And their Head of Training was a DPE…
Is that bad?
Peter wrote:
Is that bad?
On the contrary. It made everything very smooth. She also issued my 61.75.
172driver wrote:
PS: if you go further afield, away from the coastal metroplexes, prices drop dramatically. A friend of mine recently moved temporarily to Idaho and rents a C182 for $85/hour. Wet.
That’s a massive outlier. Even in the late 90s (we had an early C182 in our club from about 1999 to 2001) it cost that much to rent a C182 where I lived (in Texas, at that time) in a non-profit club. Our club S35 Bonanza in 2000 was $100 wet.
Dan wrote:
Well, in my experience, low priced US rentals tend, or used to be, in sorry state.
I could not agree more. Often when an aircraft is added to a rental fleet it’s in pretty good shape, but after a while, to maintain that $85/hour wet rental rate, corners are cut. My experience is mainly limited to the Austin area, so things might be better in other places. I have rented some gems, like an almost new Decathlon in Georgetown, but mostly aircraft that were “solid”, but far from luxurious.
We would solve many problems if flying was more social and welcoming.
I had a chat with my aeroclub president (he is about 25 and still a student pilot). The 2022 subscriptions are extremely low.
I told him the challenges to GA are :
A labour and cost-intensive hobby like flying, which do not bring the social aspects of boating/scuba diving, has little to offer to the young. But many people don’t look for a new social scene either.
I have several male friends, with good wages, about 30, single, who don’t go out much, seldom mix with people apart from work (when they don’t work at home). Perfect candidates for flying.
Their life is work+TV+social media or video games + keeping in touch with a few friends
I don’t know how they don’t get crazy.
That’s what the digital stuff brought to us : empty lives. People literally wasting their lives because doing something is more work than sitting in your sofa.
I just checked a few US airports. Avgas prices barely increased.
I don’t get it.
Or maybe this is a reason among others :
BTW, Avgas took a 22 cents increase in TICPE (fuel tax) in France between 2020 and 2022.
Total 100LL cost on December 1 2020 : 1,72€/L including TICPE 45ct/L
Total 100LL cost on March 11 2022 : 2,79€/L including TICPE 67ct/L
Yep, people are changing, the world we live in as well.
On a smaller scale, a reflection of GA as hobby can be found in model flying aka RC. I belong to small club 10 minutes drive from my place. The field has nice real runway, a pergola with BBQ place, benches, big tables, etc.
Out of the 50 members, 5 are < 20 years of age, another 5 below 50, but the rest is 60+ 😵💫
We usually get 1-2 youngsters a year. Most learn quick, also thanks to sim practice. They usually stay a year or so as club member, then enter puberty to be never seen again…
As in GA, the hobby requires many a sacrifice, and for most the rewards just aren’t enough.
Another threat to GA, which I already mentioned here, is the proliferation of UAVs and all kind of military/postal/police/etc drones. Those will start taking away chunks of mainly VFR airspace away. As of last night, I partly watched a presentation of the coming airspace structure around my place… more and more restrictions, disappearing airspace. Yes, that will also be a major hurdle for GA‘s survival around EU…
I cannot remember a time ever when RC model clubs weren’t dominated by older people. My dad (at 93) has just been made a member for life at his RC club, that’s the way they soften the blow of removing his right to fly more complex models at the club due to glacially slow reflexes. It isn’t easy getting old, except for not working 
@Jujupilote, I totally agree about people wasting their lives on the couch etc, but while the trend might be stronger today, it’s always been there. The average person married earlier 50 years ago, had more children and didn’t get out of the house until at least their mid-40s to early 50s. Then they often died earlier due to marginal (by today’s standard) healthcare. In between they bought a C172 and flew a bit.
Silvaire wrote:
The average person married earlier 50 years ago, had more children and didn’t get out of the house until at least their mid-40s to early 50s.
I agree. But at least they had a good reason for it, lacking the time and money to do much else !
People I think of have the time, money, knowledge and intellect to participate in so many ways to the society, and mix with people from different backgrounds in doing so.
But they don’t.
I have a nephew a bit like that in Germany, although he also drinks and that is activity of a sort 
. The negativity of his surroundings motivates him and others to do almost nothing, as nothing is the most socially acceptable option in his world. He’s an engineer and does work, 30 hrs/week or something, which is better than nothing.
