Piper and Beech are exactly correct about the use of light planes as
business tools, and it would be even better if they cost half as much; but
the cost part is only relevant to the trade-in and move-up market. The real
problem is that the cost justification is only the SECOND half of the
decision process--which leaves the basic emotional marketing issue
unresolved.

There are legitimate utility and commercial uses of light recip
aircraft as we all know, Alaskan bush flying, pipeline patrol, a great
number of things but all niche and fairly limited markets. The kind of
"business flying" the lightplane people were pushing for decades-
flying for sales and meeting purposes, etc, is patent horse****. LIGHT
AIRCRAFT ARE TOYS. When a single pilot Cat II or IIIA approved known
icing approved light twin with single lever power control meeting
transport category single engine takeoff minimums can be had for less
than ten times the annualized cost of first class airline
tickets....we may reappraise this statement.

A motorcycle and a light aircraft have EXACTLY the same justification
and EXACTLY the same business utilization. An airplane is probably
properly more expensive but not twenty or even ten times. You ought to
be able to buy a two seat day VFR airplane for less than a Corvette,
very certainly. But it should be fully aerobatic and climb out at a
smart angle at an impressive rate of climb and make a lot of noise.