How One Category of Airplane Ownership Has Become More Affordable

When adjusted for inflation, research indicates avionics cost a fraction of what they did decades ago.

Jason McDowell

Wednesday, May 07, 2025 at 10:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A vintage Cessna 172 price list. $9,795 is the equivalent of $104,764 today. [Image: Cessna]

Key Takeaways:

General aviation aircraft and major components like engines and propellers have seen their real costs dramatically increase since the 1960s and '70s, significantly outpacing inflation, due to factors like certification, litigation, and private equity acquisitions.
In stark contrast, modern avionics are substantially more affordable and capable today than their equivalents were in the 1970s, representing a massive decrease in real cost.
The author is continuing research into historical labor rates and engine overhaul costs to determine if they followed the trend of increasing aircraft and parts prices or if they remained more stable.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Occasionally, I enjoy looking through old back issues of FLYING to get a feel for what it would have been like to own an airplane in the 1960s and ’70s.

These were the heydays of GA, when it seemed as though everyone and their brother owned a small plane—and many did so on a single, middle-class salary. Bring this up in an online discussion forum or around the table at any small airport’s Saturday morning coffee and donut session, and inevitably, the conversation will eventually turn to inflation and GA affordability—or the lack thereof.