The State of the Homebuilt Market, with Marc Cook

By John Zimmerman
Oct 22, 2024
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Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 89

Experimental airplanes make up an increasingly large share of the general aviation market, and Marc Cook knows that world better than anyone. He traces the history of homebuilts, from the radical plans of the 1980s to the refined kits of today, and describes the current state of the industry. He also talks about the causes of Van’s recent bankruptcy ordeal, and shares why he’s very optimistic about the upcoming MOSAIC rule—but also why it won’t lead to $20,000 airplanes. In the Ready to Copy segment, Marc names the biggest mistake homebuilders make, chooses the most underrated experimental airplane, and explains why riding motorcycles and flying airplanes requires the same approach to risk.

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Quotes:

The early years of the experimental market: “Let’s be truthful that, in those salad days… we didn’t always have particularly great companies behind the designs.”
Why it’s hard to grow a kit company: “It’s not a linear progression. Sometimes it’s easy to go from 5 to 25, but to go to 50 is a huge amount of extra effort.”
The Van’s bankruptcy: “I think they had a number of small issues that combined into one really big, ugly situation.”
Why we haven’t seen more competitors: “It’s really hard to start a new kit company.”
The impact of new FAA rules: “I am actually really optimistic about MOSAIC, because it opens an avenue for some airplanes from the experimental market to become series-produced.”
Engine innovation: “We definitely do need a technology booster shot.”
Advice for new homebuilders: “For first-time builders, build according to the plans. Don’t go off-script.”
The growing popularity of plansbuilt airplanes: “I can see this as the antidote to a day job sitting at a computer, moving code around. I get that.”
Why builders need to welcome new participants: “Experimental aircraft can seem really insular, but inside the bubble there’s a tremendous amount of camaraderie. We need to let people know it’s there.”
ARiding motorcycles and flying airplanes: “I don’t really think it’s the risk-taking side. I think it’s a willingness to see risks in context, to say ‘that’s a justifiable risk.’”