SoonerAviator
Final Approach
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- Jul 21, 2014
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SoonerAviator
Well using the Lake Amphibians built in the good ol' days of GA as an example since those are thought to be sensible choices now, I ask these questions-
The point again is that money, value, wealth are all relative. To the vast majority of inhabitants of this planet you are already absurdly wealthy and the fact that you fly small private planes for fun already says you are blowing money in an unwise manor. You already understand what being absurdly wealthy is like, you just need to imagine scaling up understand buying a brand new A5.
- How many Lakes were built total and over how many years?
- What was their brand new price relative to middle class income of the period?
- Would you as a buyer back then, have bought one?
- Would you have just bought on old Super Cub on floats instead?
- How is that Lake company doing now?
My point wasn't to compare the used value of a Lake to the new price of the Icon A5. My point that the utility of the A5 (aside from folding wings) could be surpassed for 1/4 of the cost or less.
I appreciate the lesson on how value and wealth are all relative, but in terms of GA in America (arguably the primary demographic of this website) the value of the A5 seems limited when better used options prevail. Even if my "wealth" were such that I could purchase an A5 with little concern for its impact on the checkbook I don't feel that I could ever rationalize the purchase when there are tons of other used amphibs (albeit not shiny new plastic) are available. I don't mean to say that the A5 should compete with used aircraft prices, but an almost $300K aircraft which will barely carry 2 full-size adults is going to have a very limited audience, even among the wealthy.
Lake's status as a company can be mirrored in dozens of other aircraft companies who faltered in recent decades. I don't think it says much about the product or company in general. If Icon is around in another decade I'll be surprised.
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