“I’m pretty much sold out.” That was the sentiment from Byerly Aviation’s Bruce Byerly at the end of the fourth quarter last year. Both Byerly and Legacy Aviation Service’s RJ Gomez confirmed a strong end of the year for Twin Commander sales, with solid pricing and low inventory.
Gomez had three aircraft for sale at the time of this writing, but he anticipated moving them quickly. That will add to the five transactions he had wrapped up earlier in the year. Byerly also had a strong showing, with roughly four closings in the fourth quarter, and another few expected before the year wrapped up.
Both spoke of strong pricing, solid demand, and limited supply, especially compared to light jets of the same vintage. In particular, Cessna Citation prices continue to slide, while Twin Commander prices remain steady, a testament to the support from the Twin Commander Factory Authorized Service Center Network. “What’s interesting to me is that even though the jets are much lower in acquisition cost, the turboprops have an appeal with simple operation and lower cost of operation and insurability,” Byerly said.
Buyers are most often those already within the family. Gomez said it’s common for an owner to go from Commander to Commander, or to add a second airplane to one they are planning to keep. He recalled one owner who stepped up from a Cessna 414, but that is relatively rare. Byerly echoed that, saying that most customers are fire-fighting operators under contract to federal agencies that are ramping up for next season or customers already familiar with the airplane. Aside from the obvious benefit of growing the community, these owners often spend the time and money to upgrade the airplane with new paint, interior, and avionics.
In terms of models, Gomez said the model 690C 840s and later continue to be the most sought after. “Those owners are on a different level,” he said. “They will pay as they need to get them fixed and upgraded.”
Byerly echoed that, although he says even the piston market is strong. “It’s not my primary business,” he said. “But I just love those airplanes.”
