Mon, Aug 30, 2010
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...
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