General aviation deliveries fell 7.1 percent in 2008, marking the first time in five years deliveries were lower than the year before.

According to a report released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association on Feb. 17, deliveries fell from 4,272 in 2007 to 3,969 last year. Hardest hit were piston-driven aircraft, which fell 20.8 percent.

Jens Hennig, vice president of operations with GAMA, says those are the aircraft that typically feel the effect of economic downturn first.

"We've always had a pretty good understanding of where our industry turns," he says.

Hennig says as early as late 2007, as the fortunes of many corporate and business entities began to slide, so too did those of the piston-driven aircraft they support.

By contrast, deliveries of turboprop aircraft and business jets rose by 16.6 percent and 15.6 percent respectively. However, Hennig says these numbers typically lag behind general economic trends by roughly 18 months.

Hennig says beyond the lower numbers of delivery, general aviation is also reeling from reductions in production schedules and work forces industrywide.

Of GAMA's 145,000 members, Hennig says the organization has seen 11,000 layoffs since Dec. 1.

In Wichita, general aviation manufacturers have seen around 6,650 cuts between general aviation companies Cessna Aircraft Co., Hawker Beechcraft Corp. and Bombardier Aerospace.

Hennig is hopeful the economic stimulus bill, which includes bonus depreciation, will help boost sales in the industry in the coming year. In addition, he says the GAMA will be looking at ways to combat the industry's image crisis by attacking the notion general aviation provides a "luxury product".

"We've of course been beaten up in the press," he says. "We are going to be focusing resources in 2009 (toward) providing information on why we need the industry."