Some elements contributing to the the demise of GA might be
1) increased insurance costs & litigation
2) increased fuel costs
3) increased hangaring and mx costs
4) inclusion of more costly technologies in basic aircraft
5) advent of cheaper alternatives (cheap airline tickets, better roads)
6) deflation and increased cost of living (less disposable income)
7) recessions (less disposable income)
8) conversion of small airports to real estate
9) shift in cultural values toward instant gratification
10) higher certification costs
These are just a few that come to mind. The main thing is the increased cost. I think a lot more people would fly if it were no more costly than buying a sports car and taking piano lessons, which was about what it amounted to 50 years ago.
There was an article in AOPA a few months ago that compared a late 50's vintage Cessna 182 to a brand spanking new one. The main thing the article pointed out was they are the same airplane, but for several times more money. That's the main reason not as many are sold.
Experimental Aircraft Association has targeted this problem with the light sport airplane category. It helped a little but was not enough to remedy the problem of increasing costs. Even an entry level light sport airplane costs more than a very fancy car which kills the deal for most people.
Last edited by Cubdriver; 10-24-2008 at 04:24 AM.