Pilots Bailing Out

I have received a lot of emails from my customer base since I announced
the shutdown of my flight planning software business. In addition to a
lot of nice supportive emails, I have seen a significant number from
pilots who have informed me that they stopped renewing their update
subscription because they stopped flying, and/or sold their airplane.

The main reason given was the higher cost of fuel and the liability
risk/airspace restrictions imposed since 9/11. Losing a medical
certificate was a much smaller number than those that simply quit due
to costs/hassle factor.

How many of you are know pilots that have given up flying as a result
of the increasing cost of flying and the new restrictions? Is the
total active pilot headcount shrinking? By how much? Even if the
total pilot population holds at its current level, the % of the U.S.
population that is pilot rated is declining since the overall
population is growing.

If this trend is real, then it would appear that indeed single piston
engine GA is slowly dying in the U.S. Growth in the VLJ market
respresents a different kind of GA, and tells me that aviation is going
to become the domain of the wealthy individual, corporations, and the
airlines...

Dean Wilkinson
Razor's Edge Software

On 29 Sep 2006 13:07:24 -0700, wrote:


How many of you are know pilots that have given up flying as a result
of the increasing cost of flying and the new restrictions? Is the
total active pilot headcount shrinking? By how much? Even if the
total pilot population holds at its current level, the % of the U.S.
population that is pilot rated is declining since the overall
population is growing.

If this trend is real, then it would appear that indeed single piston
engine GA is slowly dying in the U.S. Growth in the VLJ market
respresents a different kind of GA, and tells me that aviation is going
to become the domain of the wealthy individual, corporations, and the
airlines...

LSA to the rescue?

Don

LSA to the rescue?

Don

LSA seems suited more for local flying, not cross country. I am still
witholding judgment on what impact LSA will really have...

Dean

wrote:

LSA seems suited more for local flying, not cross country. I am still
witholding judgment on what impact LSA will really have...

Dean


That is a good question. I believe it will encourage some more pilots,
and a percentage will continue beyond LSA once they realize that you can't
really go places. The better equipped (full IFR?) LSA planes are not
gonna be much cheaper than a decent used Mooney or Cherokee. Wy would
someone spend so much money on a plane that goes 100 Kts with a 500lb payload?

What do they mean by "restrictions imposed since 9/11"? Unless you live
in D.C. I don't think you will notice a difference, at least I have
not. If anything post-9/11 makes private air travel more benefitial vs.
airlines. I don't think the VLJ market would be what it pre-9/11 when
execs would easily travel by airline.

-Robert


wrote:
I have received a lot of emails from my customer base since I announced
the shutdown of my flight planning software business. In addition to a
lot of nice supportive emails, I have seen a significant number from
pilots who have informed me that they stopped renewing their update
subscription because they stopped flying, and/or sold their airplane.

The main reason given was the higher cost of fuel and the liability
risk/airspace restrictions imposed since 9/11. Losing a medical
certificate was a much smaller number than those that simply quit due
to costs/hassle factor.

How many of you are know pilots that have given up flying as a result
of the increasing cost of flying and the new restrictions? Is the
total active pilot headcount shrinking? By how much? Even if the
total pilot population holds at its current level, the % of the U.S.
population that is pilot rated is declining since the overall
population is growing.

If this trend is real, then it would appear that indeed single piston
engine GA is slowly dying in the U.S. Growth in the VLJ market
respresents a different kind of GA, and tells me that aviation is going
to become the domain of the wealthy individual, corporations, and the
airlines...

Dean Wilkinson
Razor's Edge Software

In article .com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

What do they mean by "restrictions imposed since 9/11"? Unless you live
in D.C. I don't think you will notice a difference, at least I have
not.

There are some non-DC airports that have imposed stupid rules. For
example, Massachusetts has a rule where every airplane is supposed
to be locked/secured (e.g., proplock and/or chained to a tie-down).
At KBED, the entire airport is a stupid SIDA where everyone has to
be badged or escorted by a badged person (and it costs money
to get the badge and renew the badge).

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
What do they mean by "restrictions imposed since 9/11"? Unless you live
in D.C. I don't think you will notice a difference

Let's see, just as a small sampling of other issues...

Anyone who flies near a naval installation.
Anyone who flies near a sporting event.
Anyone who flies when the President or Vice President is in town.
Anyone who crosses the US border.
Anyone who wants to instruct.
Anyone who wants a new rating.

There are a number of new restrictions post-9/11, and most of them affect
everyone in the US, or a large portion of the flying population in the US.

[...] If anything post-9/11 makes private air travel more benefitial vs.
airlines. I don't think the VLJ market would be what it pre-9/11 when
execs would easily travel by airline.

The people paying for air charters do not have to concern themselves with
the additional restrictions. For them, all they notice is the
less-restrictive atmosphere for passengers.

Conversely, if you're an airline pilot the rules basically didn't change at
all, while air charter pilots have to suffer the same rule changes we all
do.

So whether things got easier or harder really depends on who you're looking
at. But for pilots not flying for the airlines, the answer is things are
harder and more restrictive.

Pete

Bob Noel wrote:
There are some non-DC airports that have imposed stupid rules. For
example, Massachusetts has a rule where every airplane is supposed
to be locked/secured (e.g., proplock and/or chained to a tie-down).
At KBED, the entire airport is a stupid SIDA where everyone has to
be badged or escorted by a badged person (and it costs money
to get the badge and renew the badge).

That is enough to get you to give up flying!! Having to put a lock on
your airplane! I suspect that if that's all it takes, you were never
much into aviation to start with.

-Robert

In article . com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

Bob Noel wrote:
There are some non-DC airports that have imposed stupid rules. For
example, Massachusetts has a rule where every airplane is supposed
to be locked/secured (e.g., proplock and/or chained to a tie-down).
At KBED, the entire airport is a stupid SIDA where everyone has to
be badged or escorted by a badged person (and it costs money
to get the badge and renew the badge).

That is enough to get you to give up flying!! Having to put a lock on
your airplane! I suspect that if that's all it takes, you were never
much into aviation to start with.

1) I haven't given up flying

2) There are more rules than just that useless proplock rule

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

I am still flying actively... While I can afford the gas it doesn't
mean I enjoy the bill... But sicne 9/11 there are airports I no longer
go to because of the 'new rulz'...

Used to go into Flint, Michigan KFNT, with friends and go to the coffee
shop for breakfast... But they are determined to become a big
jetport... Now there are all kinds of ramp hassles as you walk from GA
parking to the terminal and back... Rent-a-cops who think they own the
world... At one point the line boys had to come and escort the
rent-a-cop off the GA ramp after he followed me out to my plane,
yelling that I was under arrest... He was going to arrest everyone in
sight until one the line boys pulled out a cell phone and called the
police for an 'crazy man on the GA ramp making threats'... Anyway, it
got old and I haven't been there since...

At KMBS where I get my radio work done it is similar... You have to
have someone buzz you through the door... You are supposed to be
escorted everywhere out on the ramp... I was picking up an Aztec
after radio work and was confronted by a fella with an authority
complex... Demanded to see my badge... I politely told him I didn't
have one... He said that I had to come with him for a security check...
At that point I lost my patience, and while I am old and non
confrontational, occasionally the hard nosed 18 year old I used to be,
surfaces - he backed away in a hurry... I finished my preflight and
taxied out... I still go there but only if I have to...

It isn't any one rule that is killing GA, it is death by ten thousand
nicks...

denny