Dan wrote:
On Mar 24, 6:15 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:

Ah.motorcycle racing. Tried it once. I used to ride a lot and had quite
That was the end of my bike racing :-))

This is true of nealry every race sport -- You realize quickly that
the potential for harm is quite high, and Monday morning you need
functioning limbs to earn the $ to ride again.

I don't think you mean that we need to add to the ranks of the casual
pilot -- just ease the transition from "jus lookin" to pilot, right?

I little bit of both actually. We need new blood for sure, and the
transition into GA could be made more attractive.

-- Dudley Henriques

I agree that it could be made more attractive, but I think it would be
disingenuous to promise absolute safety, minimal training, and
immediate gratification (such as car driving).

The Cessna ads of the late 60s early 70s were bent this way. Even the
names "Skywagon" were meant to equate the airplane to the car.

We'll need total failsafe automation and complete dependence on it
before Joe Average flies with as little thought as we drive. I think
that's a combination of systems far beyond today's capabilities and
psychological assent far beyond what most will accede to today.

That said, In my very humble opinion -- The biggest problem with
primary flight training is the lack of money and focus -- so many FBOs
are run on a shoestring (or a loss) trying to run charter and a
school. The Big Schools are all focused on airline wannabes and
require moving to their location for an extended period of time.

The Cessna Pilot Center concept was a good one a while back, but in my
region it's gone the way of Sinclair gas. Plus, it was focused on
selling one brand of airplane. Not everyone wants to learn how to
drive at the Plymouth Car Center.

We haven't done a good job at providing an easily understood
transition from "I think I might want to do that" to new Private Pilot
in most FBOs. Caveat -- this is based on anecdotal evidence on a
limited sampling, but based on conversations with others, it's not so
unusual.

Consider what happens to the guy or girl that walks into the local FBO
-- Maybe someone is there, maybe not. If so "How can I help you?" is
offered, but the person doesn't even know how to reply, "Well, I'm
thinking about, maybe..."

"Private Pilot Training? Ok, you'll need to talk to Cal -- I'm a
double I."

"Oh yeah, umm.. ok."

"Come back Saturday -- Cal works all the discoveries and students."

"Discoveries? Students?" Our unlikely candidate thinks, "I'm a
successful XYZ -- here I'm a student?"

He/she then drives home and orders a Jet Ski.

In a car dealership, the guy in charge of trucks will walk you over or
-better yet -- page the guy in charge of cars and make sure you talk
to him/her.

Please -- before you flame .. I'm sure there are plenty of FBOs/Pilot
Schools that do it all perfectly.

But apparently they are the minority or we wouldn't have a shrinking
GA population.


Dan Mc
No need to flame. In fact what you are saying here is simply restating
what I've been saying.

I'm in no way even implying anything about "guarantees" in GA. What I
believe is needed is a revamping and cleanup of the way we handle the
part of the potential student market we are missing by the factors I
have mentioned and those you are mentioning as well.
What's needed is an added approach to the manuals issue, which I believe
Machado is addressing (filling a gap) and as you have said, a general
cleanup in the way business is conducted by the industry.





--
Dudley Henriques