Sales broker, Winair, Winkler and Feyock has bought a Cheyenne 1, through a deal with a leasing company. Fritz Winkler, president, told EBAN: “In this case we purchased the aircraft just on stock and we will bring it up-to-date. The aircraft needs a propeller overhaul, oxygen overhaul and maybe some avionics updates, after which we will sell it.” The company will put the aircraft on the market for around $560,000 (excluding VAT) once everything is done.

“We are currently talking to some clients and there’s been quite a lot of interest. We only buy aircraft which we know there is a market out there for, because we don’t want to sit too long on them,” he said. Germany-based Winair is pitching the Cheyenne as currently the entry-level turbo prop for people who don’t want more than two plus five seats. “The relationship between price and what you get is better than its

closest competitors. It flies around 11-1200 nautical miles and since we’re sitting mid-Europe, for somebody operating here this is a fine aircraft,” said Winkler.

The company claims to have helped out the company from which it bought the aircraft, although Winkler expects the favour to be repaid in the future: “It wasn’t extremely cheap, but with the work that is needed to be done it will be a realistic price. We have a good chance to sell it as we have a list of clients who are interested in such a product.” The company was ideally positioned for such a deal, as around 40 per cent of its business deals with Cheyennes.

“For the owner, it’s a good aircraft for the money and this is why there is always a market for it. A used Cheyenne I can fetch somewhere in the range of 500 to 750,000 dollars. There are still enough Cheyennes flying so the support is good and there are enough maintenance places,” added Winkler. Clearly a big fan of the aircraft, he went on to say: “If the customer is an owner/pilot and doesn’t carry too many passengers, this is the right solution. Cheyenne IIs are a little faster, but they are also more expensive to purchase and maintain. The Cheyenne I is better value in my opinion.”

Speaking of largely varying reports of the current state of the business aviation, Winkler said: “The European market is currently similar to that of the States. The interest is there, there is no question of that. We are selling aircraft, but of course at a lower level compared with a year ago. The prices are coming down to a realistic level now and the crazy prices we saw a year or two ago are gone. Your can sell an aircraft today if it’s priced right, which is probably at the same level as three years ago. It’s only if there are some black spots in the aircraft’s history that it will be hard to sell.”