Category: Market Share

Wheels Up! 2019

Welcome! This is our sixth anniversary of general aviation writing at wikiWings®. During the year, we added articles covering a number of topics.  Here are the highlights:

We reviewed Cirrus Aircraft asking prices and the supply of pre-owed airplanes during the past year. From the G1 to G6 generation series of SR22’s we found these planes are holding their value. We’ve presented these numbers in the past and will continue to do so into the future as a free reference point. In 2019, Aerista and Lone Mountain Aircraft reported that it’s a seller’s market for Cirrus planes. Well, it is the most popular and best selling GA piston airplane.

We summarized a number of General Aviation factoids gleaned from the General Aviation Management Association (GAMA) report this past year.

How many pilots are there in General Aviation? We shared the summary statistics.

Vision jet deliveries continue. In 2019, the entire fleet was grounded for a potential flaw in the Angle of Attack indicator. As of this date, Cirrus has not released an official statement about the resolution to the problem. We asked – but Cirrus Service would not provide us with an update on the status of the fleet.

Many of the SF50 Personal Jets are back in the air. We’re seeing the Vision Jet on more GA ramps. A trend we expect will continue to grow into the future.

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What’s the net number of pre-owned Cirrus planes for sale?

This post is a follow-up from last week to answer the question: What’s the net available pre-owned Cirrus Aircraft for sale?  To find the number of used Cirrus planes many pilots go to popular websites, such as Controller or Trade-a-plane. On July 7, 2017, there were 195 Cirrus piston airplanes for sale on Controller.  But that doesn’t mean you’ll have that many planes to choose from because foreign and fractional sales would probably not be on your list. Continue reading “What’s the net number of pre-owned Cirrus planes for sale?” →

What’s the number of pre-owned Cirrus airplanes for sale?

To find the number of pre-owned Cirrus airplanes for sale many pilots will go to popular websites, such as Controller or Trade-a-plane. In July 2017, there were 195 Cirrus piston airplanes for sale on Controller. Here’s the summary listing on the Controller website. Continue reading “What’s the number of pre-owned Cirrus airplanes for sale?” →

How many airplanes has Cirrus Aircraft manufactured?

English: Cirrus SR20, 2012 Model, Brenham Municipal Airport, Texas (photo credit: WikiWings)
English: Cirrus SR20, 2012 Model, Brenham Municipal Airport, Texas (photo credit: WikiWings)

Cirrus Aircraft has shipped a total of 6,526 airplanes at the conclusion of calendar year 2016.  Last year, Cirrus shipped 317 airplanes which was up by 5.3% over the prior year 2015.  The numbers exclude Vision Jet delivers.  In 2016, Cirrus delivered three jets to customers.

Deliveries of piston singles are up but still running half the volume of pre-recession levels. Continue reading “How many airplanes has Cirrus Aircraft manufactured?” →

Here’s a Cirrus owner’s view of the GA piston market

2008 Cirrus Perspective SR22TN Turbo, photo credit wikiWings
2008 Cirrus Perspective SR22TN Turbo, photo credit wikiWings

In February, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA.aero) released their 2016 annual report. It presents declining piston engine shipments which is disappointing news for GA but that’s not the whole story. Some manufacturers are increasing sales.  In 2016, Cirrus shipped 5.3% more planes than the prior year.  And, Cirrus piston shipments last year were up 14.9% over year-end numbers for 2013. That’s good.

It’s a trend that’s also being seen in Cirrus pre-owned aircraft sales.  Compared to four years ago, availability has changed significantly because more pilots are shifting into Cirrus planes and taking them off the market. Supply slack is just gone in certain Cirrus pre-owned models. Continue reading “Here’s a Cirrus owner’s view of the GA piston market” →

Cirrus Vision Jet has a 1-billion-dollar sales backlog!

Cirrus Vision SF50 Jet assembly fuselage, photo credit Wire magazine 2017
Cirrus Vision SF50 Jet assembly fuselage, photo credit Wire magazine 2017

Pat Waddick, Cirrus Aircraft’s president of innovation and operations recently said the company has more than 600 jet customers waiting for their airplanes to be delivered.  This is great news for the General Aviation industry and American manufacturing.  This sales number has been mentioned in aviation articles, but the discussion quickly moves on to another topic.

Cirrus jets are priced at about $2 million apiece which makes these sales a $1,200,000,000 book of business!  Each customer has paid $100K upfront. That’s $60M in deposit payments! Has there ever been a light aircraft pre-sales book of business comparable to this in the history of GA?

Who are these Vision Jet customers? Why did they write that $100,000 deposit check years ago? What compelled a decision even before the jet was certified? Many of the position holders want to remain

Cirrus Vision SF50 Jet Exterior Engine, photo credit Wired magazine 2017
Cirrus Vision SF50 Jet Exterior Engine, photo credit Wired magazine 2017

anonymous.  But we do know ~75% of them are Cirrus piston pilots.  And, the book of business is global.  About eighty of the 600 early position jets are scheduled for Latin America alone.

Most light aircraft manufacturers’ shipments are flat or seeing a slowdown.  Naysayers complain the outlook isn’t changing.  But the view only changes for the leader – as they say in dog-sledding.  Cirrus innovation is winning sales and transforming GA.  We need to see more of that.

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