More Changes Coming

For almost as long as Ive been flying, the general aviation industry has been in upheaval. By the mid-1980s, product liability concerns and tax law changes helped remove what was propping up things, and the bottom fell out. Among other outcomes, Cessna stopped making piston-powered airplanes altogether while other manufacturers discontinued numerous models, preferring to concentrate on one or two.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Friday, April 21, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The general aviation industry has undergone significant transformation, recovering from a mid-1980s downturn to embrace two decades of technological innovations and regulatory reforms.
Recent advancements include composite construction, advanced avionics, simplified pilot medical certification (BasicMed), and FAA efforts to lower regulatory hurdles for equipment installation and update aircraft certification rules (Part 23).
While these changes offer the promise of more affordable and reliable products, their long-term impact on the industry and safety outcomes remains uncertain, with potential for both anticipated and unintended consequences.

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For almost as long as I’ve been flying, the general aviation industry has been in upheaval. By the mid-1980s, product liability concerns and tax law changes helped remove what was propping up things, and the bottom fell out. Among other outcomes, Cessna stopped making piston-powered airplanes altogether while other manufacturers discontinued numerous models, preferring to concentrate on one or two. Once legislation reforming product liability law was enacted, Cessna restarted production of revamped 172, 182 and 206 models in 1996, and types like the Cirrus SR series, Lancair certified and offerings from Diamond entered general aviation’s mainstream in the U.S.