Why doesn't the FAA want GA to become more mainstream?

Wade

New member
Hello,

Just started my journey on becoming a Private Pilot and have been researching training options, planes, maintenance, costs, etc.

As a rookie my first impression is the FAA wants to make it as difficult as possible to become a pilot and own a airplane. What is the reasoning behind not opening up GA to aftermarket companies and let the free market drive the economy and technology of aviation? With all the FAA regs. it forces people to fly 1950's technology and try to keep these old dinosaurs in the air. All while saying they are here to make aviation as safe as possible. It is just crazy to me we are forced to utilize magnetos, carbs, and aircooled cylinders in this day and age unless you have 300k disposable income laying around.

It seems to me if they didn't make the homologation process so expensive and difficult we would have cheaper more reliable electronic ignitions, fuel injection, serpentine belts, even much less expensive and reliable water cooled modern diesel or higher compression long stroke industrial style overhead cam variable valve timing gas engines etc.

I realize they gave us the experimental side for sport pilots but for some reason the costs are the same or actually more expensive than certified aircraft when you look at a 4 seat 1300 to 1500lb payload aircraft and I am not sure why that is.
 
JGoodish said:
The reality is that "safety" is a red herring in this argument, because if the consumer wants to take the risk, in a free market that choice should be left up to them.
JKG
And how dangerous to the general public are GA crashes in any case? What is the actual likelihood of a person on the ground being killed or injured by a GA crash?

It strikes me as a very improbable event which is used as a scary story to justify a bunch of government bureaucracy - like many other items the government does "for our safety"
 
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