On 2006-05-12, LWG wrote:
looks like we are the last of a generation. I remember my intense
preoccupation with flying when I was a teenager, and compare it to what I
see, even with my own kids. They couldn't care less about aviation, unless
it says Lear or Gulfstream, and that't not for the flying, it's just for the
bling.

But that was true of any time - only a very tiny minority of the
population are obsessed enough about flying to actually do it. I can
give you teenaged counter-examples right now - but it's irrelevant:
flying has always been a minority pursuit and always will be a minority
pursuit. Flying is _not_ a natural habitat for a human being, and
therefore 99.5% of the human race is innately afraid of flying. Most of
the population ranges from mild discomfort and anxiety to full blown
terror at the idea of being even a few feet off the ground in a plane.

It's only a tiny percentage who actually find the experience enjoyable.
It's always been like that and always will be like that.

Kids can't wander onto an airport, at least not my home base. I have to
drive through a manned security gate and present ID.

For each airfield like that there are 100 you can just wander up to.

For the remainder of the human population who DO enjoy flying (and there
is enough to keep GA going) with the current costs and timescales it
takes to learn to fly, you are left with:

- those young enough that they don't yet have a family
- those old enough that the family have left home AND finished college

Out of the former, most don't have the money. So you are left with the
latter, most who face spousal pressure not to start flying in the first
place, or who find themselves disappointed at having to fly a ratty old
C152 that's almost as old as they are and costs a fortune.

Then you add to that the current cotton-wool total risk aversion of
society and you take away even more of the already tiny possible pool of
people who may learn to fly.

Some are doing something about it - the British Gliding Association are
running scholarships for youths. Our tiny soaring club (about a dozen
regular members) has two scholarship students currently in the club -
paid up to solo by the BGA. By the time they solo, they can't stop.

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