Its amazing how many of us overlook the true impediment to increasing the
use of private air transport - lack of demand.

An airplane could easily be priced at close to the cost of a car IF you
could sell just a million a year. The price of a G1000 with autopilot could
easily drop to under ten thousand at that volume.

The engines and frames could also easily be produced for under ten thousand
at that volume.

Unfortunately, the average citizen cannot be trusted to maintain his plane
well enough to keep it safe. Also, even if you make a redundant autopilot
system, the pilot has to be able to fly if it fails. Average guy just
cannot handle the responsibility. Therefore, he won't be buying a plane or
becoming a pilot.

Note, I did not say anything about the training, the complexity, or the
cost. I say we just cannot trust the average guy at the controls from
crashing due to poor decisions in the air or on the ground. For Pete's
sake, a large percentage of our drivers should not be on the road, and we
all know pilot's we worry about too.

And, the LIABILITY of the whole idea.

The air taxi idea, as well as the possibility of larger, nicer, more
available rental fleets could add to the volumes of aircraft in a positive
and useful way. Technology could one day get to the point that the plane is
in charge instead of the pilot, but that is not today. For now, it seems
the cattle car approach is best for those saving cash. If we are lucky, we
may be able to soon see where those willing to spend a little more can take
a taxi or charter, while those who are pilots can own or rent much more
cheaply.