Several thoughts:
1. GA IS expensive, right out of the gate, and the training takes a big commitment of time AND money. Many people think they can't afford it, ignoring the fact that they can afford all sorts of things that are as expensive as flying lessons- cruises, vacation condos, nice new luxury car with all bells and whistles, golf, boat, club memberships, handsome clothes, the latest and greatest computer/phone/video gadgetry. Individually they may not cost as much, but they do add up to a lot of money over the course of a year. Life's all about choices, but people forget that they can choose to drive a clunker, have less fancy logos on their shirts, stop at one beer, eat out less often, make do with a smaller TV, less cable... (insert your favorite economy here.)
2. GA is dangerous, and pilots are irresponsible lunatics. What, don't you even read your daily paper, or tune in the evening news? I explain to people my view- that with good training and good maintenance, regular brush-ups, and conservative decisions, it doesn't feel all that dangerous. And besides, there are fewer drunks texting on their cell phones, disciplining their kids, fighting with their spouses, and hurtling toward me at a closure rate of 140 mph up there in the sky.
3. We need a much harder look at our training syllabi and CFI standards. Too many people get discouraged by the haphazard lesson plans, the difficulty of scheduling both aircraft and instructor to fly on a regular basis, the sometimes scarily shoddy maintenance, and the boring routines, unrelieved by fun- like landings at unfamiliar airports, $100 burgers after an hour of airwork, flying in suboptimal weather to learn how to deal with it.
4. What the nonflying public is missing most of all is what GA sold so effectively in the '50s and '60s- FREEDOM! Glorious slipping of surly bonds, and all that, was a real attainable goal, and aircraft manufacturers, tv series, movies, airshows, and more, really made it feel as if there was something wonderful up there they realistically could be a part of. I've seen the old magazine ads in family publications showing mom, dad, Junior and Suzie all walking from their family Cessna as casually as from their Ford station wagon. where are those ads now? They sold more than Cessnas. They sold a dream, an attainable goal.
We could sell that concept today- it's still true. Yes, we have more complex airspace, but I can still hop in my Mooney tomorrow morning on the east coast, and be more than halfway to the Pacific Ocean before dark, without saying a word to anybody. On the other hand, I have complete coverage, coast to coast, of competent people on the ground whose job it is to look out for me. Even in my 31-year old airplane, my weather information and navigational devices are unimaginably far ahead of what we had in the 60s. My shoes stay on my feet unless I'd rather fly barefoot, my bags arrive when I do, with whatever size shampoo I want to bring, I can stop just about anywhere I like, or take an extra turn around a famous landmark for a closer look, I can jump in my bird and go see my grandkids tomorrow morning, just because I want to. And I always have a window seat.
Why aren't we selling that?
It's great to introduce kids to airplanes- there's hardly anything more fun than seeing the look of wonder on a kid's face, her excited boast that SHE flew the airplane all by herself- except for her feet, but I'm not convinced that thrill brings many teenagers to a flight school.
We really need to do a better job of selling the dream, the practicality of flexible transportation, and the freedom offered by GA to adults, people who have the time, the money, and most of all, the motivation to make the time to get through the training in a practical and organized fashion. They're out there. We just need to reach them.
