150's and 172's about the only planes flying!!

"nrp" wrote...

Itinerant traffic at KSSQ has gone to about zero, even with the
excellent VFR WX this spring.

There's a perfect storm working against us prop pounding GA guys:
1. The age of the average flyer/owner is transitioning from the peak earning
years into the fixed income period. A scary phase to own a 30+ year old
money hole.
2. Avgas costs are up at around $4/gal, that's almost a 100% increase in 10
years. Makes forward looking projections very difficult.
3. Administrative, operational and insurance hurdles have risen to a point
where they seem to dominate every hanger/coffee discussion. This involves
everything from changing the 4ft high airport fence to one 8ft barb wire
topped with coded security gates. Airport authorites increasing insurance
minimums for aircraft in hanger and tiedowns. And limiting access rules for
personal cars and family tours.

I may see more of this as I'm in a suburban enviornment, but this is where
the people (read that as future pilots) are, and I see nothing inviting them
in.

AOPA has finally ramped up the Project Pilot program to focus on getting new
blood into our ranks, but their goals need to be much bigger. I'm talking
100,000 new pilots in the next ten years big. I really want to say 100k in
five years should be our growth goal, but 100k in ten years will at least
keep us alive.

One of the real bright spots the last two years has been the Sport
Plane/Pilot arena. Two years ago at SNF I saw ULs with bicycle parts, but
now I'm trying on real airplanes and some of them I can actually fit into.
They have reduced the kite/glider feel (increased wing loading??), and are
starting to demo them at less than WOT settings. My last ride the guy even
pulled out a homemade power table, and at 65% that plane felt pretty smooth.
All at 4 to 5 gallons/hr for the same speed as a c172/pa28 (minus the two
extra seats and baggage).

I hope the LSA/SP bring in a new breed of hobby flyers who can stay in for
the long haul. This is not intended to put down the Airline Capt wannabees,
but I do not think that "new student pilot model" has served Rec GA well.
The guys who go career aviation don't tend to do much small GA flying, and
I've seen too many bitter outcomes from the student to private to CFI (time
building) pyramid scheme.

Just my thoughts,... YMMV.

Another BIG problem with GA is we aren't getting enough kids involved.
The Young Eagles program is great, but it's not enough. Kids can't hang
over the airport fence anymore, model airplanes have just about died, RC
is expensive for a 12 year old. It used to be kids wanted to grow up
and learn how to fly and airplane, now they want to grow up to be a game
programmer. That's a problem! If you look at the kid's birthday party
supply places there are NO airplane things, and you can't buy an
airplane shaped balloon. That says a lot.

WARNING SHAMELESS PLUG FOLLOWS

So if you want to bring the kids out go to

http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/eventD...fm?eventID=602

It will be a great day for the kids! Kids = ages 1-101

Before you ask, all the fly-in spots have been filled for this event and
there is already a waiting list.

Margy

Mike Isaksen wrote:
"nrp" wrote...

Itinerant traffic at KSSQ has gone to about zero, even with the
excellent VFR WX this spring.


There's a perfect storm working against us prop pounding GA guys:
1. The age of the average flyer/owner is transitioning from the peak earning
years into the fixed income period. A scary phase to own a 30+ year old
money hole.
2. Avgas costs are up at around $4/gal, that's almost a 100% increase in 10
years. Makes forward looking projections very difficult.
3. Administrative, operational and insurance hurdles have risen to a point
where they seem to dominate every hanger/coffee discussion. This involves
everything from changing the 4ft high airport fence to one 8ft barb wire
topped with coded security gates. Airport authorites increasing insurance
minimums for aircraft in hanger and tiedowns. And limiting access rules for
personal cars and family tours.

I may see more of this as I'm in a suburban enviornment, but this is where
the people (read that as future pilots) are, and I see nothing inviting them
in.

AOPA has finally ramped up the Project Pilot program to focus on getting new
blood into our ranks, but their goals need to be much bigger. I'm talking
100,000 new pilots in the next ten years big. I really want to say 100k in
five years should be our growth goal, but 100k in ten years will at least
keep us alive.

One of the real bright spots the last two years has been the Sport
Plane/Pilot arena. Two years ago at SNF I saw ULs with bicycle parts, but
now I'm trying on real airplanes and some of them I can actually fit into.
They have reduced the kite/glider feel (increased wing loading??), and are
starting to demo them at less than WOT settings. My last ride the guy even
pulled out a homemade power table, and at 65% that plane felt pretty smooth.
All at 4 to 5 gallons/hr for the same speed as a c172/pa28 (minus the two
extra seats and baggage).

I hope the LSA/SP bring in a new breed of hobby flyers who can stay in for
the long haul. This is not intended to put down the Airline Capt wannabees,
but I do not think that "new student pilot model" has served Rec GA well.
The guys who go career aviation don't tend to do much small GA flying, and
I've seen too many bitter outcomes from the student to private to CFI (time
building) pyramid scheme.

Just my thoughts,... YMMV.

Another BIG problem with GA is we aren't getting enough kids involved.
The Young Eagles program is great, but it's not enough. Kids can't hang
over the airport fence anymore, model airplanes have just about died, RC
is expensive for a 12 year old. It used to be kids wanted to grow up
and learn how to fly and airplane, now they want to grow up to be a game
programmer. That's a problem! If you look at the kid's birthday party
supply places there are NO airplane things, and you can't buy an
airplane shaped balloon. That says a lot.

I ran into this problem a few years ago, while looking for gifts for
my young nephews and nieces. OF COURSE Uncle Jay *had* to give
airplane toys -- yet I had to look long and hard to find them.
Imagine, and entire toy store with just one or two airplanes! It was
depressing.

As for R/C being expensive, I'm happy to report that the trend has
gone quite dramatically the other way in recent years. When I first
got into R/C flight, back in the 1980s, you needed at least $300 to
get started -- AND you had to build your own plane. Now, with the
advent of advanced battery-powered airplanes, you can get into a pre-
built plane for far less -- often under $100. Our local R/C club is
BOOMING.

But you're right about computers. They have sapped the life out of
our kids, by allowing them to experience the world without ever
leaving their chairs. I suppose you might look at this as a good
thing, from an evolutionary standpoint, but I find it terribly sad.

The next ten years will decide the fate of GA. You and Ron do what
you can, and Mary and I will continue to be the "Pied Pipers" of GA in
Iowa. Beyond that, I don't know what else to do. Getting pilots to
do anything -- even if it's to save their own fate -- is like herding
cats...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 5/3/2007 10:03:56 AM, Margy Natalie wrote:

Before you ask, all the fly-in spots have been filled for this event and
there is already a waiting list.

Margy, I am certainly do not mean to attack the messenger here, but does
anyone besides me find this ironic?


--
Peter

Peter R. wrote:
On 5/3/2007 10:03:56 AM, Margy Natalie wrote:


Before you ask, all the fly-in spots have been filled for this event and
there is already a waiting list.


Margy, I am certainly do not mean to attack the messenger here, but does
anyone besides me find this ironic?


Why ironic? We can only bring in 50 airplanes and our communications
guy put a sign up sheet at OSH last year. I can tell you the average
age of the pilots is NOT 25. Anyone within fair striking distance
should tell their friends and neighbors! Of course friends and
neighbors of pilots get to do things like sit in airplanes, but I can
tell you there are LOTS of people who have NEVER had the opportunity to
get anywhere near anything other than an airliner. If each one of us
(Pilots) inspired one kid a year for the next 10 years to go out when he
or she was 25 and get a ticket, we would have done really well. And if
we each got 2 kids, imagine, 2 kids a year, well we might have a movement...

Margy

On 5/3/2007 11:28:36 AM, Margy Natalie wrote:

Why ironic? We can only bring in 50 airplanes and our communications
guy put a sign up sheet at OSH last year.

Hmm, upon rereading maybe I don't understand the definition of "fly-in
spots." Does this mean that if I wanted to fly to the event that I could not
do so or does this mean something else?

I had interpreted "fly-in spots" to mean number of airplanes allowed to fly
to the airport for the event and if so, it seemed unfortunate that such a
wonderful event would be limited by that. Driving to the event would be out
of the question for me.

--
Peter

"Jay Honeck" wrote

The next ten years will decide the fate of GA. You and Ron do what
you can, and Mary and I will continue to be the "Pied Pipers" of GA in
Iowa. Beyond that, I don't know what else to do. Getting pilots to
do anything -- even if it's to save their own fate -- is like herding
cats...

One BIG thing that pilots need to do, is to invite people along with them,
when they go flying.

I don't have a "certificate" YET, and I always tell everyone I know that is
a pilot, that I would JUMP at the chance to go flying with them, especially
when they are going out by themselves.

I don't get near the invitations that I would like. So, if everyone would
be more open to invite a prospective pilot along, DO IT !!! It might be
what someone needs to get off of the fence, and go for it.
--
Jim in NC

I think you missed one of the biggest components of the perfect storm. The
act that helped resurrect GA limits the liability of manufacturers depending
upon the age of the aircraft. So enterprising plaintiff lawyers will have
to find someone else to sue besides manufacturers. That means mechanics,
since someone with deep pockets has to be responsible for all GA accidents.
So many shops will not work on older aircraft, since if something happens,
they will be the only defendants in the suit, and their carrier will be the
only one on the risk. So not only are the airframes aging, the mechanics
are aging, and the mechanics and shops have a strong financial disincentive
to work on older aircraft. Plus, everything else you said...

"Mike Isaksen" wrote in message
news:Lmg_h.8534$f17.4923@trndny05...

"nrp" wrote...

Itinerant traffic at KSSQ has gone to about zero, even with the
excellent VFR WX this spring.

There's a perfect storm working against us prop pounding GA guys:
1. The age of the average flyer/owner is transitioning from the peak
earning years into the fixed income period. A scary phase to own a 30+
year old money hole.
2. Avgas costs are up at around $4/gal, that's almost a 100% increase in
10 years. Makes forward looking projections very difficult.
3. Administrative, operational and insurance hurdles have risen to a point
where they seem to dominate every hanger/coffee discussion. This involves
everything from changing the 4ft high airport fence to one 8ft barb wire
topped with coded security gates. Airport authorites increasing insurance
minimums for aircraft in hanger and tiedowns. And limiting access rules
for personal cars and family tours.

Peter R. wrote:
On 5/3/2007 11:28:36 AM, Margy Natalie wrote:


Why ironic? We can only bring in 50 airplanes and our communications
guy put a sign up sheet at OSH last year.


Hmm, upon rereading maybe I don't understand the definition of "fly-in
spots." Does this mean that if I wanted to fly to the event that I could not
do so or does this mean something else?

I had interpreted "fly-in spots" to mean number of airplanes allowed to fly
to the airport for the event and if so, it seemed unfortunate that such a
wonderful event would be limited by that. Driving to the event would be out
of the question for me.

Yeah, it's a "by invitation" fly-in as we can't handle too many
aircraft. Jay Honeck flew in the year before last. There's always next
year to fly in. I know some aircraft are parking at the FBO and then
getting ground transport down.

Margy

Morgans wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote


The next ten years will decide the fate of GA. You and Ron do what
you can, and Mary and I will continue to be the "Pied Pipers" of GA in
Iowa. Beyond that, I don't know what else to do. Getting pilots to
do anything -- even if it's to save their own fate -- is like herding
cats...


One BIG thing that pilots need to do, is to invite people along with them,
when they go flying.

I don't have a "certificate" YET, and I always tell everyone I know that is
a pilot, that I would JUMP at the chance to go flying with them, especially
when they are going out by themselves.

I don't get near the invitations that I would like. So, if everyone would
be more open to invite a prospective pilot along, DO IT !!! It might be
what someone needs to get off of the fence, and go for it.
Sadly, I know lots of pilots who won't invite folks to go flying for the
fear of liability issues.

Margy