GA is priceless

I agree with you 100% on the convenience and utility of, and the love
of owning, my own airplane. However, to state "I can't understand for
the life of me why there isn't an airplane in every American garage" is
not only a disgusting comment, but one that suggests that you are
totally out of touch with the condition of this country. Sounds like
a person who once commented..."Let them eat cake."

Sadly, the reason GA flying is priced so high is because so few people
actually want to do it. Just like automobiles in the early 1900s,
airplanes today are hand-built, luxury items, with prices to match.

If "Every Man" in America wanted to fly, airplanes would cost about
what a new car costs -- maybe less, given how little structure is
actually involved. (Don't ever look too closely at the stabilator
attachment points on a Cherokee, or the wing spar attachment points on
a Skyhawk, unless you're prepared to be shocked at how little "there"
is actually there.)

Oh, wait -- you *can* buy an airplane for about what a new car costs.
Our old Warrior, which faithfully carried my family from coast to coast
from '98 to '02, cost less than our hotel's courtesy van.

And STILL there isn't a plane in every garage. Why?

Are the proletariat welcome at your motel, or only the AIRPLANE OWNERS?

Sadly, (except for the weeks around Oshkosh, of course) less than 5% of
our guests are pilots, by my count. (A large proportion of that 5%
*are* aircraft owners, however.) Probably another 50% are interested
in aviation, or aviation history -- but pilots are a small, dying
breed, way too small a group to ever support a hotel. Even one as
small as ours... :-(

But Mary and I work on converting each and every one of those "pilot
wannabees" who step into our lobby. I'll set them in the Kiwi, get 'em
shooting an approach into Madeline Island at sunset, and watch the
gears start turning...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

God almighty, I can't understand for the life of me why there
isn't an airplane in every American garage...

Would you really want Joe Sixpack on approach doing his lipstick with a
cellphone in his ear?

If that's the price we must pay to save all of our GA infrastructure,
yes.

I would like to think that there's a happy medium here somewhere, but
given the choice between no GA, and lots of GA, I'll take the risk with
a pattern that's full, thank you.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

We just returned from a quick, overnight flight to Wisconsin, to attend
a holiday gathering of family and friends, and I simply couldn't help
but remark on the incredible utility and convenience of GA.

Had the weather been bad, GA would have been useless to you. General
aviation isn't consistently useful and convenient enough to be used as
reliable transportation.

True, but irrelevant, since no one claims otherwise. Most times the
weather cooperates, but until you get to the Pilatus turboprop level or
higher, weather will control your flying. (And even then you're not
invincible.)

Mary and I have flown our family coast to coast, all VFR, for over 12
years. The key is to be flexible in your planning, don't push the
limits of your aircraft and ability, and view the journey as the
adventure -- not the destination.

GA is much like motorcyle riding. You don't want to do it when the
weather sucks, but when the weather is nice, there is simply no better
way to go.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

And STILL there isn't a plane in every garage. Why?

Because there isn't an airport at every garage. Change your situation a
bit. Suppose you lived forty miles from work, twenty miles from the
airport, and six miles from the train station that takes you three miles
from where you work. (This is not atypical). Chances are pretty good
you'd get a lot of use out of your car, and your car horn.

Now, imagine you have to give up either your plane or your car. Which
is it going to be?

Of course you can say "well, I'd just move closer to the airport...
yadda yadda", but not everyone can do that. There isn't enough room
even if they wanted to. So, there won't be an airplane in every garage.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

I would like to think that there's a happy medium here somewhere, but
given the choice between no GA, and lots of GA, I'll take the risk with
a pattern that's full, thank you.

Even if they make straight in approaches at non-towered airports?

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote in message
. net...
But you are right, given the risk aversion that has swept and IMHO
weakened this country I really surprised that driving hasn't become as
regulated as flying.

It's less regulated in the sense that just about anybody can get a license
and drive. It's more regulated (there's a better phrase but I can't think
of it) in the sense that minima are much higher. In aviation, it is legal
to do things that require skill, and prudent not to if you don't have the
skill. In driving, if it requires skill, it is illegal. For example,
it's illegal to go seventy miles an hour, but it is perfectly legal to fly
210 feet above the ground while in clouds.


I know exactly what you mean and if they REALLY wanted to cut down on
traffic accidents they would require 40 hours of training supervised by a
professional instructor not by dad in the family truckster. The problem is a
lot of people would then not drive and cars would then be built in the
quantities that GA planes are and a Ford Fiesta would cost $500,000.

Of course you can say "well, I'd just move closer to the airport...
yadda yadda", but not everyone can do that. There isn't enough room
even if they wanted to. So, there won't be an airplane in every garage.

Oh, I know. Until the personal flight vehicle (AKA: "Flying Car") we
were all promised in the 1960s is developed, flying will never be as
popular as driving.

But it sure could be a lot more popular, if even half the guys who
bought boats (that go no where) would divert that time and money into
an airplane (that can take them *anywhere*)...

We simply must figure out a better way to communicate the fun and
utility of flying to the masses.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

But it sure could be a lot more popular, if even half the guys who
bought boats (that go no where) would divert that time and money into
an airplane (that can take them *anywhere*)...

But sometimes "nowhere" is exactly where you want to go. The boat is
ideal for that.

The airplane is not ideal for everything. And not everything you think
is fun is actually fun for everyone.

Jose
--
He who laughs, lasts.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

That may be part of the reason, but flying was considered expensive in
the late '40's, when I flew with my father, and in the mid '50's, when I
took my first lessons. During that period of time flying was more
popular and romantic, and airplane companies thought they were going to
sell a lot of airplanes. Veterans were getting free flying lessons on
the GI Bill. But it was still expensive to rent and buy and maintain
planes, even then. )-:

Jay Honeck wrote:

Sadly, the reason GA flying is priced so high is because so few people
actually want to do it.

Jose wrote:

But it sure could be a lot more popular, if even half the guys who
bought boats (that go no where) would divert that time and money into
an airplane (that can take them *anywhere*)...


But sometimes "nowhere" is exactly where you want to go. The boat is
ideal for that.
The airplane is not ideal for everything. And not everything you
think is fun is actually fun for everyone.

Sure you can! That's what floats are for.