GA piston sales down 58%

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today released the shipment figures for the second quarter of 2009. As expected, they don't paint a pretty picture. The first six months of 2009 saw 434 aircraft delivered whereas 1,034 were delivered over the same period in 2008, a 58% drop.

Total sales revenues (which include jet and turboprop aircraft) have also seen a dramatic decline with Cessna down $922,511,336, Piper down $48,475,950, Cirrus down $48,272,008 and Diamond down $46,671,661. The industry as a whole is down $2.73 billion so far this year.

In the first quarter of 2009, Cessna led the single-engine piston market with 26% of all shipments, but in Q2 Cirrus Aircraft became the market leader accounting for 32% of all shipments against Cessna's 31%. The best-selling single continues to be the Cirrus SR22 with 68 deliveries while Cessna shipped 32 C172 Skyhawk SP and Diamond 31 DA40.

Other snippets that I found interesting...

Cessna sold more Citation Mustangs than Skyhawks (38 against 32)

So far this year only one Corvalis 350 has been sold

Despite costing over $1m each, eight Baron 58 have been sold so far this year

Liberty Aerospace sold seven XL2 at an average price of $171,571

Maule sold two aircraft at an average price of $169,248

Privately, manufacturers are not hopeful for significantly increased sales. Many have new aircraft in stock and others will be building 'white tails' (aircraft without orders). The market may (fingers crossed) have bottomed out, but the recovery looks like being long and slow.