On Sun, 6 Apr 2008 18:01:16 -0700, C J Campbell
wrote:

Considering that there are waiting lists for people to buy a Cessna 172
for nearly $300,000, almost double what one cost a couple years ago, I
doubt that the price of gas is going to have much effect on aviation,
even if it goes to $100/gallon. The only effect will be to make the
complaints louder.

Must be a wide definitoion of "a couple" - they've been over $250k
factory new since at least 2001. I also know some dealers with 07 and
08 models on the floor which they'd let you pick up right this minute
if they could. I guess with the territory system unless your dealer
is willing to work out a deal with another dealer to swap delivery
slots, you can have areas where people are waiting and areas with
inventory sitting on ramps which they can't sell to anyone outside
their area until (2?) years after they've inventoried it.

The cost of gas is a pittance compared to whatever else people spend on
an airplane. If gas starts to hurt airplane sales, the manufacturers
will simply offer incentives like Cessna has done in the past -- a free
year's fuel. Or more.

Actually, just to pick a nit, they gave out a gas card from
MultiService with a credit on it of (I forget, couple thousand?) and
you burned it off within two years or lost anything that was left on
it, so it could have lasted you 6 months or 2 years, depending on your
flying habits. The point that they'll adjust the price of acquisition
somehow does stand.