Great Little Airplane Seems To Be Fighting Its Way S-l-o-w-l-y To Market

A letter from Cessna's Roger Whyte has begun circulating in which the Cessna Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing admits to additional delays in the much-delayed and long-awaited Cessna Skycatcher LSA program.

Whyte notes that, "Currently, eight Skycatchers have been delivered to their owners and are out flying today and activity at the reassembly plant in Wichita is increasing (photo enclosed). At EAA's AirVenture in late July, crowds enthusiastically responded to the Skycatchers that Cessna and EAA each had on display and our sales team was actively conducting demonstrations in the aircraft. Initial feedback from current owners and those who have flown the production aircraft has been nothing short of outstanding. The Skycatcher will truly be a game-changer in the flight instruction and recreational flying markets.

Now for the update on the Skycatcher delivery plans: the most recent plan projects we will deliver 30 Skycatchers in 2010 and 150 in 2011. While our plan is 150 units in 2011, our goal is to deliver more than that in order to meet a production rate of 350-500 aircraft per year. However, until we achieve that production rate, we have made the strategic decision to not yet assign orders to the deliveries planned for 2012 and beyond."

According to Whyte's letter Skycatcher order holders with the first 180 serial numbers are "currently scheduled to deliver within the next 16 months. You can expect further information regarding the specifics of the delivery process approximately 60 days prior to your aircraft being ready for you to take ownership. Thank you sincerely for your patience, which we are confident will be rewarded by the pleasures of owning and flying your Skycatcher."

For those with SN's of 181 and higher, the news is a mite more disappointing, as Whyte reports that, "Your Skycatcher order is currently scheduled beyond the 2011 delivery plans. We apologize for this unanticipated delay and realize this news is disappointing. All of us at Cessna are working diligently to increase Skycatcher production to meet demand, while at the same time making sure Cessna quality is upheld in each and every instance. We will continue to remain in contact to let you know when your aircraft will be ready for delivery. While the wait has been longer than any of us expected, we are confident your patience will be rewarded by the pleasures of owning and flying your Skycatcher."

In the meantime, ANN is receiving inquiries from Skycatcher order holders asking for background info on the reasons for these delays... indicating that Cessna is apparently a little less then effective in explaining the reasons (note lack of detail in above quotes) for the delays and the process by which this aircraft is coming to market. ANN has calls into Cessna for more background on this story...

FMI: www.cessna.com, An Aero-TV FIRST -- ANN's Jim Campbell Flight Tests Cessna's New LSA