As for those who smell an airplane manufacturer conspiracy, they should
realize that the only manufacturer with ANY pull that makes little airplanes
is Cessna. The reason they have pull is because they create a lot of jobs

in Kansas. It is my opinion that they could not care less about the piston
plane business, and use all their lobbying efforts over jet issues.

To lobby the government takes money, and no one in the piston plane biz is
making that much money.

Cessna is currently using their ability to write Service Bulletins and to
request a companion Airworthiness Directive to essentially ground all the 400
series Cessna twin engine aircraft due to supposed flaws in the wing spars.
This is similar to the Bulletin and AD route that Beechcraft used to attempt to
put the T-34 Mentor out of the sky. They don't have to lobby anyone.

Cessna cares very much about the piston aircraft business or they wouldn't have
restarted production of a number of the single engine types. However they don't
care to be burdened with 25+ year old aircraft that they have no intention of
building again. I think that they fear that if too many older aircraft are
seen crashing in part due to age then the 18 year liabilitly limit might go
away and they are in trouble everytime a 1970 310 goes belly up.