"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
ups.com...

I believe LSA is the way to go, but that does not necessarily mean
operating under the sport pilot rules. This could be the single most
important factor for rescuing GA from dying. Anyone can fly the LSA,
even under IFR, and is a much more economical option than the normal
category airplanes. Our club recently got rid of the 172 and bought a
brand new LSA, with a fully loaded panel, and the response has been
very positive. The airplane is being flown significantly more than the
other airplanes. The hourly cost is $50/hr tach which is almost half
that of the 172. For two people flying, you can't beat the price to
performance ratio. With more LSA coming into the scene, I see a bright
future ahead.



I agree that LSA is the best hope we have, but I worry about how much hope
there is with it. When the idea of the LSA came out a few years back, I was
pumped. I thought *THIS* will save GA, but browsing OSH this year and
noticing that the average LSA pricetag is $100k+ for an entry model, again
puts ownership out of the reach of most people. Now in 10 years, those same
LSA's will be used airplanes that someone might be able to buy for $35k (in
today's money), but that's 10 years down the road.

What is sad (and I'm preaching to the choir here), is that I know a guy who
was an air traffic controller in 1974 and bought a brand new 182 loaded for
$28k. At the time, he was a GS13 making $23k. Traslate that into today's
prices and salaries, an ATC at that level now makes $100kish, so the same
182 *should* run in the $130-$150k range. 150's should be sold for the
$40-$50k. I guess looking back doesn't help, but it now makes sense as to
why there are less pilots than there used to be. We're squeezing out the
average guy.