Abid,
Back in about 1995 I was sitting on the porch at an FBO with this really cool old geezer who had learned to fly back in the 30's. He told me about how in the 50's, everyone had Cubs and they flew all the time. The sky was filled with'em. Like fruit flies in the pattern. (No radios, BTW.) Then the Cub owners realized that they could go to Pancake breakasts farther away if they had a C-140. Then they could haul 4 people if they had a C-170. So, they Bought Cessna's. And upgraded. And then if they only had a Bonanza.... they could fly farther and faster. But they weren't fun to pull out on Sunday afternoon, they were big and heavy and expensive, so they tended to sit and wait for their owners to need them for a long trip. And with each upgrade the amount of flying pilots did became less and less, until eventually they forgot what brought them to aviation in the first place. The simple joy of flying around the local area with a cheap aircraft not burning much gas, easy to get in and out of the hangar by themselves, cheap to maintain.
And it was all brought about by SP. Back in 1995, the old Geezer knew SP was coming in 10 years or so, and that's why people gave up their Cubs and bought Bonanzas. LOL. Actually, what's funny, is listening to him was exactly like listening to the conversation on this list, except he didn't have SP to blame. It was just the natural evolution of things. Population groups change, interests change. Go to the HG list and you see the same laments. The same guys who were HGing in the 70's and are still alive are still doing it. Young people aren't coming in to fill in at the bottom. Personally, I'm wondering if the pioneering spirit dies when people can't be pioneers. Now instead of building a glider from PVC tubes and taped together garbage bags (yes, a 747 pilot I flew with did that with his brother.) kids want a "real HG", preferably a topless or a rigid, instead of working their way up, because the stuff is available. Part 103 is still available. "But I want a 912, Mommy. Please."
Yeah, it's all SP's fault. Sorry, our tastes change, and then we whine because we would be happier if we didn't have these shiny new options available.
Jim
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 10:11 PM
Subject: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: the Blame Game
Don't you think that may have a lot more to do with our 2008 and post depression Richard rather than SP?
Abid
--- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com< /A>, "Richard Williams" <rkwill@...> wrote:
>
> Herb,
>
> I think you have it all wrong.
>
> Ultralight IS going away because appropriate training is not available.
>
> Light Sport was the FAA way of reducing the hundreds/thousands of UL pilots
> flying around the sky.
>
> If you think I'm wrong, just look/count the number of active planes at most any
> local airport. Back when, the ULs (fat or otherwise) were getting together,
> doing things, going places. Now, many airports haven't seen a hanger open in
> years, and the number of pilots is falling like water through a sieve.
>
> A good example is my local airport, 39P.
> It used to have all hangers full and the planes active on most any day,
> especially the weekends. Now, most of the hangers are full of cobwebs and junk
> plane parts. Only two hangers have any regular activity. Mine and a hangglider
> towing operation.
>
> We have often spoken of 'hanger talk'. Now there is usually not two persons at
> the airport at any one time to talk.
>
> R. Williams
>
> ---------- Original Message -----------
> From: "herbkushner" <herbkushner@...>
> To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.co m
> Sent: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:22:36 -0000
> Subject: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: the Blame Game
>
> > Ultralight has NOT changed, and LIGHT SPORT isn't going away. Just the
> > opposite; it was put into effect to stop the cheating, and the FED
> > seems to like the result. STOP CRYING AND DEAL WITH IT!
> > (What a boring thread. Please, can we stop this nonsense and move on)
> > Herb K
> >
> > --- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.co m, "Rick Pitcher" <lightflyer@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.co m, James Ferris mijniljj@ wrote:
> > > >
> > > > It only had 65 and someone in the club flew it into a car at
> > First-Flight
> > > > airport.
> > > >
> > >
> > > I gotta ask... what altitude was the car at when they crashed? ;)
> > >
> ------- End of Original Message -------
>
__._,_.___
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