On Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:16:53 GMT, ktbr wrote in
:

There are so many other cool things [than private aviation] for people
to do that cost a lot less money and don't take near as much work
and effort... why bother when you can just go out and buy a jet-ski,
or a dirt bike.

Personally, I see that as a good thing. The person who approaches
aviation in the same thrill seeking spirit as the two examples you
cite, probably isn't a good candidate for becoming a prudent and
skilled airman. While there is no denying the visceral aspect of
aviation, it is, or should be, only a small part of the overall
motivation for becoming and maintaining required proficiency
airmanship demands.

Powered flight is common place today, so is radio communication. It
doesn't elicit the magic and fascination that it did in the 1960's.

To the general public, that is probably true, but to one who
appreciates and understands the physics of either of the examples you
cite, the magic will always be there.

The difference between them is, that cell phones and the Internet now
so dominate communications, that armature radio and short wave
broadcasting have little useful utility today, unlike personal
aviation. The ability to quickly travel to distant destinations
without enduring the airlines' abominably intrusive security policies,
uncontrollable delays, and risk of inhaling TB germs or
tricresylphosphate* renders personal aviation more attractive than
ever.


* http://marcosaba.tripod.com/gasnervino12.html