General Aviation needs a PR makeover

N2124v

N2124v

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
633
Location
Austin, TX
Display Name
N2124V
Home Airfield
KEDC
General Aviation needs a PR makeover
I’ve been involved in aviation for 20 years this summer. I’ve owned numerous planes, and had an aviation related business for a few years. I’m sad to see the way General Aviation is headed. We as pilots need to band together and fight for the future of this great industry! Here is my soap box campaign.


1We need to make flying appear affordable to the public.
2.

Demonstrate the utility and value of GA.
3.

Embrace technology while not forgetting the rest of the fleet.
4.

Dispel myths about flying.


Here is my plan.
We need to make flying appear affordable to the public.
Common aviation magazines (Flying, AOPA, etc.) should be encouraged to have articles and covers demonstrating more affordable aircraft and LSA options. There should be more pilot profiles of everyday people, not just businessmen and doctors, but people that fly just to fly. We need to discuss the future fuel issues so that we can provide hope that future fuel costs will be reasonable. I feel we would benefit from the boating world where magazines cover everything from kayaks to yachts.



Demonstrate the utility and value of GA.
Pretty straight forward. Show the economic impact of airports on communities and the utility and joy of flying.


Embrace technology while not forgetting the rest of the fleet.
Get rid of the “Experimental” labeling of aircraft and allow non certified part in airplanes that are not used for hire. This is a longer discussion, but you know what I mean.


Dispel myths about flying.
It’s dangerous, it’s expensive, those little airplanes are unsafe…… We can all come up with a dozen myths that need to be dispelled. Tell your friends, invite local journalists out to learn about aviation, especially if there has been some incident and the reporting was inaccurate. Don’t feed the myths!


The reality is we need new pilots in the system that want to fly for fun, not just a career. However if they are scared from even setting foot on the airport, how can we get them in a plane, a glider, an ultralight, etc………..
 
The most important part is, don't BS.

"Flying is affordable." No, it isn't. Joe Blow making $20/hour at a really well paying supermarket can't afford it. As soon as it becomes only for professionals, the argument is defeated.

"GA is useful." Not at entry level, and not for a long time and not without an expensive (FIKI, turbo, oxygen, etc.) airplane. Time to spare, go by air. You don't have to cancel driving trips into the Sierra because the wind is blowing at 25 knots. And cars don't require you to leave one seat empty (two at high altitude).
 
MAKG1 said:
The most important part is, don't BS.

"Flying is affordable." No, it isn't. Joe Blow making $20/hour at a really well paying supermarket can't afford it. As soon as it becomes only for professionals, the argument is defeated.

"GA is useful." Not at entry level, and not for a long time and not without an expensive (FIKI, turbo, oxygen, etc.) airplane. Time to spare, go by air. You don't have to cancel driving trips into the Sierra because the wind is blowing at 25 knots. And cars don't require you to leave one seat empty (two at high altitude).
Click to expand...

Not in Cali, but in the (non-urban) Midwest you can afford to.
 
EdFred said:
Not in Cali, but in the (non-urban) Midwest you can afford to.
Click to expand...

In Columbia, the pay is either a lot better or a lot worse, depending on the legality of your operation.

In the non-urban Midwest, you aren't going to have $20/hour supermarket workers. The Federal minimum wage is just over 1/3 of that.
 
N2124v said:
General Aviation needs a PR makeover
We as pilots need to band together and fight for the future of this great industry!


1We need to make flying appear affordable to the public.
etc………..
Click to expand...


NOPE!

STRIKE the word, " appear "
:mad:
 
MAKG1 said:
The most important part is, don't BS.

"Flying is affordable." No, it isn't. Joe Blow making $20/hour at a really well paying supermarket can't afford it. As soon as it becomes only for professionals, the argument is defeated.

"GA is useful." Not at entry level, and not for a long time and not without an expensive (FIKI, turbo, oxygen, etc.) airplane. Time to spare, go by air. You don't have to cancel driving trips into the Sierra because the wind is blowing at 25 knots. And cars don't require you to leave one seat empty (two at high altitude).
Click to expand...

Addend "self-owned/partnered"
Rentals are too few and far between -- to unreliable and unavailable for useful utility

And far too expensive --- including the weekend puddlejumper LSAs (which, by definition, are NOT useful machines)
 
N2124v said:
Here is my plan.
We need to make flying appear affordable to the public.
Common aviation magazines (Flying, AOPA, etc.) should be encouraged to have articles and covers demonstrating more affordable aircraft and LSA options. There should be more pilot profiles of everyday people, not just businessmen and doctors, but people that fly just to fly. We need to discuss the future fuel issues so that we can provide hope that future fuel costs will be reasonable. I feel we would benefit from the boating world where magazines cover everything from kayaks to yachts.
Click to expand...

Sorry, that's preaching to the choir. Boating magazines only appeal to other boaters. A good marketing campaign goes outside the area of interest into the general public to attract new participants.

But thank you for playing.
 
If you can convince anyone of the utility, the rest will pale in relevance. The car displaced the horse and buggy, or just the horse because of it's greater utility. I would say within 15 years from the introduction of the private auto, everyone could see the future utility of the car. Most people in the US don't move more than about 35 miles per day on average. The infrastructure needed to make GA into a utility model for that kind of radius would be massive. It's not just a runway every square mile or so, but the related airspace regulation.

Look at how cities have developed over the past 3000 years. Can you imagine a place like Indianapolis evolving into a GA utility model? Out of about 1 million people let's say 40% need to commute(work, school, business) every day. Very low potential for HOV, even in GA circumstance. Roughly 5-600,000 flights going on each day in metro Indy to displace auto traffic. Let's say only 20% of that can displace auto traffic, just to make a decent utility argument. That's still ~ 100,000 operations per day, just in the Indy airspace in a given 20NM radius of the center. I can't even imagine it.

Now, add weather. The results would be - horrifying.
 
You (OP) have two conflicting messages:

1. Show that flying is affordable to the public.

2. Demonstrate the usefulness and value of GA.

There is proportional relationship between cost and usefulness. Low end wage earners can "afford" to fly an ultralight. But an ultralight has little to no utility other than to allow you to fly around a bit and come back. Something with the capability to get you from one end of the country to the other in a leg or two is beyond the financial capability of most people with less than a seven digit income. And there are all kind of levels in between. There is a breakpoint, and that breakpoint varies depending on the pilot's financial status and mission. This is why most people that are serious about GA with limited incomes are flying 30+ year old planes.
 
docmirror said:
If you can convince anyone of the utility, the rest will pale in relevance. The car displaced the horse and buggy, or just the horse because of it's greater utility. I would say within 15 years from the introduction of the private auto, everyone could see the future utility of the car. Most people in the US don't move more than about 35 miles per day on average. The infrastructure needed to make GA into a utility model for that kind of radius would be massive. It's not just a runway every square mile or so, but the related airspace regulation.
Click to expand...

The utility model for the mass market has already been done: it's called the airline industry. It's pay-per-use, is highly accessible, reasonably fast, and relatively inexpensive.

The reality is that GA is neither affordable nor useful or valuable to most of the public.


JKG
 
I don't think "general public" needs "general aviation".
Lets just help those interested, those who actually come to the airport and get scared off by the old beater airplanes and hour building CFIs
I'm a weekend pilot for all intents and purposes. That won't change much after the P is replaced by C. I have hard time explaining to the local school owners that not all student pilots out there are aspiring airline pilots.
 
It can kill you if you screw up. That's a major hurdle to my friends, irrespective of cost or utility. GA's biggest problem is that it allows outside factions to define it and in the name of some weird desire to be exclusive, advocacy seems to be limited to the hill.

Find a way to improve the bad PR created mostly by rampant misinformation in the media from outside of GA and you're halfway there.
 
Better idea, enjoy it now, the decline is on. New Rome is going the way of old Rome.
 
Some people use aircraft for transportation. Aircraft are a means to an end. Utility counts. Utility means big, fast, IFR, FIKI, expensive.

Some people fly for a hobby. The aircraft is an end in itself. Could be fast, could be slow. Could be expensive, or it could be a rag and tube LSA taildragger.

While some do both, the two markets are worlds apart. And, different people would be attracted to one objective or the other.

If you try to sell the utility, it quickly becomes apparent that you can't sell afford ability and vice versa.
 
Utility is oversold. Fun is a naughty word. Remember how the ultralight industry was booming until that 20/20 show scared everybody off? People want fun, dorks want utility, whatever PR there is is done by the dorks.
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Some people use aircraft for transportation. Aircraft are a means to an end. Utility counts. Utility means big, fast, IFR, FIKI, expensive.

Some people fly for a hobby. The aircraft is an end in itself. Could be fast, could be slow. Could be expensive, or it could be a rag and tube LSA taildragger.

While some do both, the two markets are worlds apart. And, different people would be attracted to one objective or the other.

If you try to sell the utility, it quickly becomes apparent that you can't sell afford ability and vice versa.
Click to expand...
 
MAKG1 said:
The most important part is, don't BS.

"Flying is affordable." No, it isn't. Joe Blow making $20/hour at a really well paying supermarket can't afford it. As soon as it becomes only for professionals, the argument is defeated.

"GA is useful." Not at entry level, and not for a long time and not without an expensive (FIKI, turbo, oxygen, etc.) airplane. Time to spare, go by air. You don't have to cancel driving trips into the Sierra because the wind is blowing at 25 knots. And cars don't require you to leave one seat empty (two at high altitude).
Click to expand...

So a bass boat is useful? Lots of those floating around.... Flying has a lot of other value than just getting you from point a to point b....
 
Sac Arrow said:
You (OP) have two conflicting messages:

1. Show that flying is affordable to the public.

2. Demonstrate the usefulness and value of GA.

There is proportional relationship between cost and usefulness. Low end wage earners can "afford" to fly an ultralight. But an ultralight has little to no utility other than to allow you to fly around a bit and come back. Something with the capability to get you from one end of the country to the other in a leg or two is beyond the financial capability of most people with less than a seven digit income. And there are all kind of levels in between. There is a breakpoint, and that breakpoint varies depending on the pilot's financial status and mission. This is why most people that are serious about GA with limited incomes are flying 30+ year old planes.
Click to expand...

I guess I was not clear, value of GA as part of the economy....I'll work on that...
 
murphey said:
Sorry, that's preaching to the choir. Boating magazines only appeal to other boaters. A good marketing campaign goes outside the area of interest into the general public to attract new participants.

But thank you for playing.
Click to expand...

So, what would you suggest?
 
moonshine said:
I don't think "general public" needs "general aviation".
Lets just help those interested, those who actually come to the airport and get scared off by the old beater airplanes and hour building CFIs
I'm a weekend pilot for all intents and purposes. That won't change much after the P is replaced by C. I have hard time explaining to the local school owners that not all student pilots out there are aspiring airline pilots.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I am talking about. How do we generate a shift to get more bodies interested in flying? Yes, airplanes, but powered parachutes, ultralights, etc all contribute...
 
LandSickness said:
It can kill you if you screw up. That's a major hurdle to my friends, irrespective of cost or utility. GA's biggest problem is that it allows outside factions to define it and in the name of some weird desire to be exclusive, advocacy seems to be limited to the hill.

Find a way to improve the bad PR created mostly by rampant misinformation in the media from outside of GA and you're halfway there.
Click to expand...

Anything can kill you if you screw up. Cars, motorcycles, girlfriends, horses........

The bad information starts at local levels. When there is a negative story pilots need to get the correct facts to the news agency. We are all our brothers keepers....
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Some people use aircraft for transportation. Aircraft are a means to an end. Utility counts. Utility means big, fast, IFR, FIKI, expensive.

Some people fly for a hobby. The aircraft is an end in itself. Could be fast, could be slow. Could be expensive, or it could be a rag and tube LSA taildragger.

While some do both, the two markets are worlds apart. And, different people would be attracted to one objective or the other.

If you try to sell the utility, it quickly becomes apparent that you can't sell afford ability and vice versa.
Click to expand...

Very well said. Any ideas on how to get over it?
 
ClimbnSink said:
Utility is oversold. Fun is a naughty word. Remember how the ultralight industry was booming until that 20/20 show scared everybody off? People want fun, dorks want utility, whatever PR there is is done by the dorks.
Click to expand...

Great comment, in this day and age of social media how many pilots are telling their friends about the fun that they have flying?

Come on, we see ads every day for fun stuff, beer, Viagra, cars, why don't we see more for flying?
 
N2124v said:
Anything can kill you if you screw up. Cars, motorcycles, girlfriends, horses........

The bad information starts at local levels. When there is a negative story pilots need to get the correct facts to the news agency. We are all our brothers keepers....
Click to expand...

I think you need to work this out more carefully.

You would have to try really hard to get a game console to kill you, no matter how bad you screw up.

And a dollar store chessboard won't kill you even if you bash yourself over the head with it repeatedly.
 
I find it interesting that the majority of the replies were negative, almost anti-aviation, or at least neutral. If this industry doesn't figure out how to re image itself we are sunk...
 
MAKG1 said:
I think you need to work this out more carefully.

You would have to try really hard to get a game console to kill you, no matter how bad you screw up.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, especially with wireless controllers these days.
 
I find more interesting that you have been involved for 20 years and haven't figured out the true story. Ann Landers would advise that it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

The fact that GA is going in the tank isn't the fault of those who chose to participate.

N2124v said:
I find it interesting that the majority of the replies were negative, almost anti-aviation, or at least neutral. If this industry doesn't figure out how to re image itself we are sunk...
Click to expand...
 
wabower said:
I find more interesting that you have been involved for 20 years and haven't figured out the true story. Ann Landers would advise that it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

The fact that GA is going in the tank isn't the fault of those who chose to participate.
Click to expand...

Oh, I figured it out years ago when I closed my flight school, it just seems like a lot of pilots are just taking the demise for granted and are content to let it go.
 
Let's not overlook how DHS/TSA complete BS is screwing up GA.

If miracles occur and you get everything you laid out in post #1, it'll be completely moot if we don't also get rid of DHS/TSA.
 
Hence the reference to the aroma of the brew. With neither the means nor the motivation to stem the tide or even think it's possible, floating along and watching the show isn't a bad option.
N2124v said:
Oh, I figured it out years ago when I closed my flight school, it just seems like a lot of pilots are just taking the demise for granted and are content to let it go.
Click to expand...
 
N2124v said:
And there is no value in recreation? I bet all of the marinas and boat repair shops would disagree with you.
Click to expand...

Value and usefulness are two different things.

There is little to no usefulness in recreation. If it were otherwise, it would be work.

And value is very, very subjective and easily dismissed. It's your target, not your source material.

Marinas aren't useful unless they are full of commercial fishing boats. Value MAY be another thing. If you don't own or use a boat, they are in the way, and have negative value.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top