Excellent TV Piece on GA

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
BDS writes:

Do you understand the difference between flying to get somewhere and
flying
for leisure?

Yes.

Great. Now you know who is buying the Barons.

BDS

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

BDS writes:

Do you understand the difference between flying to get somewhere and
flying for leisure?

Yes.


Nope


Bertie

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
BDS writes:

Do you understand the difference between flying to get somewhere and
flying
for leisure?

Yes.

Your earlier posting indicates otherwise.

On Nov 25, 11:40 pm, Tina wrote:
Re physicals as a major reason for decline in active pilots: would you
guess fear of failing a physical affects the number of new pilots by
as much as 20%?

I don't know what IS responsible for the decline in GA pilots, but
doubt the physical is a leading cause. I suspect flying is not as
exciting a prospect as other activities for many people. Those of us
who are older went to airports to watch airplanes -- not many do that
anymore.

Then there is the interstate road system. Its completion has extended
the useful radius of auto travel markedly. If one looks at door to
door times, there are many 200 mile trips that are now as almost as
quickly, and more reliably, completed driving as flying. Today's
prospective pilots have grown up with that: those of us a few decades
older might have had the convenience of trips of that length be a
factor. Travel time is no longer as compelling a reason.

Do you think that among those who can afford it -- and cost IS a
factor -- there's the fear, not of flying, but of lawsuits? I've been
told but have not looked at the data, that insurance costs are a
significant part of a new light airplane's cost.



Hi all, new to this News Group. The Aviation groups have been a nice
find for me.

I'm 43 years old and when I was a young boy, I was either going to fly
Aircraft for a living, or play Music for a living.. I guess Music
pulled at my heart strings just a little harder..

Now that I have proven myself as an Audio Engineer, a touring
Musician, and a guy who is insane enough to believe he can raise a
family doing these things, I want desperately to achieve my PPL, and
move on to an instrument rating.. I have some friends here {KTVC} who
fly and are quite kind about taking me along when they can.. So, I at
least get to go up. I also fly on commercial jets with some frequency
and thankfully, I enjoy this as well.

I guess the real reason for my post is to try to give those of you who
were resourceful enough, brave enough, and in the right place at the
right time, years ago to get your PPL, the reason why many of my
friends, and myself, can't do it..

THE REASON FOR THE DECLINE IN GA IS LACK OF MONEY. PERIOD, END OF
STORY. I can tell story after story of people who could have afforded
this years ago. The problem is, however, that we are not living years
ago.. The middle class, or even the upper middle class, can not afford
to fly in many cases.. What passes for making a living in this country
should embarrass the hell out of us.

Fuel cost's are incredible. I have a V-6 and a V-8 {my work van}
sitting in my driveway that about kills me every time I pull up to the
pump. Could I scrape the between 5 and 8 grand it would take to get
my PPL? Sure I could, but then what? Could I rent once a week to fly
around? Yeah, what a great time that would be.. Could I find a decent
single for between 40 and 60 grand for VFR flight? Yep, I could do
that, but it would sit on the ground thanks to the
$678,867,846,875,874, they want per second to insure and fuel that
damn thing..

The bottom line for us Middle class folks out here is that the numbers
just don't ad up.

Damn it, someday, I'm gonna write the right song, and get it to the
right people, and that will be that. I'll be flying then.. I'm
hopeful. It could still happen..

It breaks my heart..

Ivan........................

Thanks..............................

738brow writes:

THE REASON FOR THE DECLINE IN GA IS LACK OF MONEY. PERIOD, END OF
STORY.

Mostly, yes, although red tape runs a very close second.

I can tell story after story of people who could have afforded
this years ago. The problem is, however, that we are not living years
ago.. The middle class, or even the upper middle class, can not afford
to fly in many cases.. What passes for making a living in this country
should embarrass the hell out of us.

There has been a shift in recent decades back to the same distribution of
wealth that obtained in the 19th century, so what you say is largely true.
People simply cannot afford the things they used to be able to afford.

Could I scrape the between 5 and 8 grand it would take to get
my PPL? Sure I could, but then what? Could I rent once a week to fly
around? Yeah, what a great time that would be.. Could I find a decent
single for between 40 and 60 grand for VFR flight? Yep, I could do
that, but it would sit on the ground thanks to the
$678,867,846,875,874, they want per second to insure and fuel that
damn thing..

Try flight simulation. It isn't quite real life, but the cost is
extraordinarily low, and there's no red tape.

Mxsmanic,

Try flight simulation. It isn't quite real life,


Says it all.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...


Try flight simulation. It isn't quite real life, but the cost is
extraordinarily low, and there's no red tape.

Or you can sit in a chair and make airplane noises. That's even less money,
and is just as close to flying.

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

738brow writes:

THE REASON FOR THE DECLINE IN GA IS LACK OF MONEY. PERIOD, END OF
STORY.

Mostly, yes, although red tape runs a very close second.

I can tell story after story of people who could have afforded
this years ago. The problem is, however, that we are not living years
ago.. The middle class, or even the upper middle class, can not
afford to fly in many cases.. What passes for making a living in this
country should embarrass the hell out of us.

There has been a shift in recent decades back to the same distribution
of wealth that obtained in the 19th century, so what you say is
largely true. People simply cannot afford the things they used to be
able to afford.

Could I scrape the between 5 and 8 grand it would take to get
my PPL? Sure I could, but then what? Could I rent once a week to fly
around? Yeah, what a great time that would be.. Could I find a decent
single for between 40 and 60 grand for VFR flight? Yep, I could do
that, but it would sit on the ground thanks to the
$678,867,846,875,874, they want per second to insure and fuel that
damn thing..

Try flight simulation. It isn't quite real life, but the cost is
extraordinarily low, and there's no red tape.


Bwawhahwhahhwahwhahwhahwhahwhahhwhahwhahwhhahwhahw hahwhahwhahwhahwhahwah
whhahwhahwhahwhahwhahwhahwhahwhahw!



It's sockpuppet time again!


Bertie

THE REASON FOR THE DECLINE IN GA IS LACK OF MONEY. PERIOD, END OF
STORY.

My 17-year-old son just earned his ticket, and spent a bit less than a
semester at the University of Iowa would cost to do it.

To put that in a different perspective, a used Chevy Lumina costs
about the same as going to flight school to earn your Private Pilot's
certificate.

Given the hundreds of thousands of kids in college right now, and the
hundreds of thousands of cheap cars on the road, I'd say it's a matter
of priority, not money.

Could I scrape the between 5 and 8 grand it would take to get
my PPL? Sure I could, but then what? Could I rent once a week to fly
around? Yeah, what a great time that would be.. Could I find a decent
single for between 40 and 60 grand for VFR flight? Yep, I could do
that, but it would sit on the ground thanks to the
$678,867,846,875,874, they want per second to insure and fuel that
damn thing..

Insurance on my plane is cheaper than insurance on my car. We burn
car gas in our plane, so it's no better -- or worse -- than fueling
your car. And you can go a helluva faster (and get farther away from
home) in the plane.

The bottom line for us Middle class folks out here is that the numbers
just don't ad up.

Damn it, someday, I'm gonna write the right song, and get it to the
right people, and that will be that. I'll be flying then.. I'm
hopeful. It could still happen..

It breaks my heart..

Ivan, it *can* be done without breaking the bank. My son, my wife,
and I are living proof.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Try flight simulation. It isn't quite real life, but the cost is
extraordinarily low, and there's no red tape.

Or you can sit in a chair and make airplane noises. That's even less money,
and is just as close to flying.

I know you guys have beans up your collective butts about MX, but what
he's saying is both accurate and feasible for folks who don't have a
lot of money.

Flying MS Flight Simulator is part of what sparked my initial interest
in aviation, way back in the 1980s, even with the rudimentary wife-
frame sims of the day. It kept my interest going throughout the 80s
and early 90s, and -- when I was finally able to put it all together
and get my ticket -- it made earning my private MUCH easier.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Flight sims are a good
tool, both for pilot wannabes like Ivan, and for current pilots. To
say otherwise does guys like Ivan a huge disservice.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"