Impressive stats on the 2-seater: 3.5hr flight time at 1/6th the hourly operating cost of a Cessna 172. Perfect plane for flight school.
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You think so until you look at TCO. A used 172 equipped for a superset of the training scenarios can be had for 1/5th the initial investment. You can buy a lot of operating costs with the savings.
Comparing a new 172 to a new eFlyer the price seems competitive ($300k vs. $350k it looks like?)
Indeed, which is part of why most flight schools don’t buy new planes at all. I was mostly trying to refute the grandparents assertion that it was a “perfect plane for flight school.”
On the other hand, the discontinued Cessna 162 sold for $150k and is more similar to the eFlyer’s capabilities.
Let’s also not forget that not everyone lives or has time to deal with a full size airport. I can imagine a future where it’s feasible to offset commute times with these instead of other options.