Unless you're getting into it as a career (commercial ops) it's always been an expensive avocation for most middle class folks. I think less people are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get into GA.
Couldn't agree more. These days, fewer people are interested in GA flying. I'm thinking this is the heart of the matter. Whenever the golden age of aviation was and whenever the public's interest in aviation peaked, it's past. There is no reason I can think of for it ever to be back.
But with that said, it's a wonderful time with fantastic aircraft, leading edge technologies and the freedom to go exercise it to the heart's content whether blowing holes in the sky or traveling across this great continent.
It remains an expensive and often aspirational avocation for most of the middle class but I would submit it no more so than in the past. Probably unreachable for most before the war, increasingly affordable in the post war boom years with many aspects of the pursuit becoming more expensive while other niches becoming more accessible.
The reality is that you have to be middle class, at least, to get into GA.
The bad news is that being middle class in the 21st Century takes a lot more income than it used to. You have to be at least upper middle class today in income to afford what used to be a lower middle class living standard.
"Why is that?" you might ask. (gee, I'm glad you asked that) ...:
One is that the dollar when I was a teenager (1950's) was more muscular back then - a $10 bill in 1950 bought what $102.30 buys today. Think about that for a moment.
I had been flying model airplanes since age 7 or 8 and the bug bit hard. The 2 mentors in my life were avid RC modelers and they led my brother and i as children into what was generally an adult pursuit. I aspired to fly the real thing.
In the mid-60s I can recall leafing through Flying trying to figure out how much money would be required to fly when I was adult. The answer I can up with was a minimum of $12,000/year. Inflation and the gas crisis of the 70s caused panic in my flying dreams but accurate or not, the obsession enabled me to get licensed a year out of college. In the early 80s, a $36,000 salary enabled me to borrow enough to own a glider. I'm thinking here the early 21st century that say $120,000/year would enable some flavor of the dream.
I think that very roughly parallels the 10-fold change between 1950 and now. Is it more or less affordable? I'd say there's been little change, "it's always been an expensive avocation for most middle class folks."
This is as much about the ECONOMY, as anything else, age, distractions, etc. The destruction of the American Middle Class has been, IMO, the largest factor driving the decline. The decline of GA mirrors the middle class decline, to a huge extent.
It is not just aviation, either. You see it across the board, from boating, to Ham Radio, skiing, etc.
The growth of GA In the 60's/70's was driven by Business Aviation. Being able to fly yourself to and from expanded your potential business opportunities. That, and the disposable income of the Middle class, drove aircraft sales, boat sales, RV sales, etc. When the factories started closing down in the mid-70's, in large part due to government regulation, that disposable income started going away. The business people are still flying today, but they are doing it in fractional or on-demand Citations, rather than learning to fly themselves.
What is missing today is that middle class.
The middle class is not missing or has it been destroyed (though certainly disrupted) but the raw allure of aviation has diminished. Business aviation may have been a driver, but the heroics of WWII aviators and their ultimate piston aircraft inspired many GA enthusiasts. Kerosene smoking F4s were exciting but in the 60s, my interest in aviation and electronics was primarily nourished by the bleeding edge expedition into space, starting with Mercury and culminating with Apollo landing on the Moon. I listened to the Moon landing being broadcast on speakers at Willow Grove Naval Air Station during the Model Airplane National Meet (the Nats). Yeah, I was hooked but the top line of aviation had morphed into something called aerospace and the public's interest in mere airplanes would never be the same. How could it?
The same thing has happened to all leisure time pursuits. Flying GA aircraft has diversified into ultralights, homebuilts, gliders, light sport, ballons, 'copters and even strapping jets on your back or base jumping. Boating has expanded into personal watercraft, wave runners, electric, bass boats, cats, etc. Ham radio is a minor niche but electronics hobbyists now have the whole IT field to play in while classic 2 ski downhill now includes boards, pipes, acrobatics and even kites.
It's less about the economy and more about diversity and opportunities. Why are we surprised fewer people are flying SEL aircraft?
The death of GA started when airlines started offering inflight magazines. It is now at a zenith with onboard entertainment choices: passengers at the window seat can't close the shade fast enough so as to aid in electronic viewing. After all, what's to see out the window, what with the Pretty Little Liars I need to catch up on?
I don't know about 'death' but it certainly is a reflection of aviation's glow dimming among the general public.
I flew 151 miles yesterday on my long solo cross country. It was expensive, hot, bumpy, loud, the radio didn't work for part of the trip, no autopilot, did takeoffs/landings at one of the airports, flew slow due to the bumps (in a 172 so figure that speed) , and sat on the taxiway for 30 minutes trying to troubleshoot the radio problem at a small unattended airport (intermittent bad PTT button I suspect).
So i was in the plane for 2.7 hrs fairly uncomfortable.
Can't wait to go back up.
Only the few who truly love it will 'make' it happen.
We shouldn't have an existential problem with the shrinkage of our sport/hobby/pursuit. It's just the natural order of things.
A few years ago I did my first '500K', that's 270NM. I was in a $50K+ aircraft, it was hot, bumpy, not too loud, I didn't talk to anybody and certainly didn't have an autopilot. I finally got airsick and landed in a farmer's field 'aux vaches'. I didn't go straight so barely made 60mph point to point. It took my wife 4 hours to get to me by which time I had bought everyone at the bar multiple rounds of $.25 Yuenglings. But I had plenty of help removing the wings and getting my glider back into the trailer for the ride home. God, I loved every single second... except for the puke.
You know, it's too bad more people don't 'get it'. It sometimes seems that too many people end up with dreary lives and muddle off into mind numbing mediocrity. But many have vivid dreams and by some combination of raw luck and ambition manage to live them out. Those of us that manage to fly are winning... we probably ought to spend more time enjoying that happenstance and less bemoaning some miscast sense loss.
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