Hope for the future

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
I recently re-subscribed to "Plane & Pilot", and in this month's
edition they repeatedly refer to the "strong upswing in student starts"
that has fueled increased sales of (for example) the Diamond DA-40.

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?

It seems like every time I've walk into an FBO in the last twenty years,
they've been talking about how this was the PERFECT time to start toward a
career in flying. Airlines would be -begging- for pilots right around the
time I'd be getting that kind of flying time.

....uh...

Even a stopped clock is correct twice a day, I guess, but maybe the flight
schools found some hotshot new advertising agency or something.

-c

Gatt,

It seems like every time I've walk into an FBO in the last twenty years,
they've been talking about how this was the PERFECT time to start toward a
career in flying.


Heck, at least they didn't throw you out ;-) (Sorry, couldn't help myself)

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

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?

It seems like every time I've walk into an FBO in the last twenty years,
they've been talking about how this was the PERFECT time to start toward a
career in flying. Airlines would be -begging- for pilots right around the
time I'd be getting that kind of flying time.

Even a stopped clock is correct twice a day, I guess, but maybe the flight
schools found some hotshot new advertising agency or something.

Well, I'd agree, but P & P says that Diamond has sold 350+ DA40
trainers -- a great success story -- and is partially explaining this
success by referring to the "increase in student pilot training".

Clearly Diamond and P&P think that there are more students now, but
it's the first I've heard of it.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck schrieb:

Well, I'd agree, but P & P says that Diamond has sold 350+ DA40
trainers -- a great success story -- and is partially explaining this
success by referring to the "increase in student pilot training".

I'd rather explain this by the fact that there is *finally* something on
the market to replace the vintage WWII fleet of Pipers and Cessnas.

Stefan

I'd rather explain this by the fact that there is *finally* something on
the market to replace the vintage WWII fleet of Pipers and Cessnas.

Well, they're not quite *that* old. Most of the US training fleet
Pipers and Cessnas were built between 1960 and 1975. Try calling them
the "vintage Viet Nam fleet"...

Does anyone still subscribe to "Flight Training"? I seem to remember
them publishing the "student starts" each month -- but I have no idea
where they got that info.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Does anyone still subscribe to "Flight Training"? I seem to remember
them publishing the "student starts" each month -- but I have no idea
where they got that info.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I couldn't find the stats you were asking about but I did find this very
interesting
list of aviation statistics:
http://aircraft.in/statistics_of_fly...General%20Info

David - KGYH

Does anyone still subscribe to "Flight Training"? I seem to remember
them publishing the "student starts" each month -- but I have no idea
where they got that info.
--
Jay Honeck

AOPA has pilot stats from 1929 thru 2005 but it is not broken down by
month. It was interesting to note that there has been an average of 80,000
student pilots in the US in the past decade but it was double that amount
in the early 1980's.
The total US pilot stat has not changed much since 1967 averaging 600,000.
We have the same amount of Private pilots today as we had in 1966 (220,000).

David - KGYH

FLAV8R wrote:
Does anyone still subscribe to "Flight Training"? I seem to remember
them publishing the "student starts" each month -- but I have no idea
where they got that info.
--
Jay Honeck


AOPA has pilot stats from 1929 thru 2005 but it is not broken down by
month. It was interesting to note that there has been an average of 80,000
student pilots in the US in the past decade but it was double that amount
in the early 1980's.
The total US pilot stat has not changed much since 1967 averaging 600,000.
We have the same amount of Private pilots today as we had in 1966 (220,000).

Which means that as a percentage of the population, we only have about
2/3rds as many private pilots now as in 1966. Not a good trend.

Matt