You know, all that 150 stuff can't keep flying forever.
Why Cessna didn't just buy something like our C42 Ikaruses, I don't know.
Of course, they are a big, bloated and inefficient company, as regards the small aircraft market. Hard to be otherwise when you are geared up to the bigger stuff.
Companies like Comco Ikarus and the other "light sport" companies have simpler organisations, smaller overheads etc.
Europe is a good market. China is growing fast. (Comco Ikarus are selling there now and have a nine-month waiting list now).
Cessna has a great brand name.
For the right aircraft, at the right price (maybe even with a little more for the "brand") there is a market.
Yes, many will say the C42 is a tube and fabric aircraft. Cessna's are built to take the punishment, will last forever etc.
But look all around us at how people are reshaping products, and people's expectations. And succeeding.
Many flying schools don't outlive their aircraft. And capital is hard to find, so lower initial costs - perhaps at the expense of longevity, are maybe better for today's climate.
And as for running on Avgas! Get real. Even if it wasn't for cost, it is just becoming harder and harder to get.
If Cessna had achieved what they set out to do (which was with a Rotax 9 series initially), I would have been in the market.
But.......
So the news is no surprise.