Vol. 23, No. 3 | Aug. 18, 2010 | Go to Charts

by Carl Janssens, ASA | Aircraft Bluebook — Price Digest

There should be some optimism in our industry.

Buyers and sellers are finally coming to terms with what the market will bear for a given aircraft. And with that, the pre-owned aircraft market is seeing more completed deals. The gridlock of available inventory is starting to show some movement.

Values, on the other hand, remain soft with few signs of recovery.

Some of the factors that could be making an indirect impact on values relate to finance. Major lenders are adapting to the 20-year rule. That is, the age of the aircraft and term of the loan cannot exceed 20 years. Prior to the economic meltdown, it was a 30-year rule. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but this 20-year rule will continue to have a softening effect on value in the pre-owned market.

Another factor that might have a driving effect is the increase in cash buyers. Cash is a hard snare to turn away from if you are selling an aircraft. In return, the cash buyer will demand exceptional equipment at a discounted price.

To a lesser extent, aircraft foreclosures might have an impact on the industry. Time and condition do account for values in the marketplace. If an aircraft is sold outside the box of reason, then civil litigation will probably ensue.

You, the market itself, the live dynamics of what makes this whole process happen, may have your own opinion too. Let us know your thoughts.

Jet

Bluebook-at-a-glance
Increased — 3
Decreased — 595
Stable — 281

Late-model, large-cabin aircraft are retaining value. The medium-range business jet, such as the Lear 45 series and the Hawker 800 series, continues to show signs of normal depreciation.

Citation X and the Sovereign were off from last quarter. Bombardier Global Express and the 5000 remained steady while the Challenger 604 declined. The Falcon 7X held steady, but the Falcon 50 was down. Values for late-model Gulfstreams held steady, yet values for earlier models were off.

Turboprop

Bluebook-at-a-glance
Increased — 25
Decreased — 135
Stable — 434

The ag market still rules in this category because the very boutique and limited markets hold on to value.

One surprise this quarter is the DeHavilland Twin Otter DHC-6. Limited inventories, great demand and a new production line have brought a burst of life into the values of these aircraft. Check the values in the new fall 2010 release of Aircraft Bluebook.

Late-model King Airs were down slightly.

Multi

Bluebook-at-a-glance
Increased — 12
Decreased — 26
Stable — 618

Time and condition will play the upper hand in this market, especially when dealing with aging aircraft. Anything more than 20 years old in this market is a senior citizen. For the most part, values for this segment remained unmoved when compared to the previous quarter.

Single

Bluebook-at-a-glance
Increased — 217
Decreased — 200
Stable — 2078

As with their twin brethren, time and condition also have the upper hand in supporting value. Do not just look at the sale price. Also pay close attention to restorations, upgrades and modifications.

For the most part, the single category was stable.

Helicopter

Bluebook-at-a-glance
Increased — 57
Decreased — 221
Stable — 761

Helicopters are continuing to show some signs of stabilization with the majority of this segment remaining unchanged in reported values when compared to the previous quarter.

Visit us at the 2010 NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention

Aircraft Bluebook will be in booth No. 7626 at NBAA 2010 on Oct. 19-21.

Aircraft Bluebook – Price Digest here for you

Please contact Aircraft Bluebook if you have any specific concern in a particular aircraft market. We will be happy to share with you the most up-to-date information available for your market segment. Call us toll-free at 877-531-1450 or direct at 913-967-1913.

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