Why Are General Aviation New Aircraft So Darn Expensive?

Why Are General Aviation New Aircraft So Darn Expensive?

Many student pilots wish to buy a new aircraft of their own after they learn to fly. Renting an aircraft costs too much. Yet consider the cost of a new aircraft, talk about sticker shock and that is before you have to buy insurance, pay for hangar space, tie down or put fuel in it.

Obviously all these costs are considered when renting you the aircraft to learn to fly in and those who have leased them back to an FBO are all too aware of the abuse the plane will take and the maintenance costs which will ensue.

So, it costs too much to buy your own aircraft, too much to rent and leasing back a new aircraft you buy to an FBO is a dead end deal other than a tax write off, because of the maintenance costs and the fact that the flight school will run it out of TBO and you have to pay to over haul the engine at 2,000 hours or so. But why are general aviation aircraft so expensive?

Well much has to do with products liability costs for the aircraft manufacturer you see? Some have estimated the costs for products liability insurance and defending lawsuits, legal staff, etc at some $75,000 per unit sold? Ouch, and that is before you consider the avionics, airframe or components in the aircraft, which are not cheap either. So, consider all this in 2006.