Except I don't see where "its been around for a while" since there is zero FAA guidance on VARMA. But the minute they do issue that guidance I have about a dozen items I will send to them for FAA approval. The way VARMA is supposedly written, the ACO will approve the item for installation which is no different than a PMA part. But without formal guidance its no more than a wish list from the EAA. Can't see where any A&P would not install it with an FAA approval on the part?
Not arguing. Can you clarify which regs have come into play since the 1970’s to make this a factor? That is, what specifically has changed in the regs since then to make this a significant factor in aviation participation?
There is a very healthy avgas-burning GA community in Florida. I’m in a group that has a weekly flyout with almost always more than 50 planes showing up, and several fly-ins with well in excess of 100 aircraft. The airport restaurants seem plenty busy. The A&Ps are busy and keeping their schedules full. I see a steady flow of small planes going over in all directions every day.
Having trouble aligning that one. The quote was regarding overall median income and aircraft costs between two different time periods. “Amongst who you know” is not a relevant comparative measure. The median US income is around $48,000 for all workers, $60,000 for full-time workers, and around $80,000 for households.
The problem is they don’t have to even change the regs for it to be an issue. This is the fundamental problem with the “agencies” of the federal government, they are truly judge, jury, and executioner on all their own regulations. They don’t want to keep writing field approvals for some random thing? They just won’t, even if there is no supporting legislation or regulation. They don’t reeeeally want to certify that new aircraft or engine design? Well… they just won’t. They don’t really feel like approving that new unleaded gas or expediting its review or even working together to get something done quickly even though the alternative is just to let the eco-lobby litigate GA out of existence? Well, no bother. It goes on and on and on and on and on, and yes, I am steamed about it because I have experienced their malfeasance personally. You said 70s, but all of Part 23, as an example - the entire corpus of design standards - was implemented in the late 60s, I believe, so there’s a giant rewrite of regulation if I must point to something but there’s plenty more, and in reality, it doesn’t matter because it doesn’t even have to be about actual regulations. With Chevron overturned, there is new hope for at least the judge, jury, and executioner problem, but plenty of issues still remain and it’s not like the average civilian GA pilot has the pocketbook to take on the government anyway.