Did I miss the Era of GA?

On 2007-03-15 06:47:01 -0700, "Google Madness" said:

Twenty years ago I almost got into flying, I'd even taken my Discovery
Flight and was all set to dive in. Then my wife-to-be put the kabosh on it
saying it was too much money.
Now money isn't so much an issue anymore and I'm all set once again to
follow my dream of having my PPL.
But, I've heard so many depressing things about the state of ( and future
of ) GA I'm wondering if the era of GA has passed me by.

Here's one article, like many others that I've read, that expresses many of
the issues that sounds so dismal for GA. I'm now seriously considering
scrapping the idea of a PPL once again but I'd like to hear from some people
out there if the situation is not really as bad as this sounds.

http://www.megginson.com/blogs/lahso...eral-aviation/

Thanks

Most of the stuff coming from AOPA should be printed with a black border.

People forget that there was a time when GA was not allowed above
10,000 feet, and there was a move to ban it completely in order to
prevent the Commies from using little airplanes to attack the US with
nukes.

Largely due to the efforts of AOPA, the bad old days are the bad old
days. However, we have to always be on our toes lest we see a return of
those times.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

BDS writes:

Ultralight pilots are "finding nothing good about SP/LSA" because they will
no longer be able to operate outside of the CFRs without being noticed. I'm
not so sure that this is a bad thing.

I'm not sure that it's a good thing, either. What problems were they causing
in the past?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Larry Dighera writes:

If you require the reflection of another person to validate your
aviation experience, you aren't doing it right.

The law requires it, unfortunately.

The joy of dwelling in the third dimension and beholding the sights
from a lofty vantage point, not to mention the utility of aviation as
a mode of transport, are the true reasons for becoming a pilot.

Best not to mention the utility of aviation as a mode of transport, at least
with respect to small GA aircraft.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com writes:

If you want to fly, fly. If not, people seem to find it easy to come up
with excuses.

That's not quite the way it works. There's a cost/benefit relationship to
consider. The cost of flying is extremely high, so much so that only the most
fanatically interested parties can justify investing in it, even if they have
the resources. Lowering the cost and other obstacles would bring more people
into aviation. Raising them will drive more people out of aviation. It's not
a simple yes/no relationship.

The same is true for any other leisure activity. Aviation just happens to be
way up on the cost scale compared to many other activities, which is one
reason why it is not widely practiced.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

kontiki writes:

Basically they want you to just be happy living in a tent with
candles while they, of course, continue live in their Beverly Hills
mansions and fly around in their own private learjets.

It is worth noting, however, that most of them have someone else flying their
Learjets, since they are not licensed pilots.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Larry Dighera writes:

While I can understand your desire to get some feedback from those
currently enjoying the joy of flight before committing the not
insubstantial time and resources required to obtain your airmans
certificate, if you would let their input, or indeed that of your
wife, stand in the path to your dream, you may not have the requisite
'fire in your belly' to make a good airman.

Why must one have "fire in the belly" in order to be entitled to fly? Is it a
hazing ritual, or is it a hobby?

There may be some justification for certain qualifications to be required when
one is doing something that directly affects others, such as flying a
commercial airliner. It's difficult to see any justification for this when
one is doing something as a hobby that affects essentially no one else.

Suggesting that someone needs arbitrary qualifications or must overcome
arbitrary hurdles in the latter case is simple elitism.

The path to an airmans
certificate is expensive, and donning the responsibilities of becoming
a 'pilot in command' is, or should be, a life-changing event.

What responsibilities? If you are flying on your own, they are practically
nil, not any greater than riding your own motorcycle.

Becoming a responsible airman is not really at all akin to becoming a
licensed motorist.

Sure it is, fundamentally. But many artificial barriers exist in order to
ensure that only certain people are allowed to join the club. A lot of
aviators do _not_ want other people to fly, as this would lessen the ego trip
they get themselves out of flying. The idea of anyone being able to do it
bothers them. And just about anyone _could_ do it, if the artificial barriers
were removed. It's not that difficult.

And it's not possible to be a dilettante airman; it requires constant
exercise of your right to fly, almost weekly ...

See above. More of the treehouse-club effect.

You will have to MASTER several disciplines to achieve the status of
pilot.

No, you won't. All you have to do is pass the tests. If pilots _mastered_
the skills that are supposedly represented by the tests, they would have no
accidents due to pilot error.

You will not only need the motor skills necessary to control
the aircraft ...

Which anyone who can ride a bicycle or roller-skate already has.

... you'll need to acquire mastery of the fundamentals of
meteorology to read mother nature's ever churning skies ...

Fundamentals is an overstatement. I'm sure many meteorologists would agree.
And many pilots barely manage that, as accidents regularly prove.

mastery pilotage, dead reckoning and several types of radio navigation,
mastery of voluminous aviation regulation details, mastery of radio
communication techniques and operation, mastery of a myriad of
aircraft systems, how to effectively employ cockpit resource
management, and most importantly, you'll need to learn how to be a
CAPTAIN capable of abandoning your pride when safety demands that you
make a socially unpopular decision and sticking to it in the face of
what will feel like overwhelming social pressure.

Pride seems to be the predominant characteristic under discussion here.

Maybe some people should become doctors instead of pilots. From the way you
write about it, becoming a doctor sounds a lot easier.

In addition, you'll need reasonably good health over the entire time
you exercise your right to ply the skies.

More like robust health (far in excess of what would actually be required to
fly), thanks to archaic rules and more of the treehouse-club mentality.

If you have what it takes, do it. If you lack TOTAL commitment, don't
waste your time.

In other words, if someone isn't as fanatic as you think they should be, you
want them to stay out of the club.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Don't really want to reply to an MX post, but for the benefit of the
original poster:

Of course, you can't do much with it. And if you want an LSA because you

"I'm doing this for the fun, fly the good days, and work to pay for it
on the bad".

You can have just as much fun in Day VFR as Night or IFR, infact, I
expect that most people don't really WANT to fly in IFR, or even
marginal VFR conditions anyway, and nobody HAS to fly anywhere,
anytime.

LSA (Ultralight/Microlight in other countries) is "where it's at"
presently in terms of advancement and development in recreational
aviation. To see that you only have to look at the large number of
new aircraft being designed with such specifications, and the teeny
numbers of new certified recreational aircraft being designed.

The US is only really just getting it's feet wet with that now, it's
been this way for a good number of years in the rest of the world.

failed the medical for a regular PPL, you're out of luck (that's a really bizarre rule).

Yes, that is a bizarre rule, no argument.

Regardles of how you/we view the past..

I am reminded of a story....

An elderly farmer was asked "when was the best time to plant an apple
tree?"

He replied.. " 'bout 10 years ago"

Then he was asked. "Well then, when is the next best time to plant
the apple tree?"

To which he replied.. "Right now"

We lost a good guy here this week, cancer... friend for 35yrs..and a
former pilot..... only a bit older than I...

...over to you.....

Dave




'On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:47:01 GMT, "Google Madness"
wrote:

Twenty years ago I almost got into flying, I'd even taken my Discovery
Flight and was all set to dive in. Then my wife-to-be put the kabosh on it
saying it was too much money.
Now money isn't so much an issue anymore and I'm all set once again to
follow my dream of having my PPL.
But, I've heard so many depressing things about the state of ( and future
of ) GA I'm wondering if the era of GA has passed me by.

Here's one article, like many others that I've read, that expresses many of
the issues that sounds so dismal for GA. I'm now seriously considering
scrapping the idea of a PPL once again but I'd like to hear from some people
out there if the situation is not really as bad as this sounds.

http://www.megginson.com/blogs/lahso...eral-aviation/

Thanks

What'cha building, Bill?

An RV10. I've completed the Emp kit (tail feathers and tailcone) and
moving on to the quickbuild wings. A long way to go but a lot of
satisfying progress towards a very impressive machine.

Good luck, and stick-to-it.

With as many RV's as are out there, you can't be far off the mark! g
--
Jim in NC

If someone asks if you are a pilot, you can say...(and this is the
best part)

"Yes, yes I am"

Priceless!

If you require the reflection of another person to validate your
aviation experience, you aren't doing it right.

The joy of dwelling in the third dimension and beholding the sights
from a lofty vantage point, not to mention the utility of aviation as
a mode of transport, are the true reasons for becoming a pilot.

Man, you just can't enjoy a light moment can you...? I'm trying to be
positive for the guy. And it was also a play on a popular commercial,
your total lack of a sense of humor is quite depressing around these
parts. It's one of those little intangibles that seperates us out from
our earth-bound breatheren. And I certainly didn't need anyone else's
reflection or validation when I pulled out my 172 and flew around the
pattern today just for hell of it.