Is this the status of plane market?

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Mission-Noise4935@reddit

The status of the plane market is crazy. I don't think I would sell my 1972 182 for less than $250k and if I listed it for that it would probably sell in a week. Of course I love my plane so I wouldn't sell. I plan to upgrade the panel some more in the next 5 years and then I will have it where I want it.

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Suitable-Common7992@reddit

As the old canard says, a thing is really only worth whatever someone will pay for it. How long the seller wants to wait to find that person and how long a buyer wants to invest in looking at different airplanes before deciding to pay a bit more depend upon a lot of things. My plane had over 9k hours on it, but it had all been destroyed and rebuilt after flying missionaries around Africa or something, so it looked new. Still had to put a new panel in it, new rear seats, yada yada. Anyway by the time you spend 185k to buy it and another 125k in seats and new tailwheels and new avionics, it starts to make sense why people expect over 300k for a 185, and that is before adding any wing mods or other stuff. C'est la vie.

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adrianunruh@reddit

Get your tail wheel endorsement. Small taildraggers like the cessna 140, luscombe, etc are priced more reasonably.

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Suitable-Common7992@reddit

This is the way. Unfortunately you will pay a lot for insurance until you get some hours, but insurance on a 30k plane is a lot less than on a 60k or 120k plane. And after you burn off a hundred hours, it changes.

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electriple@reddit

Stinson 108's are way overlooked

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YakVivid6538@reddit

Yep. This is the secret to small airplane ownership.

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ThePurpleUFO@reddit

Way overpriced. And the "TSMOH is 10"??? Depending on who did the overhaul and how they did it, it could be good or bad. There are lots of better deals out there.

P.S. Have you actually seen the airplane in person?

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setthrustpositive@reddit

There will always be people asking for the moon in a plane.

But it will sit on the market.

Also, Low balling is fun.

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jabier1@reddit

I'm in the 182 market too and have noticed a lot entering at slightly reduced prices so I'm optimistic. Many of my saved listings have had price reductions and it seems like the average list time has kept going up.

There are definitely still owners/brokers trying to take advantage of MOSAIC because they think suddenly demand will skyrocket (saw someone trying to sell a 14.5k TT 172 with crap avionics and an engine near TBO for almost 100k saying "fly this as a sport pilot"). There is also the occasional idiot who buys a poorly equipped 1970s 182 for over 200k who kind of sets the market temporarily.

Overall it seems like its cooling down and relative to the people who are looking for the level of plane of the 182. The ceiling has probably been hit as far as what people are generally willing to pay.

Also side note, there really needs to be a system in place like MLS for houses that tracks actual sale price of all sales and whether a listing is removed vs actually sold.

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Jbombardo61@reddit

That sounds wrong. But a new motor and top of the line avionics could get the price up there.

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Cherokee260@reddit

It depends what’s in the panel. Engines are worth a decent chunk of change but avionics can start to add up too. Smaller Cessnas are in general more expensive than other used aircraft since flight schools buy them all up.

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warwolf09@reddit (OP)

Lynx NGT9000 ADSB in/out, PMA7000M-S Audio Panel, Garmin 430 WAAS, and Garmin GTR225

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Jorfogit@reddit

No, that is not worth $115k. Do you want to fly for fun or fly for money? If you want to fly for fun, I'd highly recommend looking at experimentals. You'll get a lot more bang for your buck, and maintenance is much much cheaper.

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warwolf09@reddit (OP)

Just for fun! I was also looking at experimental but they also seem to be out of control with prices

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Classic_Ad_9985@reddit

Build an experimental. Get with a buddy or two or three and you can build a brand new aura fly with top of the line avionics for that same price

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warwolf09@reddit (OP)

Unfortunately i don’t have any buddies that are into aviation.. actually i just moved to s new city and dont have any buddies at all hahaha

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Classic_Ad_9985@reddit

Put up a new post asking for people to get into a partnership with and include and airport near you. You WILL get some buddies 😂

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AntoineEx@reddit

If you need to finance or you want hull insurance to protect your investment the experimental market can be challenging. Insurance can be very difficult to obtain and cost prohibitive on some models. A experimental super cub policy will be close to double the price of its certified counterpart.

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Jorfogit@reddit

On the other hand, an experimental RV is extremely cheap to insure, even with low hours.

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Benny303@reddit

Tell me about it. I would never be able to afford a carbon cub regardless. But around 5 years ago when I used to look for fun they were like 250K fully kitted, now the cheapest model at BASE is like 550K when I looked like a week ago. I was blown away.

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Cherokee260@reddit

You can also get some pretty cheap ultralights or LSAs, depending on if it’s just you going up or if you intend to fly with others.

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Hungry-Transition276@reddit

Op do you want to join up to get a plane

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Hungry-Transition276@reddit

Look for planes in trade a plane

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paul-flexair@reddit

I'm a flight school owner. We're attempting to expand our fleet to keep up with demand after winning a couple awards this year. We are struggling with the same. If you want lower prices, look off-market, away from the pool of what my and other small flight schools have to buy. It's a classic case of supply and demand. The wait time for new aircraft and engines is 18+ months. Demand is up, supply is level at best, declining for most parts of the GA market. Demand for pilot training is way up. Meanwhile, total count of registered trainers in operation is down by over 90% from a few decades ago.

We just concluded an introductory lease awarded to Cessna "Top Hawk" schools. A 2025 C-172S, with discounts, would have been north of $500k. We couldn't make the math work and gave the aircraft back at the end of the lease. It was a beautiful trainer, but unaffordable for our student population. Where will it go next? There is already a buyer, at a higher price. Probably a big university or similar flight program.

Aside: Why aren't we seeing these new aircraft enter the secondary market after a few years in a big flight school program? I heard a fascinating story from a maintainer who works on our aircraft when they're not busy with the big flight school across the ramp from one of our bases. These exquisite new Cessna and Piper aircraft will never hit the secondary market. The big flight schools accept them, fly them out, turn the high-hour airframes into spin training aircraft, then cut them up for scrap rather than be exposed to the legal liability of any future buyers claiming the aircraft was improperly maintained.

MOSAIC will likely make that 152 even more expensive - and make sure you look at the cylinder and engine core supply chain before buying anything with a Lycoming or Continental powerplant.

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drain-angel@reddit

There was someone listing a Cherokee 140 for $205K CAD (140K USD~) a week ago. People are on crack but it doesn't help that overhaul and parts prices have completely skyrocketed

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toraai117@reddit

Cessna 152s is arguably the second most desirable trainer outside of the Cessna 172. With a decent panel, fresh engine, and overall good condition well into the 6 figures is not unreasonable.

The reason they are so much more desirable than a Cessna 150 comes down to that extra 15-25hp as well as all the things that come with a later model Cessna 150 like the M model, which can also fetch prices close to $70k.

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AFBUFFPilot@reddit

The market got crazy during COVID, much like real estate did. Bought our 1984 TR-182 for $150K in 2018 which I thought was high at the time, and yes we’ve upgraded some stuff and did an overhaul since, but it’d easily sell for $260k now…..maybe $280k. Crazy for a 40 y/o SE plane. That plane is nice….and if you notice you’ve gotta get to 10,000 TT (one is 17,000!) to get below $100k. I’d consider a flying club or partnership, just make sure you have good partnership docs.

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DarthStrakh@reddit

Where tf are yoy seeing these prices? My instructor is selling her 80s 152s for 35j

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bottomfeeder52@reddit

once saw an ifr 152 for sale that had a gtn 750 in it.

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MoreSpoiler@reddit

I get inflation post printing 20-25% more FIAT money during covid, but 115k I don’t see outside of it being a very special 152 somehow

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larrymb@reddit

Something to consider, a 152 is for teaching, not recreational flying. If you actually want to go somewhere, vs just flying around locally, it can't carry enough, it is too slow, and its range is too limited. Another thing to consider is that those expensive avionics cost just as much in a 152 as they do in a more capable airframe. For flying after getting a PPL I would recommend something with 4 seats, which is actually a two-seater if you have full fuel and luggage.

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underdog5891@reddit

O-200’s have gotten expensive, that’s probably the largest driving factor for the price.

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Specialist-Toe7004@reddit

Ridiculous price, cure for high prices is high prices.

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fisherman363@reddit

A 152 engine overhaul as of today costs $46k. A frame with lower hours 5k vs 12k is worth around 60k. The price isn’t unreasonable

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W0X0F26@reddit

Really? Not saying you’re wrong, but that’s an overhaul cost nowadays?

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fisherman363@reddit

This is a quote I received yesterday, an that’s a B2B quote not a B2C. I suspect a private guy needing an overhaul is going to pay even more than that

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buzzly@reddit

That’s the engine, you’re going to be another 10k to get in installed.

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Important_Repeat_806@reddit

The entry price is irrelevant. You’ll spend it every 5-7 years on ownership. That plane may be overpriced but if you’re seeing stars already…you ain’t seen nothing yet.

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OracleofFl@reddit

You can get a Cherokee 180 for less than that similarly equipped. That is a hell of a lot more airplane than a 152.

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NTXRockr@reddit

$45k for the fresh engine, avionics are not worth much at all (430’s are about to cease support) and the airframe is a standard (non-aerobat) 150, which is a training aircraft and not the plane for those wanting 2+ persons to fly anywhere with any useful load (it barely flies with two larger-than-standard persons and any significant amount of fuel).

$50-75k is likely where they should be priced, if it had a GTN650 or similar newer RNAV it could command a bit more, but you’re honestly paying for the fresh overhaul and hopefully a decent airframe. Gone are the days of $20k 150’s, but for $115k you’re better off getting a similarly or better equipped 172 that is overall a nicer aircraft.

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KCPilot17@reddit

What avionics? It's not outside of the question.

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warwolf09@reddit (OP)

Lynx NGT9000 ADSB in/out, PMA7000M-S Audio Panel, Garmin 430 WAAS, and Garmin GTR225

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KCPilot17@reddit

Honestly pretty solid for a 150. Worth that price? Eh, higher side, but not extremely gross considering the overall.

The market is worth what people are willing to pay. If you're not willing to pay, then it's not worth it to you.

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NTXRockr@reddit

It’s double what the price should be, especially with the avionics. $50k as a starting point depending on overall condition, up to $75-80k with something like a GTN650 would be feasible. Yes, gone are the days of $20k 150’s but there’s absolutely no reason it is worth 6 figures.

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Pretty_Marsh@reddit

Support for the 430W is ending soon, though.

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Cherokee260@reddit

And also the 430 is one of the most annoying technologies to use, ever.

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cbellew22@reddit

Agreed, those buttons are the most stubborn things I’ve dealt with.

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Cherokee260@reddit

VFR flights with it aren’t terrible but anything IFR is just maddening

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Pretty_Marsh@reddit

Support for the 430W is ending soon, though.

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SaratogaFlyer@reddit

That’s garbage

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Cherokee260@reddit

It’s definitely better than what came from the factory. While it’s no flying hot rod that panel is a decent platform for slow cost-effective avionics upgrades.

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SaratogaFlyer@reddit

Fair… I meant for 115k

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Cherokee260@reddit

I wouldn’t venture to call it garbage though, it’s priced higher than market average but it’s still possible someone may buy it. Lower airframe time, new engine, okay avionics. For a 152 in the current market I’d say it’s maybe price 15k high? Kinda depends on the interior and a couple other factors like if it’s been hangared etc.

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Cherokee260@reddit

Meh, it’s a bit overpriced then.

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Cessna131@reddit

Engine is worth 40k, avionics 20k, airframe 30-40k, I think 100k more reasonable. But 115k isn’t a terrible starting point for negotiation. New paint and perfect condition, price isn’t terrible.

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CaptMcMooney@reddit

shrug, if you tried to by the engine, prob and avioncs new, you'd probably be talking 70 - 85K atleast, so yeah prob that's the new price

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ivytea@reddit

At this price I thought it was Ta-152

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Sad-Umpire6000@reddit

“Honey, I’ve had the plane on Trade-A-Plane for six weeks and no one’s interested. We’re stuck with it.”

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LateralThinkerer@reddit

"Dear IRS, this really was a sale at a loss. The market value was $115K - honest - but I had to let it go for 65K. What's that? I only spent $23K on it? Well...there were improvements and changing market conditions"

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warwolf09@reddit (OP)

Wife hates this one simple trick

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iamflyipilot@reddit

Is it a standard 152 or is it the Aerobat version?

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warwolf09@reddit (OP)

Standard

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Skynet_lives@reddit

He can ask whatever he wants. Doesn’t mean it’s going to sell for that, or at all.

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redditburner_5000@reddit

It's slowly gliding back down to something that resembles "sensible." Inventory is way up compared to even last year.

$115k for a 152 is a guy either telling his wife "it's for sale! See? No buyers!"

-or-

Someone who thinks it's still 2023.

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Signal-Albatross820@reddit

Everyone wa5to be a pilot and own there own plane. The prices make me thank about 3500 dually

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GeharginKhan@reddit

I think I saw the same listing. No that's absolutely not the typical going rate for a 152.

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Just saw a 1978 CESSNA 152 listed for 115k TT is 5k and TSMOH is 10. I mean yeah i get it it’s freshly overhauled but 115k? I think that’s insane!!! Or is this the actual status of the used aircraft market?? I was hoping on getting a plane after finishing my PPl but seems like it’s going to be impossible

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