Student Drop-Out Rates...why?

Jay Honeck wrote:

If I could do it, anyone can do it.

Bull.
The median income in the U.S. today is about $50,000. *LOTS* of people in the
States cannot afford flight training. Many more regard it as a complete waste of
money, and for them, it probably would be.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Earl Grieda wrote:

The Harley analogy isn't perfect either. Granted the cost between learning
how to fly and buying a Harley might be similar, but once you get the Harley
you don't have to pay $100/hr to rent it.

Actually, a better way to put it is that the Harley doesn't cost you $60 to $200
an hour to take it out every other weekend. For most of us, the cost per hour of
owning is far higher than the cost per hour of renting.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

This thread is incredibly depressing. More so, because I just read it
this morning before heading out to my flying club's first-in-many-years
group BBQ in front of the club office. While there, I got to see the
makeup of my club for the first time, and to say that the strong
majority of 60+ (or even 70+) was distressing is putting it mildly.
Don't get me wrong, I like these guys a lot. Some of them taught me how
to fly, and they're fun to hangar fly with, as they just have more
stories. (Many that add the element of being shot at.) [ Extra aside,
the small number of women was also disturbing. ]

But, as many have mentioned, there were no young people, and that
spells disaster for GA. (I'm 32, by the way). What was especially so
disturbing was hearing everyone complain about the airports that are
closing, or are being encroached on, and about young people not liking
the noise, or developers not admitting that "the airport was here
first," etc.

And I just kept thinking that none of that really matters. Airports
will continue to close as long as aviation is a 400,000 person niche in
the US population. All organization like the AOPA can do is slow it
down.

I agree with those that believe that something substantial must be done
to increase the ranks of pilots. Not that I have solutions. But
identifying the issue is worth something. I have resolved to encourage
and/or seduce some friends of mine into flying.

I, by the way, am headed back to grad school and will be without income
for two years, minimum, which is going to put a crimp on my flying, to
say the least. So I can understand the financial difficulties. But,
being bitten by the bug, I have budgeted several thousand dollars to at
least finish my commercial rating. I have no intentions of flying for a
living. I do it for the love of it. (Eventually, I want my CFI, so I
can show someone else how to do it, which I know I will love even
more!)

-- dave j
-- PP-ASEL-IA
-- jacobowitz73 --at-- yahoo --dot-- come

bdl wrote:

MyÂ*understandingÂ*wasÂ*thatÂ*oneÂ*wouldÂ*rentÂ*an
airplane to get their certificate, then buy an airplane.

Now that you mention this, it was a mistaken impression I held as well. I
thought that complete entry into aviation did involve a purchase at the end
of the training.

If it weren't for knowing a person that rented airplanes, I might never have
made the leap.

- Andrew

Jay Honeck wrote:

I'll agree that there are parts of the country that darned-near require
an IR. I'm happy to report that (a) I don't live in one, and (b) I
don't fly there very often, either.

So the fact is that you *can't* reliably see America from the air with just a
PPC. Just part of it.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

I'll agree that there are parts of the country that darned-near require
an IR. I'm happy to report that (a) I don't live in one, and (b) I
don't fly there very often, either.

So the fact is that you *can't* reliably see America from the air with
just a PPC. Just part of it.

Well, I'd put the percentage at over 95%, if you exclude Alaska.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I agree with those that believe that something substantial must be done
to increase the ranks of pilots. Not that I have solutions. But
identifying the issue is worth something. I have resolved to encourage
and/or seduce some friends of mine into flying.

Bravo, Dave! GA needs more folks like you ...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

Well, I'd put the percentage at over 95%, if you exclude Alaska.

Then you and I have extremely different ideas of what constitutes "reliably."
You, apparently, mean that one can fly somewhere and, sooner or later, fly back.
Most people should be able to do that. If, however, they can't count on being
able to come back when they want or need to be back, that's not reliable
transportation. And you can't do that 95% of the time anywhere around here.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Jay Honeck wrote:

I agree with those that believe that something substantial must be done
to increase the ranks of pilots. Not that I have solutions. But
identifying the issue is worth something. I have resolved to encourage
and/or seduce some friends of mine into flying.

Bravo, Dave! GA needs more folks like you ...


Isn't one of the objectives of the Sport ticket trying to do just that?

--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

Aviation is getting old. I'm 40 now, and for 12 years have been the
youngest person hanging out at airport and the youngest person in my EAA
chapter. When a new guy shows up who's 28, he sees all the old farts
(maybe I'm one too in his eyes), and looks for a younger crowd to hang
with. This doesn't help.

KB


That's because the planes they're flying in are just as old. Some new
teenager or college student doesn't see much excitement when they come out
to the airport and they have to look at 1960s era Cessnas and they wonder
what's keeping the wings on.

Go to another FBO that has a fleet of new Cirrus or Diamond trainers and
you'll see a younger crowd.

This industry needs a major investment to retire all planes older than 20
years old and get some new metal on the ramp.