Scenario: A 16 year old kid without a job works in the hayfields for a couple months then cuts grass, washes cars and airplanes, sweeps out garages, etc all summer long. Three months for flying money plus the odd job for spending money and had roughly three days off every two weeks as well as too many half days of little to do. No regular job, no clue at 10am if there was any work to be had after lunch. No degree, no HS diploma, no nothing other than determination.
What are the chances today of that kid getting through solo before the money runs out?
That kid was me in 1981/82. That tiny pile of cash got me through my PP checkride and I still had some left over to go play in the sky with. Whenever I needed to get away from the ground, I'd cut grass or whatever for a day or two depending on how many hours I wanted to fly. I think it was $12 or $16 per hour in a CE150 and somewhere in the $900 range total when I was handed the little white pieces of paper by the DE.
I seriously doubt that today a 16 year old no matter how motivated can walk out into their neighborhood scrounging for yard work and come up with enough money in one day to fly for 2-3 hours.
