Gloom

AJ wrote:
Strange as it sounds, the LSA designation could be a door through
which future pilots can join the ranks. Younger crowds simply can't
juggle the expense of raising families, paying mortgages and flying,
while the older crowd has already paid off most of those bills and can
funnel cash to their flying pursuits.

That is the way things have been for the last 60 years.
What has changed is the competition for the surplus dollars.
As fuel prices rise, the cheap airfares are disappearing, making GA more
attractive on a per seat cost per flight basis.