Hope for the future

In article ,
says...


This is the first I've heard of this increase in pilot training, and I
hope it's the start of a trend. Anyone got a source for student stats?



I don't know about the stats.
I would share your hope for a trend, but I cannot be optimistic. Why?
Many people start flying, and stick to it through the costs and hardships
because of the rewards it is supposed to offer at the end. These rewards have
been substantially eroded over the years though, particularly in recent
(post-911) years.

1) The airline pilot's career will likely never have the shine it once had.
Salaries are down (WAY down, in some cases) job security as well, and the
"glamor" of intercontinental flying is tarnished.

2)Utility for the individual or small business flyer is diminished. In the
50's and early '60's it was easy to find personal aircraft with TAS
comparable to what were then considered to be airliners (DC-3's). This
combined with the proximity of local airports led to a prodigious utility
gain for those who could afford it. Today, unless you are talking bizzjets
and multi-million investments, it is difficult to find many missions where
the private aircraft offers a measurable advantage. (Yes these exist, but
they are now the exception rather than the rule).

3) Saftey concerns have increased. This is a good thing, because safety
conciousness is the driving force behind the improvement we have seen in
accident statistics. At the same time, this increases the hassle and
preparation time, and further decreases perceived utility.

4) Environmental conciousness - another good thing, that probably does not
help the overall image of private aviation.

5) Rules and regulations - not that these have increased that much over the
years in GA, but the amount of rule conciousness and responsibility we have
to digest in our daily lives has. Just driving your car to work today is an
exercise in liability protection - adding to this a "leisure" activity that
brings a whole new level of rules and regulations may not be a picture of
release and serenity to young people, already stressed half to death about
the responsibility they take on every time they climb out of bed in the
morning.

I do agree with those who say the new crop of aircraft, and the modernization
of the instrument panel represent big gains in attractiveness for potential
starters today, but I would be cautious about beliving in much of an upswing
in PPL starts.

GF