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.

I have heard this theory, but I don't understand Cessna's motives for
wanting an unnecessary AD. After all, if the planes go away, then no one
will pay for parts anymore. At any rate, this seems a far cry from trying
to make it uneconomical to keep flying older airplanes by getting the FAA to
push extreme regulations. Furthermore, if airplanes get an effective 25
year life limit, the amount people will be willing to pay for them up front
will be diminished. This kind of gov't interference could kill the new
piston plane biz.


Cessna cares very much about the piston aircraft business or they wouldn't
have
restarted production of a number of the single engine types.

There were extenuating circumstances involving promises to politicians and
bureaucrats that were made in connection with business on the jet side of
the house. As I understand it, they were more or less brow beaten into it.


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.

I think its a bit hard to believe that they would try and get all the older
planes grounded just to avoid a potential change in a law. As much as I
think Cessna has let us all down by not producing anything truly new in the
piston plane dept. I think they are a more responsible group of folks than
you are suggesting. I do not believe they are making stuff up to ground the
twins. They may be overreacting, but not just making stuff up out of whole
cloth.