Declining Pilot Population

[Flavius Renatus]

Hi Everyone,

I have been a lurker for a long time and finally decided to post something.

There has been a lot of discussion lately form the various groups about the declining GA Pilot Populations. There are a thousand different reasons why and they have all put hashed to death on the various boards so I don't want to go over everything again.

I want to offer an idea, maybe not a solution, but something that I think might help bring new people to our sport.

First, a little back ground, I am 43 yrs old and discovered flying about 4 years ago. I fly mainly for fun (taking the family on regional trips, to breakfast, lunch, etc.) and a small bit for business. Flying is my only real hobby, I enjoy is a great deal, and don't want to see it disappear or become so expensive (due to small numbers of people involved) that only the super rich can afford it. I fly about 50-60 hrs a year and own a 1969 Cessna 172.

I got into flying because I ran into an old friend who has a 1950's Cessna 170 hangered at our local grass field. I have known this guy for years but never new he was a pilot until I saw an AOPA sticker on his car and asked him what it was. We then started talking about flying and how he learned, where he flew, etc. and in the end, since I was interested, he offered to take me up.

From that point I was hooked.

In the beginning I had a thousand questions. I had no idea where to get lessons, if there were local rentals, or clubs..I did not even know that such a think as a flying club existed that made flying very affordable. The local Mid-sized airport looks like a fortress and I did not know where to go.

One of the things I noticed is that most pilots do not advertise the are pilots..I know the jokes about trying to pick up girls by telling then you are a pilots, and the jokes about guys telling everyone that they are but in reality I think a lot of us do not mention we are Pilots because of the stigma placed on our hobby by certain political leaders over the last couple of decades (say since the late 1980's), leaders who wish to incite some kind of "class" divide. I think it make us (even inadvertently) back away from mentioning what we enjoy doing.

I want to stop that behavior. There is nothing shameful is what we do, anyone who owns a boat, or races cars, or owns a horse can understand our passion because they spend a lot of money on theirs. We need to stop hiding and feeling maybe a little embarrassed. I think we need to promote GA.

Maybe one way to stop the loss of GA Pilots is for us (the common GA Pilot) to become better recruiters. AOPA has tried, the EAA has tried (and been more successful in my option) but they are organizations, not people and cannot seem to get the job done (not for a lack of trying).

Maybe we should advertise the fact that we are Airman, I am not saying by walking around and blabbing about GA, but something like wearing a Lapel pin or a Ball Cap, or a Polo shirt with some kind of Logo. And we as Pilots buy these items and agree that when we wear these items, it is OK for people to ask us about Flying. The local guys are the ones that know were you can go to learn to fly, what there is to do locally, who the instructors are, where the clubs are based, if there are any rentals, etc. The local guys can help locally.

Then the AOPA's and EAA of the world can advertise what the logo means and tell young men and woman that it is OK, if they have questions to ask someone wearing the pin and that person will be happy to talk to them about flying.

We as GA Pilots, need to be good salesmen and saleswoman for our hobby and if you don't feel like talking to people, don't wear the Airman's pin or what ever it is and people will never know.

I would enjoy knowing if someone is a pilot, it gives an immediate connection.

I think someone told me we are less then 2% of the population and that number will get smaller, maybe this will help slow the decline.

Thanks for reading sorry for the spelling and grammar, they have never been my strong points.

Any other ideas?

Flav

 

[Jim Logajan]

4. Flying is fun however the destinations are just airplane parking lots unless you intend to rent a car or take a cab somewhere far away from the airport. It almost defeats the purpose of going anywhere. What is there to do at an airport or within walking distance of a typical GA airport?

Perhaps this is why the number of rotor-wing only pilots has doubled in the last ten years. Fixed wing aircraft generally only get you from one airfield to another airfield.

 

[Jim Logajan]

The age of the pilots is - well - old - and what is strange is that there is no "middle". There is me (I'm 33) and then there is them. Where are all the people in their 30's and 40's? All the pilots I see (most of them) are late 50's and up.

According to the FAA's way of counting, about 30% of the private pilots you meet should be under the age of 40. About 45% of the commercial pilots you meet should be under the age of 40. And half or more of either group should be under age 50.

That assumes you meet them at random, which is not going to be the case. One speculation for your observations: Younger pilots are probably busy with work and family and don't get to the kinds of events you get to, while older pilots may be in full or partial retirement and have the spare time to attend such events.

Age stats from the FAA for the last two years (unknown methodology; the number of pilots under 40 might be overstated if current medicals are weighted too heavily):

[EDIT: Added stats from 1999 to get a longer range perspective on any shifts in age.]

 

[Jim Logajan]

The FAA's stats don't break out all the offshore students who come here and get tickets.. That alone would skew the figures...

Those stats are available in the following table. Of the 617k active pilots of all types, 45k are foreign. Of 212k private pilots, 9.4k are foreign. Not a large skew. There is one CFI and one student pilot in the Federated States of Micronesia, which seems to be in some sort of compact with the U.S. which I think must be why it is listed iin the FAA western region.

http://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/civil_airmen_statistics/2011/media/Air05-2011.xls

 

[Jim Logajan]

Why don't we see TV commercials promoting GA?

You mean like this one?

 

[Jim Logajan]

Personally, I would like to know the fatality rate of boating as an activity, both vehicle impact and drowning combined, versus general aviation fatalities.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics is the most likely place you would find data allowing you to estimate such rates (assuming they haven't already done that):

http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/