NY Times Story on Pilot Population Decline

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/fa...=1&oref=slogin

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:53:18 -0400, "Marco Leon"
wrote in :

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/fa...=1&oref=slogin

The number of student pilots is down by about a third since 1990,
from 129,000 to 88,000. The number of private pilots is down from
299,000 to 236,000, according to statistics kept by the Federal
Aviation Administration. And they are aging.

Some longtime private pilots fear that an industry is withering,
and a bit of Americana is slipping away, along with a bit of
freedom and joy. And it is happening in part because of lack of
interest; Walter Mitty doesn’t want to fly anymore.



Could it be that Americans are working longer hours?

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/.../30/ilo.study/
CNN) -- You're not imagining it. The United Nations' International
Labor Organization (ILO) has the proof: "Workers in the United
States are putting in more hours than anyone else in the
industrialized world."



And is it possible that the increase in hours worked don't equate to
more disposable income?

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/workhours.html
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the average
work week has increased by just over an hour and a half a week,
the proportion of people who work much longer weeks (48 hours and
more) has risen greatly. The occupations which saw the greatest
increase in the percentage of workers averaging 48 hours per week
or more were professionals and managers (who are most often not
paid overtime though they are among the highest-paid workers) and
sales and transportation workers (who are among the lowest-paid
workers and earn more as they log more hours). The Bureau of Labor
Statistics also notes that high unemployment numbers also
stimulate salaried workers who are employed to put in more hours
each week to safeguard their positions.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...

Could it be that Americans are working longer hours?

And is it possible that the increase in hours worked don't equate to
more disposable income?

Yes, and yes. While I don't think that the reasons you mentioned are the
primary reasons, I do think they play a part. Salaries are indeed higher but
so are the housing prices. A "starter" house in Long Island, NY for example
is around $450K. Paying for that mortgage while bringing up a family leaves
little room to blow $7K on a year's worth of flight training.

The article mentions a number of factors and it's interesting in that they
are all for the most part true and all contribute to the problem.

Marco

Larry Dighera wrote:


Could it be that Americans are working longer hours?

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/.../30/ilo.study/
CNN) -- You're not imagining it. The United Nations' International
Labor Organization (ILO) has the proof: "Workers in the United
States are putting in more hours than anyone else in the
industrialized world."


Larry for once I agree with you. I had to write check to Uncle Sam
this year that really hurt. (apparently buying votes is getting
more expensive). I have a full time job and two part time jobs...
apparent;y being a productive American is a costly endeavor.



And is it possible that the increase in hours worked don't equate to
more disposable income?

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/workhours.html
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though the average
work week has increased by just over an hour and a half a week,
the proportion of people who work much longer weeks (48 hours and
more) has risen greatly. The occupations which saw the greatest
increase in the percentage of workers averaging 48 hours per week
or more were professionals and managers (who are most often not
paid overtime though they are among the highest-paid workers) and
sales and transportation workers (who are among the lowest-paid
workers and earn more as they log more hours). The Bureau of Labor
Statistics also notes that high unemployment numbers also
stimulate salaried workers who are employed to put in more hours
each week to safeguard their positions.


As I stated Larry, Uncle Sam seems to be spending like a drunken sailor.
I've discovered that the harder you work the more he's got his hand
in my pants taking more of my hard earned efforts to come up with a
few extra bucks for flying. On top of that, the BIGGEST benefactor
odf rising gas prices IS government. Federal and state governments
make more off a gallon gass through taxes than the oil companies do.

On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:53:18 -0400, "Marco Leon"
wrote:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/fa...=1&oref=slogin

One thing that story has wrong is that there are no $100k airplanes to
support Sport Pilots.

The LSA industry certainly appears to be booming. Every flying
magazine I get has a new LSA listed each month. Most of the LSAs are
~$100k.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:53:18 -0400, "Marco Leon"
wrote in :

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/fa...=1&oref=slogin

The number of student pilots is down by about a third since 1990,
from 129,000 to 88,000. The number of private pilots is down from
299,000 to 236,000, according to statistics kept by the Federal
Aviation Administration. And they are aging.

Some longtime private pilots fear that an industry is withering,
and a bit of Americana is slipping away, along with a bit of
freedom and joy. And it is happening in part because of lack of
interest; Walter Mitty doesn't want to fly anymore.



Could it be that Americans are working longer hours?

Snip


And is it possible that the increase in hours worked don't equate to
more disposable income?

I doubt that. What is happening is that people are spending their money
differently. I have a $100/month cable/internet bill. Plus a $50 cell phone
bill. Plus the maintenance, repair, and replacement expenses for 20
different devices in my home that people didn't have 50 years ago. We have
more discretionary income than before, we just spend it on day to day
conveniences and various iterations of the idiot box (TV, Computer, Gaming,
etc.)...

Snip

My personal theory is that flying is no longer the source of hero worship it
once was. Is there a current Lindberg? How about an Amelia Earhart? Maybe
a John Glenn? Not really. Flying has lost the public's imagination, and
therefore the publicity.

KB

Kyle Boatright wrote:


My personal theory is that flying is no longer the source of hero worship it
once was. Is there a current Lindberg? How about an Amelia Earhart? Maybe
a John Glenn? Not really. Flying has lost the public's imagination, and
therefore the publicity.


I think that's largely true. People are more interestwed in who wins
American Idol than what is going on in the aerospace industry.

"LD" == Larry Dighera writes:
LD CNN) -- You're not imagining it. The United Nations'
LD International Labor Organization (ILO) has the proof: "Workers
LD in the United States are putting in more hours than anyone
LD else in the industrialized world."

But the US is not really part of the industrialized world, are we.

What do other industrialized countries have? Health care systems,
modern infrastructure, actual working hours that don't keep you away
from home for 12 hours a day. The US has a very costly fragmented
health care system for some, aging infrastructure (we quit building
anything decades ago), and long work hours...just like 3rd world
countries.

They say Russia is a 3rd world country with rockets...well the US is
becoming a 3rd world country with marketing.

Don't try to pin this on just one political party, both have had a big
part in this decline.
--
"Real men don't use backups, they post their stuff on a public ftp
server and let the rest of the world make copies." - Linus Torvalds

Bob Fry wrote:


Don't try to pin this on just one political party, both have had a big
part in this decline.


"Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal
in slavery than unequal in freedom."

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that
it can bribe the public with the public's money."

-Alexis de Tocqueville

Marco Leon writes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/fa...=1&oref=slogin

Sounds right on the mark.

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