PearlPilot

As we know General Aviation is not what it used to be. I heard a long time receptionist at my local FBO mentioning something like "this place used to be crazy, we had so many people." When did the downfall initially began? Was it right after 9/11? I find it rather hard to believe that post 9/11 had a lot to do with it. Is it the economic turmoil of the recent few months that caused it? Surely, GA wasn't doing any better 2 years ago was it? I don't see it possible that CFI's from local FBO's visiting high schools and getting kids interested in flying. Learning to fly is increasingly becoming difficult for the average income person. Seeing all these shiny advertisements in magazines and online, the present wannabees may get the idea that the best way to learn how to fly is by going to an academy, so that not only would it be less time consuming, and less cumbersome (since you can borrow a nice loan), but you may also be guaranteed a job interview (with a regional?). It's like saying, if you want to be a pilot, the best way that you should it is by flying for a regional, upgrade to captain, then apply for your choice of major airline (or fractional, corporate etc.). That's it! It's like saying, there are no more options. Is this one of the reasons for the downfall of GA? Is it really not possible to get your wings at the local FBO and work your way up? What is GA now? Is it only for the rich who can afford their own airplane?

JPilot23

I'm not sure when GA began to go downhill. That does seem like the standard route regional, upgrade, then whatever you like...I feel that people going through those week long classes to earn a certificate are cheating themselves and ultimately others. I'm going the standard flying club, work your way up the ladder route and love it...sure i can become an atp with guaranteed job interviews and what not, which is fine, but to go that route the whole way through your flying career takes away from the enjoyment of flying. You wont remember your first solo or the day you got your private ticket...at least very well. I know i went off on a tangent, but i feel this is how GA is losing popularity...It definately also has to do with fuel prices and the economy also, but more importantly is the lack of real flying people miss out on when not going the standard GA route...my 2 cents

11Fan

For me personally, it was economics. In retrospect, I probably went about it the wrong way too. My Ground School was free as we had a CFI at work that would teach in the evenings and then I went right into Rotorcraft. I was spending around $175.00 and hour for an R-22 and Instructor. After 12 hours, and watching the savings drain away I switched over to fixed wing thinking I would go back and pick up the Rotary after I got my PPL. Unfortunately, it got down to the point where I just couldn't afford it on what I made back then and it was fly or eat. Now that I'm better of financially and probably could afford it, I have a mortgage -and all that goes with that- as well as a couple of car payments so it's probably out of the question.

My dream was to learn to fly and I did that so I'm satisfied. I envy you guys that get to do it every day as a way of life but my goal was to learn and I accomplished that so if I'm ever on-board as a SLF and you need some help, I'm here for ya. HA!

Where I'm at we actually used to build airplanes but since we were assimilated into the Borg, everything is up in Seattle so I miss being around the birds, but I still have my hand in the game converting them into Freighters and that's not a bad life.

For young people without sponsorship, taking on that financial burden to get the license in an uncertain world is a risk but I admire those that have the passion to do it anyway and I wish them all the best. As for me, I'll just live that life vicariously through you.

11Fan

Cubdriver

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.

Ewfflyer

Liability has been the ultimate driving force behind all the cost increases in aviation. When someone crashes XXX plane, equipped with AAA radio and BBB auto-pilot, in Day-VFR conditions, guess who gets named in the lawsuit regardless. Regulation and certification costs the industry just as much. 50 years ago, it took engineers, and a build team less than a year to make a B-52 come to light. Now it takes 2-3 years before a project is even built, then it has to go through a ridiculous test cycle to become certified, costing the manufacturer $100+ million just to get that far, before they even turn out a product for revenue. So then it takes how many units to be sold, and years before you can recoupe the loss and turn it into a profit???

I'm not saying we shouldn't have regulations and testing phases on airframes, but for crying out loud, the liability factor is killing us all. Know any good pilots that couldn't get a job because they didn't meet the insurance requirement? Ok, off the soap-box.

Cubdriver

[double post]

Traineee

I'm going to UAA and my parents arn't what you call wealthy, on paper my dad is soup kitchen material. He owns his own house and is around 6,000$ away from owning some property thats probably worth half a million right now, but I'm still able to go to college and get a bachelors degree in Professional Piloting, right now I'm 19 and have about 18,000 for college loans, none of that is paying for my flight time, so i'm having to come up with about 9,000$ on my own, for my PPL.

Going to college full time it's hard for me to go out and find a job. The thing is I can't grow up and see my self not flying airlines or cargo. I know theres a long hard road but its the only road i want to take so I'm going to pay for all my certs up to ATP which i know is going to be very spendy.

I am in agreement with the economy as being the main cause.

lifter123

It's also becoming much more difficult for people to take out loans to fly. The requirements have become more stringent and some want large down payments. That is causing a lot of hardship for people who don't have the cash upfront.

MobiusOne

General aviation is still alive and kicking, but the cost of entry has gotten alot higher. I talk to my old flight school based out of a small airfield back where I grew up and he says that he's busier then ever, but his clientel have gotten alot richer. Mercedes and BMW's sit parked outside his place where a decade ago you would have seen a Honda or a Toyota, and the 100 dollar hamburger guys who used to fly once a week are now only flying once a month. The old timers are getting phased out, and the new guys are in.

A competing flight school still offers affordable training, but the aircraft are still clunky old 152's that have trouble idling on the flight line wherein the other flight school have upgraded most of the fleet to diamond glass cockpit. They still keep a steam guage around and they have a 182, but for the most part it's all going uphill, and with that so is the cost of entry.

SkyHigh

Phil Boyer was quoted in a New York Times article last spring that the death of GA was due to the shift of power in the family unit from the one wage earner to the dual income family. In the past one spouse usually had most of the control over the family expenses. Flying is hugely expensive. It is not fair for one family member to absorb so much of the budget for a hobby. Today families share the decisions on how funds will be spent. And, GA has been in decline ever since.

Pilot starts are way off. The percentage of Private Pilots has reduced in comparison to professional pilots. My guess is that today if a person wants to fly the costs are so prohibitive that they either give up early or have to convince themselves and their families that they need to do it professionally even if it really does not fit their lives very well.

As a result there is a trail of broken dreams and distressed families. There are currently more CFI's that there are student pilots. The credit splurge of the last decade has funded thousands of unused commercial pilot licenses and a glut of instructors. My guess is that GA will continue fade and to become the exclusive playground of the rich. And that the number of pilot starts will continue to fall over a cliff. Hopefully the sport pilot revolution will be able to save a corner of GA for the middle class.

SkyHigh