Are there any types that actually might be appreciating – this would exclude the cost of upgrades or the second hand market firming up a bit?
I would suggest the Cessna 185F and DHC Beaver actually are types that seem to appreciate. No longer manufactured but perform a unique commercial role in places like Alaska.
Having seen the 185F go through $100k some time ago, seeing them advertised for $250k is not unusual, and given their revenue potential in AK, no doubt will continue to increase in value.
The $100k Super Cub with Alaska mods may have reached their peak, although CubCrafters produce some $300k versions.
Cessna 152. I’ve certainly heard prices of 45K for tidy zero hour engined examples. High airframe hours to.
PC12 used to be immune to price drops, but it’s starting to get some pressure on it now.
I second Bathman, C150/152 appear to be in demand all over the place and they do achieve quite high prices as opposed to other planes. Some of them actually do appreciate if you look at the market of the last 5 to 10 years.
Generally I do see a certain recovery of the market after some years where used planes were often hugely underestimated. Real dumping prices are slowly disappearing safe for some airplanes where the condition warrants such a dumping price too.
I would think that particularly Cessna 182´s as well do keep their value quite well, there is also a demand for well kept Warriors or Archers to replace similar exemplars in bad condition in flying clubs.
While it’s a bit difficult to separate out any post financial crash recovery from actual appreciation, the C182s seem to be at least holding their value and actually going up in price. In general, I think it’s the airplanes with the highest utility value that appreciate, hence the demand for C152 (trainer), C182 (family / utility), Beaver, etc (utility, remote ops).
Maybe it also has to do with what the market has to offer for a specific type. I saw it in the Mooney Section at planecheck: When there were close to 60 airplanes on offer, prices came under more pressure than now, where there are maybe half of that. Similar with the PA28, there are literally dozens of them around.
On the other hand however, people often fail to see the difference between the offered planes. There can be e.g. two PA28 with same year but one which has not seen an upgrade since while the other one has a new engine and prop and current avionics. Some folks think that they can press the price down on both because they are both old spamcans, but I disagree. Same goes for vintage Mooneys just as an example,which can have the original panel, run out engine e.t.c. or can be EASA IFR with a new prop and engine. That there has to be a difference in price should be normal, yet some people think not.
I think a big factor in undervaluing airplanes is “well meant” advice in many forums, where people ask about specific planes. Most of them get told to walk away no matter what the actual plane is. I quite often have wondered why people do this? It certainly does not help getting new owners like this.
No airplane is ever perfect, all of them have something or the other which needs upgrading or fixing, but I would think that many planes out there are great opportunities for first time or experienced buyers. Being too picky and turning the back on valid candidates just because some armchair experts think it´s no god (or are jealous because they can´t afford it) will not help anyone.
Bathman.
That’s about right for a good C152 but it will need a better than average avionic fit and at least 50% engine time left.
Here in Switzerland some of the larger schools got rid of their 152’s and they never were advertised so fast were gone. With run out engines and all they fetched 50k CHF plus.
And what did they replace them with?
The integrated schools operate Piper Archer, Cessna 172SP and Diamond DA-40. The smaller modular schools will use Warriors, 152 and Tecnam.
