My friend, the 2026 Cessna 182 is basically the same airplane as it was in 1975, with digital screens instead of analog gauges, except now it costs about $750,000.
That's a whopping $735,000 increase over its base price of ~$15,000 USD back in 1975 for a brand-new airplane.
I promise, those avionics aren't worth $735,000. We've just gotten much, much poorer.
EDIT: Heck, if this doesn't convince you, here's another set of numbers:
1. $15,000 of 1975 dollars is about ~$95,000 of 2026 dollars
2. A heavily used 1975 Cessna 182 today costs about $150,000
That's a whopping $735,000 increase over its base price of ~$15,000 USD back in 1975 for a brand-new airplane.
I promise, those avionics aren't worth $735,000. We've just gotten much, much poorer.
EDIT: Heck, if this doesn't convince you, here's another set of numbers:
1. $15,000 of 1975 dollars is about ~$95,000 of 2026 dollars
2. A heavily used 1975 Cessna 182 today costs about $150,000