Student Drop-Out Rates...why?

Asude the above comment about disillusionment, I would be willing to bet that
wife/girlfriend problems are very high on the list. Of course, it doesn't have
to be the guy who wants it and the girl who is opposed - but it's often that
way. What the guy sees as challenging, enjoyable and possibly useful, the girl
sees as costly, useless and possibly dangerous.

Greg

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 03:48:39 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in
rEcNe.42126$084.40784@attbi_s22::

That aside, can you name some other reasons for the abysmal drop-out rate of
student pilots?

They realize they are not qualified to pilot an aircraft in the NAS
due to their inability to meet the demands to do so safely,
competently and without stressful fear of disaster.

What can we do to make flying more accessible to those
who dream of piloting an aircraft?

Those in the category I mentioned above would need a brain transplant.
:-)

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:rEcNe.42126$084.40784@attbi_s22...

snip

That aside, can you name some other reasons for the abysmal drop-out rate
of student pilots? What can we do to make flying more accessible to
those who dream of piloting an aircraft?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


Even to people who grew up in the 50's and 60's had pilots as heroes. The
guys at Edwards, the Astronauts, etc. Before then, the WWII generation of
pilots had a laundry list of aviation heroes. This brought people into
flying. In today's society, there are no pilot-heroes, and flying isn't
generally regarded as glamorous or as a grand adventure.

It has already been mentioned, but there are too many FBO's that don't care.
You sign up for an airplane and instructor for Saturday morning, only to
arrive and either the instructor has taken a charter flight elsewhere or the
airplane is broken. Even better, nobody bothered to call you, so you've
wasted a trip. Beyond that, the person behind the desk at the FBO doesn't
apologize.

There are some great FBO's out there, but there are a lot of not-so-good
ones too. The smart ones realize that without pilots, they are out of
business. The dumb ones jack up the cost of getting a PPL to the point
where there are no new pilots. In 20 years, they will wonder what happened
to all of their business and why they are closing the doors. The FBO at my
airfield is one of those. They sold their C-152's, so there is no
inexpensive airplane rental option for training. Also, they doubled their
instructor cost (not pay). The effect of these two items has more or less
doubled the cost of getting a PPL through that FBO. In the old days, they
used to crank out quite a few new pilots. I'm not aware of a single person
who completed their PPL using the services of this FBO in the last 2-3
years.

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

Kyle Boatright wrote:
Even to people who grew up in the 50's and 60's had pilots as heroes. The
guys at Edwards, the Astronauts, etc. Before then, the WWII generation of
pilots had a laundry list of aviation heroes. This brought people into
flying. In today's society, there are no pilot-heroes, and flying isn't
generally regarded as glamorous or as a grand adventure.

I agree with this... societal changes have a lot to do with it. When I was a
kid I was in awe of the "aces" of WWII and Korea. Heck, my Dad was a naval
aviator, flying TBF's and Hellcats in the Pacific in '44 and '45. As a kid I
used to watch Sky King (I still love the looks of a C310!). I could name every
one of the old war movies I used to watch that had an airplane in it.

There are pilot hero's today but they seem to get lost in the noise level of
Rap music and Video games. Why bother to learn to fly when you can fly a
video game or simulator.


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.

We need to do more as a group to encourage the younger generation. I wish
there were more inspiring movies about aviation... but alas, we're more likely
to see a movie about BTK than some interesting aviator or aviation story.
I am doing the best I can, and have taken several people on their very first
airplane ride in my airplane. My payment was the look on their face as we
left the runway and climbed into the sky.

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 11:38:46 GMT, kontiki
wrote in ::

We need to do more as a group to encourage the younger generation.

Imagine being a young person today faced with the high cost of
automobiles, ever increasing cost of insurance and gasoline, and the
astronomical cost of a home, and then you'll realize why adding the
cost of aviation instruction and operation is totally out of the
question for the vast majority.

Imagine being a young person today faced with the high cost of
automobiles, ever increasing cost of insurance and gasoline, and the
astronomical cost of a home, and then you'll realize why adding the
cost of aviation instruction and operation is totally out of the
question for the vast majority.

Let's see, in 1994 I was a working father (at a small, local newspaper) with
a 4-year old and a new-born baby. Mary had reduced her hours to part-time
after our first child was born, so we were living on 1.3 very modest
incomes.

THAT was the time that aviation thrust itself upon me (my boss was a pilot,
and gave me the kick start I needed to get off my butt and do it!) -- when I
could least afford it. I had just enough money saved to get my ticket --
and not one nickel left over to fly on when all was said and done. But I
did it.

If I could do it, anyone can do it. It just took eating at home, forgoing
new cars, concerts, and movies, and an understanding wife (who, unbeknownst
to me at the time, was soon to become as hopelessly hooked on flying as I
was!).
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 03:43:29 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote in
BFxNe.266694$_o.53979@attbi_s71::

It just took eating at home, forgoing new cars, concerts, and movies, and ...

Enough money in a savings account to fund your flight training.

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.

"Kyle Boatright" wrote:
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.

I agree with that. Most under 30 at our airport are only there to get
whatever ratings they need to get to the airlines and then they're outta
there. Nearly everyone that "hangs out" there, socializes there, flies
together for *fun* outside of training, is at least 40 and up, and the
40-60s are the "younger" ones. The majority are 60+ ... not that there's
anything wrong with that!!

unicate wrote:

Nearly everyone that "hangs out" there, socializes there, flies
together for *fun* outside of training, is at least 40 and up, and the
40-60s are the "younger" ones.

That isn't a problem. As long as new 40-year-olds keep showing up to keep the
population steady.

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.