State of the Industry

Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 11:43 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The author identifies a paradox: a dwindling pilot population alongside unprecedented aircraft and avionics development.
He suggests that the demand for new avionics comes from existing aircraft owners, not new airplane buyers.
These owners, often older with more disposable income, are extensively upgrading their legacy planes with modern features like touchscreen EFIS, digital autopilots, and navigators.
This trend allows fewer pilots to spend significant money on making their existing aircraft feel "new" to them, rather than purchasing entirely new planes.

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Those of you who regularly read my remarks have probably noticed that I don’t often take on global subjects, instead preferring to discuss narrow or even personal situations. After all, there are commentators out there who are far better informed than I bother to keep myself, so I’m happy to let them comment on things like, well, the state of the industry.

But I don’t ignore broader happenings. After all, for example, who isn’t aware of the declining numbers of our ranks? Yet, the pace of aircraft and avionics development is unprecedented. I find it challenging to reconcile a dwindling pilot population with all that new-product development. Who’s buying all that new stuff? I can guess.