This 1980 Beechcraft 77 Skipper Is a Comfortable,Versatile ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick

Today’s Top Pick is a 1980 Beechcraft 77 Skipper.

Beechcraft has a reputation for being late to the market for entry-level and training aircraft. Cessna’s 172 and Piper’s PA-28 were long-established as popular four-seat training and utility airplanes when Beechcraft started producing its competing Musketeer series.

As a result, Musketeers are a rare sight on airport ramps when compared with their rivals. Something similar happened with the two-seat Skipper, which was designed to compete with smaller trainers like the Cessna 150. But the Skipper had an even harder time due to economics.

Produced from 1979-81, the Skipper entered the GA market at its high point, but the economic downturn that followed hobbled aviation and other industries for years, resulting in the end of production for the majority of piston GA airplanes. The Skipper was among the first to go, after only 312 had been built. Today these rare models are desirable as trainers, time builders and personal traveling machines.

This 1980 Skipper has 1,190 hours on the airframe and its Lycoming O-235 L2C engine. Its panel includes a Garmin GNS 430W GPS/nav/com, GNC 420 GPS/com, dual Garmin GI 275s for attitude island HSI, Comant CI-2580-200 antenna, Apollo SL70 Mode C transponder with SAE5-35 altitude encoder, uAvionics Tail Beacon for ADFS-B Out, and Garmin GMA 345 audio panel. The aircraft is equipped with a new Sky-Tec starter, fuel lines, and electric boost pump, and was repainted and reupholstered in 2024.

Pilots seeking a sweet-handling trainer, time builder, or personal aircraft for commuting or touring should consider this 1980 Beechcraft Skipper, which is available for $105,000 on AircraftForSale.

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