continue to shrink and prices of some models have started to increase ever-so-slightly in the turboprop and jet market, so maybe 2012 will prove to have been the year of the turn-around.

But don't hold your breath.

 

[flyingmoose]

Small numbers. That 10% increase could be two or three aircraft.

If they only sold 20 or 30 last year. That seems low, but you could be right about that.

I would say 10% is a good increase.

 

[wabower]

The swings in production numbers can be dramatic. Back in the 80's the B-200 annual production dropped from a high of ~100 planes to ~25, then gradually rose significantly over the years but never attained the 1981 high.

If they only sold 20 or 30 last year. That seems low, but you could be right about that.

I would say 10% is a good increase.

 

[N747JB]

The swings in production numbers can be dramatic. Back in the 80's the B-200 annual production dropped from a high of ~100 planes to ~25, then gradually rose significantly over the years but never attained the 1981 high.

It's funny when you look at used airplanes especially twins and turbines, the shear numbers of them built from 1979-1982 Tons of Citations and King Airs are 79-82 models.

 

[Geico266]

Sales of RV kits are doing well. Roughly 25 kits a month are being shipped, and 20 flying for the first time each month. The Van's HOBB meter just flipped past 8,030 flying aircraft. Pretty impressive, by any measure.

 

[hindsight2020]

Don't mean to be the disaffected one in the party, but I must ask....who cares? The article follows up by asserting the piston market is still declining. Then ends by saying this is a resurgence of GA in progress. Sure, if my definition of GA is 1.2 million dollar turboprops....

 

[Alexb2000]

Don't mean to be the disaffected one in the party, but I must ask....who cares? The article follows up by asserting the piston market is still declining. Then ends by saying this is a resurgence of GA in progress. Sure, if my definition of GA is 1.2 million dollar turboprops....

Turbines keep airports open.

 

[Everskyward]

Small numbers. That 10% increase could be two or three aircraft.

More like 54 for turboprops.

http://www.gama.aero/media-center/p...year-end-report-and-focuses-opportunities-and

 

[MSPAviator]

I'll believe the recovery is back when Mooney production starts back up and they fly 150+ new Mooneys out of Kerrville a year.

 

[poadeleted21]

Don't mean to be the disaffected one in the party, but I must ask....who cares? The article follows up by asserting the piston market is still declining. Then ends by saying this is a resurgence of GA in progress. Sure, if my definition of GA is 1.2 million dollar turboprops....

I'll believe the recovery is back when Mooney production starts back up and they fly 150+ new Mooneys out of Kerrville a year.

If the Chinese show affection for Mooney, you might see that.

 

[N747JB]

Looking at piston aircraft, mostly singles, probably 95+% singles, and throw in that part of them are LSA's maybe a good portion, not many used 182's and Bonanza's down the road. 54 more turboprops is actually a pretty good number I would guess, they seem to make the most sense for a lot of folks, not as "showy" as a jet, plus the operating costs are better in a lot of cases.

More like 54 for turboprops.

http://www.gama.aero/media-center/p...year-end-report-and-focuses-opportunities-and

 

[steingar]

Fewer than a thousand piston aircraft made in the whole world? Jeekers, that's nothing!

 

[ericd]

Fewer than a thousand piston aircraft made in the whole world? Jeekers, that's nothing!

Agreed. It is hard to get excited about 13 more planes for $100 mil less year over year.

Interesting stats, though. It's hard to believe so few planes are made. Aircraft owners are a small, fortunate group.

Eric

 

[flightwriter]

"The General Aviation Manufacturers Association says shipments of general aviation airplanes last year were up slightly..."

Article here: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-02-12/general-aviation-plane-2012-shipments-up-slightly

Thought this was interesting tho "Deliveries of turboprop airplanes were up by more than 10 percent last year. That helped to offset fewer deliveries of piston planes and business jets."

10% is a lot, no? Any guesses as to why this segment was up so much

Much of the turbine increase appears to have been driven by ag plane deliveries. GAMA did not include them in 2011 totals, but they did note 2011 deliveries when computing the 2012 numbers, for a year-over-year increase in that segment.

 

[ClimbnSink]

Looks like a negative replacement rate, guessing 1,000 planes destroyed every year in accidents and who knows how many die on a tie down every year. Save us Cessna/sarcasm

 

[hindsight2020]

Manufacture $40K new grumman tigers and I'll gladly be part of the solution......

 

[wabower]

They'll be along when the Z cars are $3.6k. Should happen any time now.

Manufacture $40K new grumman tigers and I'll gladly be part of the solution......