"GF" == G Farris writes:

GF In article ,
GF says...
Jay Honeck wrote:
Every indicator I can find shows that the French have killed
general aviation -- or nearly so -- for everyone but the very
rich.
If I didn't know it before, I'd do so now: You've never been
in France. I have. You're just plain wrong.


GF I think Jay is neither completely right, nor completely wrong.
GF I don't know any "very rich" people flying in France, but all
GF ther people I do know are those who have managed to allocate a
GF sufficient chunk of spare cash. Many are young, with no
GF family yet, who have a small apartment (or still live with
GF their parents) and other compromises in life. When they get
GF married, and baby comes along, flying stops. Often you see
GF them coming back in their 40's, when they manage to get the
GF budget back on track.

This is a very good description of GA in the USA! It certainly
describes my flying experience: PP-ASEL at age 20, accumulated all of
80 hours, then stopped flying for 17 years to finish school, get
married, buy a house, ....

Then I joined a club and rented for 10 years, starting in my late
30s. Finally bought a 2-seat airplane for $20K and really enjoy it.

GF I think it's true, even obvious, that the cost of flying in
GF Europe is the main reason why there are relatively few who
GF take it up.

Relatively few Americans take it up, or Japanese, or [insert rich
industrial country]. Why? Because most people flat out don't like
flying, and for sure don't like flying in small planes.