Where is everyone?

It's not cost. It's something else. A general change in society is more
likely. How many people have spent beyond their means compared to 1970?
Are people less interested in doing an activity that takes months of
preparation and has limited utility? I honestly don't think cost is any
more of a factor today than it was in 1970 - and in real terms, people
are better off, too.

A thought: The "Depression" generation is now mostly gone. *Those*
people knew what true hardship was, understood the value of a dollar,
and (if they were like my parents) absolutely feared going into debt.
My parents would eat dirt before borrowing money, after living through
the hardships of the 1930s.

They managed to instill that same fear in me -- but I suspect that
attitude has been diluted over time, thus explaining the huge debt
loads so many people are now comfortable bearing.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
It's not cost. It's something else. A general change in society is more
likely. How many people have spent beyond their means compared to 1970?
Are people less interested in doing an activity that takes months of
preparation and has limited utility? I honestly don't think cost is any
more of a factor today than it was in 1970 - and in real terms, people
are better off, too.

A thought: The "Depression" generation is now mostly gone. *Those*
people knew what true hardship was, understood the value of a dollar,
and (if they were like my parents) absolutely feared going into debt.
My parents would eat dirt before borrowing money, after living through
the hardships of the 1930s.

They managed to instill that same fear in me -- but I suspect that
attitude has been diluted over time, thus explaining the huge debt
loads so many people are now comfortable bearing.


Kind of makes you wonder how much the average family was paying in interest
in 1965 as compared to today, even with inflation. Most people I know have
to be spending enough on just interest every month, to fly several hours.

Also, we talk about cell phones, computers, cable TV, home theater, etc.,
and their cost to the average budget. But consider the accessories the
average pilot considers a must today as well. When I started flying in 1970,
most of us carried a rotary flight computer, plotter, log book, fuel tester
and maybe flash light. Today we feel we have to have hand held GPS,
electronic flight computers, lap desks, noise canceling head phones,
intercom systems,etc, etc, etc. Flying still doesn't have to be as expensive
as many of us make it.

Dylan Smith wrote:
It's not cost. It's something else. A general change in society is
more likely.

I can spend my spare time getting a pilot certificate or spend my spare
time reading Usenet and browsing the Internet. ;-)

Dylan Smith wrote:

It's not cost. It's something else. A general change in society is
more likely.

I think you are right. It is the lack of willingness to take part in
anything that doesn't lead to immediate satisfaction. I know that when I
started building my own plane the only thing that shocked people as much as
the idea of building a plane is that I would invest the multiple years
required to do it.

Since there has been talk of having to give up things in order to fly I did.
I gave up one thing to build my plane. I suspended my Country Club
membership and stopped playing golf. What I spent on golf and CC membership
and its associated costs has paid for my 601XL to be built. When I get
finished with the plane I might take golf up again but I probably won't
reactivate my membership.