Just read in aopa weekly mail today that the FAA is considering shutting
down the BDL (Bradley, Hartford CT) and PVD (Providence RI) VORs.

These are not exactly podunk navaids. Both are located at Class C fields
with substantial airline traffic (not just RJs either) and they support a
decent number of airways and approaches. To be fair, VORs are not exactly in
short supply in the Northeast, so this won't have a devastating effect,
though it will make outages more critical.

I fly a 172N and with 2 NAV/COMs, ADF, and an M1 Loran I can get around this
part of the country pretty well. Other than getting DME capability there
hasn't been a pressing reason to add an IFR GPS to a $40,000 plane. But, how
much longer will it be before /G is a de facto requirement? Already when I
fly IFR (filed /U) controllers give me instructions ("proceed direct
foobar") that require GPS, so I suppose us non-golf folks are becoming a
rare species. How long before we're extinct?

Best,
-cwk.