by Pete Schoeninger
© Copyright 2023. All rights reserved!
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine August/September 2023 Digital Issue
Q) What do your spies tell you about the current used airplane market? I’ve heard that there are now some airplanes that have been sitting for sale for months without much interest?
A) Used prices have mostly stopped rising and a few models have declined a bit in value, but the market is still strong. Some owners, having seen the big rise in prices the last few years, have decided to try and cash in by advertising their planes at a super high price. To my mind that is shooting yourself in the foot, especially now as the market is softening a little. Salesmen I know still tell me a good solid airplane priced in the middle price range of similar makes and models will sell fairly quickly.
Q) My older Cessna 182 has a prop which I just sent in for overhaul. As my mechanic feared, neither the blades nor the hub will pass inspection and are not repairable. If I have choices, what might they be and what would be the costs involved? And will a prop change affect value?
A) On older airplane many accessories are no longer available or supported. But you have many replacement choices, and I strongly urge you to have your mechanic involved. You might find a good used freshly overhauled prop that is approved on your airplane for sale at a prop shop at perhaps $8-10K. (Find your year C-182 type certificate on the internet and look under propellers; you will see several approved models listed.) You could reach a little further into your wallet ($15 – $20K or so) and go for a new two or three-bladed aluminum prop, or even a composite prop. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Salesmen for each product can tell you why theirs is the best! Spending big bucks on a prop upgrade will increase marketability, but won’t be a huge plus for resale value, as buyers expect an airworthy prop… Age is a minor consideration to most buyers.
Q) Would it be possible to buy or have made a virtually new J-3 Cub, and what would it cost?
A) Legend Aero in Sulpher Springs, Texas manufactures brand new Cubs which are nearly clones of the J-3, but with some improvements which start at about $200K. If you want an exact J-3, you probably will have to buy a beater J-3 to get a data plate and logbooks, then pay huge dollars for a complete rebuild and probably replacement of almost all components. Fortunately, there are aftermarket wings, fuselages, wheels, brakes, etc. available. To go all new, and have the new bird professionally rebuilt at a “name” shop, you are looking at big bucks, perhaps $150K or more.
Q) I own a 2016 Carbon Cub. I am considering selling it to a good friend. Assuming that we each do not want to take advantage of the other, how can we get an unbiased estimate of its fair market value without going through a CubCrafters dealer. I have reviewed all the recent sales shown on the CubCrafters “used aircraft” page and have about a half-dozen or so “comparable.” Is there someplace else I should look?
A) I do not believe there are enough recorded sales of Carbon Cubs to make a strong case of a specific value. Your idea of using comparable sales is a good one. The prices shown on used aircraft pages of CubCrafters probably are a bit higher than a private sale would be. You could also consider hiring a CubCrafter dealer for an appraisal. Tell them right up front you have a prospective buyer and do NOT want to list the airplane for sale, but you DO want an unbiased opinion of value which you expect to pay for. Do not expect this for free!
Q) I saw a video on the internet recently of a Super Cub landing on an uphill airstrip 800 ft long over trees. The pilot barely got it stopped at the end. Would this ever be a safe thing to try with a Super Cub, or any other airplane? My buddy said he could do it in his 1976 C-172… He must be nuts, right?
A) Landing uphill, your ground roll will be quite short. But you need the skill of being able to put the airplane down exactly where you want it at minimum speed. So is it possible in a Super Cub, yes, but is it advisable, no. As far as the C-172…in the mid 1970s, Cessna made the 172M with a new cambered leading edge, and 40 degrees of flaps. (Later models continued the improved leading edge, but reduced flap travel to 30 degrees.) With 40 degrees of flaps, those (1973-1976) models are capable of steep descents without much speed increase, allowing short landings over obstacles. BUT here’s the fly in the ointment. If you can land in a shorter space than you can takeoff from, what have you gained? Many airplanes can land in less distance than they can takeoff from. Back to your first question, pro pilot could possibly get a 172M into that field, but it would have to come out on a truck with wings removed! I recommend NOT trying to land into such a field in any airplane.
Q) I have heard that a long time ago there were many more airplanes made per year than today. Can you verify this using the same model over time? And why the decline if true?
A) Thanks to Cessna, and Aircraft Bluebook (www.aircraftbluebook.com $400 annual subscription), that’s an easy question to answer. The Cessna model 172 started production in 1956 and with minor changes, is still in production! Sale numbers in year 1960, about 1,000; year 1980, about 1,100; year 2000, about 400; year 2020, about 200. In my opinion, the biggest reason for the decline in sale numbers has been the increase in prices. The retail price for models listed is year 1960, $12,000; year 1980, $39,000; year 2000, $154,000; year 2020, $410,000. It is interesting to note that every model listed above, in good flying condition, is worth at least as much, or more, than the original selling price!
Best of luck with the sale, Pete Schoeninger
EDITOR’S NOTE: Pete Schoeninger is a 40-year general aviation veteran, starting out as a line technician as a teenager, advancing through the ranks to become the co-owner and manager of a fixed base operation, and manager of an airport in a major metropolitan community. Pete welcomes questions and comments about aircraft ownership via email at PeterSchoeningerLLC@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this column is the expressed opinion of the author. Readers are urged to seek the advice of others, including flight instructors, licensed aircraft technicians, airport managers, fixed base operators, and state and federal officials. Neither the author, Midwest Flyer Magazine, Flyer Publications, Inc., or their staffs, employees or advertisers assume any liability for the accuracy or content of this column or any other column or article in this publication.
