840 for sale courtesy of Bruce Byerly Depending on which model Twin Commander a buyer is seeking and the purchase budget, he or she is likely to find either some good choices available or a very tight market with little inventory. Eagle Creek Aviation Service’s Jim Worrell heads the company’s Twin Commander sales, and he explained how there are two separate markets. One is for Twin Commanders costing less than a million dollars, and one is well north of a million. If you can find one, a Model 1000 will be at the sharp end of the price range. “There’s still a market for a tricked-out Mack Daddy airplane,” he said.
Timing can be everything. Worrell said last year was his best of the last 12—he moved 11 Twin Commanders. That success was echoed by Bruce Byerly of Byerly Aviation. Byerly said last year was very strong, which can make the beginning of the following year seem a bit soft. “It was probably one of the better endings to any year I could remember,” he said. The challenge is that success makes the new year somewhat less dynamic. Although, Byerly said, “That’s not really that unusual.”
Good inventory continues to be a problem, especially with later-model quality airframes. “If I’m looking for a 1000 I can’t find one,” Byerly said. “Instead of having two or three to choose from, they’re all gone.” Worrell agreed, saying that part of the tightness in the market is due to years of strong exports, leaving fewer top-notch airframes in the United States. Byerly added that the market for 840s and other model Twin Commanders are a little more open, with plenty of good inventory.
Worrell said someone who wants a strong airframe but is willing to take the time and spend the money to upgrade the panel, paint, and interior will find plenty of candidate aircraft. Given the increased cost of the Dash 10 upgrade he said it’s also brought Dash 10-powered 690-series prices back up, as much as $100,000 in the last 24 months. “For $750,000 it’s a lot of bang for the buck. There’s nothing else out there that goes 300 knots for that sort of money.” On the other hand, the consideration for sellers of non-Dash 10 airplanes is that sales prices hinge on engine time.
Despite the low inventory, Worrell and Byerly see the market continuing its strong pace in the coming months. “We’re pretty bullish, buying up inventory,” Byerly said. “I don’t know when it’s going to end, but it seems good now.”
