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Seems like the big engine cessnas have dropped in price.

pzinck

pzinck

Registered User
western,me
Seems to be lots of good deals on 180/185's as of late. Do you guys think this will be temporary or long term?. I guess fuel prices are taking their toll on planes that burn 13 to 17 gph. The good news is cubs seem to be way up. Do they really get over 100,00 for old cubs rebuilt? Around here some real good ones seem to sell in the 70 to 80 grand range. I have never heard of a guy in maine paying over a 100 for even a rebuilt cub, maybe they get more money out west.
 
Check out the prices for big piston twins, prices seem to be falling for the gas guzzlers.
 
Phil:

I stopped at KOLD last week for fuel on the way home and was jawboning with some local guys, one with a early 180. I kinda made your same observation about how some 180/185 seem more affordable now, and one of the old boys looked like someone had farted in the room. I suspect he had bought at the high end. I am renting a spot for a 180 in my hangar now, his is certainly at the other end of the scale. Its a late 70s/early80 I think, with about 800 tt. You could do brain surgery inside it. One of the nicest 180 in the country. His price is well north of 125K.

Jim
 
Seems like all the big motored airplanes are getting cheaper by the day, but then so are big SUVs. I remarked to my wife the other day that we could buy any of several decent V-tails or one of a boatload of Mooneys for what I paid for the 12 and go a lot faster in much more comfort. She immediately reminded me that yes, we could, but there would be no money in the kitty to fly the thing after paying the insurance and maintenance bills. She is, of course, right. It's a lot more fun to fly around the mountain for an hour at 6 gph than it is to make the same trip in thirty minutes at 13 gph.
 
I bought a 100% rebuilt Super cub last year, and feel it was worth every penny. My previous cubs were all great, but there was always something I knew that needed work. Now the only thing old is the data plate, and I can handle polishing that.

To pay for the Super Cub I decided to sell my 1981 C-180 and a Pitts, and I am nauseated every time I look at the prices. I used to get frequent unsolicited offers for the 180, now they are few and far between. Had a great offer from a guy in England, he was going to send me a check for twice what I was asking and I would send the change and the airplane to him! What a deal...makes me not want to bother listing through the Internet anymore. I think we will all be hurting if we don't get more new people to start flying. Most of my friends in the Northeast say that their flight training students are drying up real fast.
 
I have a gas guzzler 180. I may not make many friends by saying this, but if the price on them is coming down, then it's about time.

There is nothing special about a 180 or 185. Don't get me wrong, it's a good machine, but mostly just a goat hauler. The premium they were bringing never made much sense to me to start with...I think it was mostly fueled by testosterone.

gb
 
My 182 has taken a pretty big hit in the past year. :cry:

But don't forget the speed difference. I flight planned the trip from 14A to LAL, Cub vs 182. not much difference in fuel when your talking mileage.
 
Sorry folks.
When it comes to miles per gallon my 185 beats the crap out of my PA-12-180. Fun factor is one thing if a guy is pooping around the local area but if you want to go somewhere the spam can is my choice. On my recent trip to AZ and NM, the 185 was a winner. My trip home from Monument Valley AZ., (Gouldings Lodge), I encountered 60 kt. headwinds!! Hell, in the Cub, I'd have been back in NM instead of home in WA. Winds are a huge factor in cross country travel, as you all know.
Mike
 
Mike, I hear you man! My 180 is much more fuel efficient in straight line travel. Even with a 520 under the hood. It is the best bush plane for a family or a couple who has issues with packing light. Not many airplanes can get you from central Vermont to a dinky gravel strip in extreme northern Labrador in an 8hr day.

Families grow up and move away. I feel like a pebble in a can while flying around in a six place airplane. Thus the return to Super cubs!
 
At gas being 5.00 a gallon this is where we separate the men from the boys. I'm feeling more like a boy. Dee :eek:
 
Fuel prices are an inconvenience. I have no intention to curtail my flying, except perhaps the occasional burn gas for the sake of burning gas kind of flying, which for me means Cub. My primary airplane is my Cessna and that won't change no matter how expensive fuel gets. In fact the higher fuel prices go the more the Cessna makes sense. Take more, go faster.

Market value isn't important unless you're buying or selling. The silly-high asking prices in Trade-a-Plane have been meaningless for years. Those ads don't indicate market value to me. But as the cost of everyday necessities increases, the value of play toys decreases. Welcome to the recession.

Stewart
 
Well said Stewart B. Avgas costs what it costs. And in the big picture if I spend $6500 a year instead of $4500 a year on gas to fly, that $2000 in my mind is money well spent. If if that extra $2000 is what keeps a $50,000-$100,000 investment/toy/tool sitting on the ground, you should probably reconsider if you should have the plane in the first place. Hec, the wife really doesn't need to spend as much shopping, and kids can get by with used shoes. Got to have priorities!
 
Dropping prices

If you fly for fun (or as therapy), gallons per hour is more important than miles per gallon. Not to knock 180/185's, but are they as much fun for pure screwing off as a cub?

If you are trying to go any distance, almost every airplane beats a cub in efficiency.
 
How about the Warbirds values? I know that most guys that own them, gas is no matter, but the few that aren't rich, mmmm Flying around in a 2 seat monster burning 60+ gals an hour. Don't get me wrong I love them big ole round engines but man do they suck gas like there's no tomorrow!
 
I really enjoy flying 180 and 185's. I enjoy challenging myself into and out of short fields , although i am not very proficient as most. I also really like the ability to take more than one person to flyins and stuff. It was always who should i take. Dad ,the old lady or some of the kids. Now i can take more people which is nice. They are a good plane, though they were very overpriced in my opinion. Too bad the parts and overhauls would'nt come down. I wonder if less people are flying there will be deals on big maintenance items,wishfull thinking probably. :D
 
Re: Dropping prices

Lasater said:
If you fly for fun (or as therapy), gallons per hour is more important than miles per gallon. Not to knock 180/185's, but are they as much fun for pure screwing off as a cub?

If you are trying to go any distance, almost every airplane beats a cub in efficiency.
Click to expand...

As a former 180 owner, I'd have to admit that I'd rather have a cub for solo flight rather than a Skywagon. There's nothing like cubbin' around with the window open and landing anywhere you want. But of course there's the problem, solo flight. A super Cub is a blast, but if your mission includes heavy crap and people....well, you know the rest. I really enjoyed my 180 ownership, it was fun to fly but mostly it was the travel. I enjoy throwing the wife in the plane, 80 gallons of gas and all of our crap and not even worrying about weight or range.

Realistically, until I'm a "two airplane" guy I'm going to have to stick to a Skywagon. Fuel prices be damned. Besides, I figure if I can't afford an extra $20/hr for fuel then I probably shouldn't own one to begin with.

Bill
 
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