MU wrote:

I haven't renewed my PPL this year and one reason is that the airport
I fly out of is a) under runway construction and b) filled with daffy
old pilots.

Try sharing a single TO/L runway with a bunch of glaucoma-laden
morons. lol. When you choice on TO abort is "which set of mangroves
do I ditch in", you're better off grounded.

Reality Check

Active General Aviation Aircraft in the U.S. 1973-2011
Current as of March 2011
Source: FAA

Year No Active Aircraft
2011 224,475
2001 211,446
1991 196,874
1981 213,293
1973 153,311

Doesn't exactly look dead to me.

Keith