Kind of wish I was learning to fly during the golden age of GA (late 70s), when aircrafts were cheap and regulations were reasonable.
It's regulation that has salted the earth........ That's why a $129 alternator costs $500.
It's all fun and games till there are no more people to fly the spam cans across the states. Then what? Lower the standards and give them the answers to the test? Oh wait, we are already coming to that point...
I feel I missed aviation by about a decade. I am about the last of my group of pilot friends that still fly, our local airport is almost a ghost town compared to what it used to be....sigh.
I agree about being busier in the urban areas but then there are more people. There is also usually more money with the exception of rural resort areas which can be islands of wealth too.It's still busy as heck, and getting busier, in urban areas. I wouldn't correlate the closing of some of these rural airports with the imminent death of GA.
A local municipal airport here used to hold an annual open house a few years back. At that time it brought many people out for it. Airplane rides and there used to be helicopter rides with aircraft on the ramp to look at. This is when I made many memories out there. In the recent years there hasn't been any open house, but the airport is still relatively busy. I think alot of it depends on the location.
I'm guessing this quote was taken out of context. Not that a journalist would ever do that.
"Air travel is not nearly as interesting as it used to be," said Tom Haines, a pilot since 1977 and editor with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
I don't know why you think it's out of context, it's pretty accurate as it stands. GA is not as interesting as it used to be. Less recreational aviation events and people just hanging around the airport by far. Try to wander the ramp and look at airplanes these days...you get accosted by someone who believes they are a security force.
I'd have to read the article again, but I think that quote was more dealing with Airline travel.
As in, because airline travel sucks so much these days vs. the golden age, it colors people's view of all flying.
I don't know why you think it's out of context, it's pretty accurate as it stands. GA is not as interesting as it used to be. Less recreational aviation events and people just hanging around the airport by far. Try to wander the ramp and look at airplanes these days...you get accosted by someone who believes they are a security force.
What prompted your friends to exit the game? Cost?
Eliminate the need for regulation and you eliminate that problem. Embrace anarchy.
Weiner, 70, says more people would fly small planes if they knew what the experience was like.
"If you've never had it, you'll never miss it," he said. "It's like trying to describe the taste of chocolate cake."
And you think someone from AOPA is going to say that? I believe the AOPA editor was referring to commercial flying not being interesting and the article quotes him implying flying in general isn't cool anymore that's why the pilot population has dropped and small airports are closing down. If he was in fact referring to GA I would guess he'd be looking for a job this morning.
Some people like to be told what to do
I've always had more students then I knew what to do with, what that airport needs is someone who can operate a computer, knows a little about marketing and has a internet connection.
Selling aviation is like selling crack, after the discovery flight, folks who can afford to learn how to fly (same demographic as the folks who can afford a ATV or used ski boat) tend to continue with lessons, my closing ratio was rather good after the 30 minute, 99 buck discovery flights.
Of course the over regulation by our beloved overlords doesn't help, also doesn't make us much safer, but we all know that's not the point
Nor does it help that many flight schools are trying to fleece folks out of money via holding money for them, selling overpriced private pilot "packages" pushing people into overpriced G1000 planes for a mere PPL.
How bouts use well maintained older planes like a 172N or better yet a 7AC, rent her dry, point them to the king school, or let them watch a communal video set at your school, organize student and renter activities like BBQs and fly-ins, ground schools, Reach out and see if you can attract a small DZ to do weekend jumps with a 182, get the rotary club and other activities to use a empty hangar to get more people around airplanes and the airport, I could go on all day
Get on facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, yelp, google places, EAA, etc it's all free or next to free.
Why should anyone join an aviation organization that says flying isn't cool in any form?
Why should anyone join an aviation organization that says flying isn't cool in any form?
Kind of wish I was learning to fly during the golden age of GA (late 70s), when aircrafts were cheap and regulations were reasonable.
If airplanes and expenses were to go down drastically, (For simplicity lets say all GA airplanes out of the factory cost 100k) That means you can buy any GA aircraft for 100k. Do you believe that it would change the market and people will embrace GA rather than who crashed their aircraft today?
I believe most of us here would buy a new airplane right away but that wouldn't change how society "pictures" GA. "More planes in the sky OMG more planes will fall out of the sky" The people that I speak to outside of the pilot community believe that GA is very dangerous and I'm crazy for flying, (What else is new) but they also find it to be noisy even though they purchased a house next to a GA airport. More of them are being born every day and until we find a solution to make GA useful there will be a shopping mall or housing development where a GA airport use to be. Maybe not in our lifetimes but eventually!
Just my two cents!!
Boating is an activity which can more easily be shared and enjoyed with family and friends. Not to mention that it takes much less training and testing to take a boat out on a lake.
You don't need a license and a bunch of expensive training to drive a jet ski (or a small boat). Not to mention the difference in price between an jet ski and an airplane.You could chalk that comment up to perception also. Jet skis fit 1 to 3 people, yet are very popular. Many small speed boats become unsafe if you get more than about 6 people on them. Yes, people drink and eat much more while using boats, and thus many of the year deaths. But that is more social. But there is no reason why an airport can not be just as active and social place that a marina often is. If we made airports social places where you took a flight to get to another cool social place, it would be a great activity to do with family and friends.
I already did point out that it requires much less training.