GA is priceless

On 31 Dec 2006 06:44:04 -0800, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

At the other end of the scale is general aviation. Aviation is a
horrendously complex form of transportation--the most complex around,

I find this quite funny. You have fallen for it, hook, line and
sinker.


Not at all.
I do not see learning to fly as any thing extra ordinary, or macho.
It, like any other discipline such as playing the guitar, or piano
takes time, practice and dedication. That is why in the over all
population you see so few good guitar and piano players but those two
disciplines consist of far more rote learning than flying. Yet flying
is much more of an art than driving a car and is much more related to
learning a musical instrument.

The "complexity" of GA is a myth that has been foisted upon the general
public by the "big-watch" pilots who simply LOVE to flaunt how cool
they are under pressure. John Wayne movies in the '50s and '60s cast
the mold for this pilot stereotype (which was effectively skewered in
the "Airplane" movies, BTW), and pilots have done little to counter
this stereotype ever since.

Again we disagree although much is in terms and actions. I know of
few pilots who behave as you describe above. Even many air show pilots
are showing off a skill, not lauding their ability over the mere
mortals. To me, flying is a place where the macho attitude can get
you killed


It's also, BTW, one of the major reasons GA is floundering. Too many
people think they're not "good enough" to be a pilot.

This too I disagree with.
Not that people aren't smart enough, but that they don't have the mind
set to make a safe pilot, nor do they care.


Why? Quite frankly, too many of us love to portray the steely-eyed
God-pilot, laughing in the face of death and pressing on to our final
destination at all costs -- it makes picking up chicks easier. In

Again I disagree with you. I've flown for many years and the only
women it impressed were those already interested in flying. The rest
thought I was crazy.

fact, however, the reality of GA flying couldn't be farther from the
truth.

Now what I do and do not believe. I do not believe it takes any
special intelligence to lean to fly, nor do I believe in the macho
line as that can get a pilot killed, but it does as you have already
said, take dedication, time, and money.

You have a far higher opinion of the average driver than I do. As I
mentioned, in our county the sheriff and several other officers have
stated that over a third of those on the road are driving on suspended
or revoked licenses. Plus we have a bunch that never made the grade.

I would not let the average driver near my car let alone my airplane.
Be it from their mental state, drinking habits, refusal to take
responsibility, (blame the cop for the traffic ticket),poor judgmental
ability, inability to plan ahead, inability to multitask, and/or poor
communications skills I don't want them near my *stuff*. If I took the
time I could probably come up with a lot of other reasons. Oh! one
that comes to mind is the number that will have a criminal record is
staggering.

I have no reason to think our area of the country is much different
than most others although I am sure there are exceptions in both
directions. But the statistics alone have eliminated a third of the
drivers from even being able to qualify for a license including the
sport license. Over a third in our county could not qualify for the
sport pilot license.

Having driven an average of over 30,000 miles a year since I was a
teen ager and I'm well on my way to 67 that makes about 50 years of
driving or 1.5 million miles. Given the people I have worked with,
socialized with, and just see around work and town I would eliminate
at least half of the 2/3rds left due to the reasons given in the
previous paragraph plus some are afraid to fly in anything be it large
or small. . They just are not suited for flying. None of these things
actually relate to intelligence or the need to be macho. They are
people I would be afraid to be around were they flying.

So we are down to 1/3 of the drivers out there that probably would be
capable of getting a license "If they wanted to do so", but only a
tiny fraction are, or would be interested. Of those interested a
portion would not follow through due to resistance from a spouse or
family. Part of them would not follow through due to cost even though
flying is not terribly expensive compared to some other "sports" or
pastimes but there are a lot of people out there that are just making
ends meet. . Part of them would not follow through as they would not
be willing to put in the time required to get the license and part of
them would not follow through just due to the inconvenience of no
airport close enough to suit them. Let's face it. There are few areas
where you could keep a plane in your garage and legally take off from
the road out front.

I would make an educated guess that no more than 10% of the drivers
would actually try to get a pilots license if time, money, family,
and qualifications were no problem.

However 10% is a lot of people but time, money, family, and
qualifications are in reality a problem for many of those. You only
need look at the number making poverty level wages to see that number
dwindel even more.


An illustration: On our last flight, we flew from Iowa City, IA to
Racine, WI, for Christmas. (This would be like frying from France to
Germany, to put that into perspective for you.)

This involved:

1. Pre-flighting the plane (a walk around, with oil and fuel checks)

You do have to know what to look for.

2. Loading the plane

don't forget the weight and balance.

3. Starting the plane
4. Programming two GPS's

Where most people have a problem with VCRs?

5. Taking off, and turning to course.

Don't forget the run up and all the checks prior to departure.
They are going to say: "You have to do all those checks to make sure
the engine is safe?"

6. Climbing to altitude
7. Following the course (as if we need it -- I've done this flight a

How many students have found the flight planning to be a daunting
task? We may do them in our heads now, but at one time they were
work.

hundred times) to Racine.
8. Land.



Compare this to the complexity of DRIVING to Racine, and you'll see
that flying there is by FAR easier. No traffic. No toll booths. No
maniac cab drivers. No complicated routing around Chicago. It was
literally as easy as falling off a log.

Again, to your and me.
How ever I've had ATC give me some routings that took me wayyyyy out
of the way. I've said before it seemed like they sent me half way to
Kentucky the one time I went around the south end of Lake Michigan
IFR.

To your and me it is simple because we've done it so many times we
don't need to think about it consciously. To the non flyer who never
even checks the oil in the car it would be a daunting list.

I'll give you this: The TRAINING to become a pilot is difficult -- and

There was nothing I found difficult, but a lot of it was time
consuming such as the flight planning and that was work. However I
don't figure work has to be difficult. It just took a lot of time.

commercial piloting is, of course, a WHOLE different kettle of fish.
They must fly in all weather, into difficult airports -- whereas I get
to choose the times, places and weather in which I fly.

If I can see to get up and I can see to get down without ice of
thunderstorms in between then I'll go. There is nothing like
descending into the clouds full of torrential rain, breaking out just
above minimums and seeing the runway right where the instruments say
it should be. I don't think I'll ever get over that feeling.

But we're talking GA flying, not commercial. Once you've become a GA
pilot and put a few hours under your belt, cross-country GA flying is
far easier than driving, IMHO.

To most who finally make the grade it is. To those who haven't
learned how it's a daunting task. OTOH I've set back and watched a 14
year old fly the Deb on a triangular course of roughly 60 miles, who
after just a bit of coaching could; hold altitude, hold altitude in
turns to the proper heading, and get us back home close to the flight
plan time. Conversely I've had experienced pilots having me say...I
will not get sick in my own airplane, I ... will... not... get ...
sick...inmyownairplane... from a PIO (2 Geeessss out of the bottom and
zzeeeroooo over the top) because they have been relying on the VSI to
hold altitude in the planes they fly.

I see only one real difference between most pilots and "ground
pounders'. It has nothing to do with intelligence or macho attitude.
It is one simple thing. Our love for flying which many can not
comprehend even when shown. Other times you take a non flyer up and
the transformation is miraculous.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com