TexasAviation
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2014
- Messages
- 214
- Display Name
Display name:
TexasAviation
There seems to be a fair amount of alarmism in the GA world. When I first Googled "general aviation forum" — which led me to this site — the post that popped up at the top was titled "Is General Aviation Dying in the USA?" (http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41566).
And I've continued to stumble across posts like this: "Is the bottom going to fall out of the used GA market?" (http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69166).
As I get ready to plunk down some money on training and eventually buy a plane within the next couple of years, I'm not too worried about that kind of talk. I know aviation has long gone through boom-and-bust cycles, and even though aging baby boomers are going to present a demographic challenge in GA — to put it mildly — there are always going to be people like me who see falling plane prices as an opportunity to buy, if that actually comes to pass.
I'm also not convinced that aviation has gotten too expensive. It's never been a hobby for broke people, but it's also never been a hobby exclusively for rich people. If you've got modest means and make the right decisions, you'll be able to find your way into flying at some point, even if the cost of entry continues to climb.
It's just a matter of priorities.
My great-grandfather, the story goes, came from a fairly well-off family. When he graduated from high school in the 1920s, his dad offered to buy him either a college education or an airplane. He picked the plane, which led to lots of adventures, an early career as a pilot and set the direction for the rest of his life. But even in a moderately wealthy family, he had to make a huge sacrifice to fly.
I also know planes have always been expensive to own and operate. No matter the price of fuel, planes burn a lot more of it than cars do. No matter the price of maintenance, planes need a lot more of it than cars do. And as the average transaction price of new cars has climbed over $30,000 lately, the fact that you can still buy a little Cessna to putter around in for that same price (or less) makes it seem like a small investment, even given the sometimes outrageous operating and maintenance costs involved.
Yes, aviation is expensive, but no, it's nowhere near end-of-the-world expensive. Not even close.
The bigger worry to me is that a lot of people my age (I'm in my early 30s) have made some monumentally stupid decisions with money that could prevent them from flying even if they wanted to. Many of my friends have gone into huge debt to earn college degrees in fields with a questionable monetary value; they borrow up to their eyeballs to buy the most expensive house they can afford; they borrow more to drive flashy new cars; they borrow still more for boats, motorcycles, jet skis, ATVs and similar toys; and some of them aren't saving much for retirement. Even with two incomes, I know a lot of these young families are struggling to pay all those bills, much less think about flying an airplane.
But ...
For people who make it a priority, it's still very much attainable. There might be some tough times ahead for GA — as there always have been historically — but it offers enough benefits and enjoyment that there will also always be people who are willing to pay the price to follow that dream.
And I've continued to stumble across posts like this: "Is the bottom going to fall out of the used GA market?" (http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69166).
As I get ready to plunk down some money on training and eventually buy a plane within the next couple of years, I'm not too worried about that kind of talk. I know aviation has long gone through boom-and-bust cycles, and even though aging baby boomers are going to present a demographic challenge in GA — to put it mildly — there are always going to be people like me who see falling plane prices as an opportunity to buy, if that actually comes to pass.
I'm also not convinced that aviation has gotten too expensive. It's never been a hobby for broke people, but it's also never been a hobby exclusively for rich people. If you've got modest means and make the right decisions, you'll be able to find your way into flying at some point, even if the cost of entry continues to climb.
It's just a matter of priorities.
My great-grandfather, the story goes, came from a fairly well-off family. When he graduated from high school in the 1920s, his dad offered to buy him either a college education or an airplane. He picked the plane, which led to lots of adventures, an early career as a pilot and set the direction for the rest of his life. But even in a moderately wealthy family, he had to make a huge sacrifice to fly.
I also know planes have always been expensive to own and operate. No matter the price of fuel, planes burn a lot more of it than cars do. No matter the price of maintenance, planes need a lot more of it than cars do. And as the average transaction price of new cars has climbed over $30,000 lately, the fact that you can still buy a little Cessna to putter around in for that same price (or less) makes it seem like a small investment, even given the sometimes outrageous operating and maintenance costs involved.
Yes, aviation is expensive, but no, it's nowhere near end-of-the-world expensive. Not even close.
The bigger worry to me is that a lot of people my age (I'm in my early 30s) have made some monumentally stupid decisions with money that could prevent them from flying even if they wanted to. Many of my friends have gone into huge debt to earn college degrees in fields with a questionable monetary value; they borrow up to their eyeballs to buy the most expensive house they can afford; they borrow more to drive flashy new cars; they borrow still more for boats, motorcycles, jet skis, ATVs and similar toys; and some of them aren't saving much for retirement. Even with two incomes, I know a lot of these young families are struggling to pay all those bills, much less think about flying an airplane.
But ...
For people who make it a priority, it's still very much attainable. There might be some tough times ahead for GA — as there always have been historically — but it offers enough benefits and enjoyment that there will also always be people who are willing to pay the price to follow that dream.
.