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This is my humble contribution to the blogging in formation series.
If you had one wish for aviation what would it be? Make it: safer, more mainstream, less expensive, more accessible, increasingly social, more desirable, etc.?
In a nutshell, my one wish would be to make it less expensive, of course many of your would agree, but indulge me in justifying my rationale.
If flying where less expensive or should I dare say, inexpensive, it will reform many of the issues we now face in aviation, particularly general aviation.
Safety first. In my opinion, the more expensive flying becomes, the less safe it will be, because no matter how we try to put safety first aviation businesses are here to make money. If the costs become unsustainable something will give.
It’s the same paradigm on a smaller scale for the recreational flyer. Escalating prices means less flight time, more deferred maintenance (face reality folks), and less upgrades that could enhance safety. All these things conspire to make the whole system less safe. At least up to the point where no one fly GA and that’s obviously safest, a concept that probably appeals to some bureaucrats.
What about accessibility? It seems like the government is working full-time to dismantle our ability to fly uninhibited. This too is influenced by costs. You see the more expensive flying becomes, the lower the value proposition and therefore our population continues to shrink. This yields less leverage to keep our freedoms. On the other hand if we grow and unite as a single political force, we are more likely to have more influence which translates into more access and fewer restrictions.
Desirability has always been there for those of use drawn to this industry. Making it less expensive just enhances our desire because flying is more attainable. It also takes those folks that might be on the fence and gets them into the cockpit where the magic happens.
The other potential wishes listed above will certainly come true if we solve this single problem of the expense of flying – it is truly the lynchpin to the whole thing.
So my one wish for aviation is to substantially cut down on the burdensome expense and sit back and watch it flourish.
I’m so passionate about this topic that several months ago I launched a new website called fixedwingbuddha.com that is completely dedicated to money-saving tips for pilots (GA). I invite you to go over there and check it out and let me know your thoughts. I’m particularly interested in any great money-saving ideas you could share with that audience. Remember we are all in this together.
INTRODUCTION
This week, six aviation bloggers will again join forces to provide a series of common posts. Think of us as “blogging in formation” (#blogformation) for the next six days. This month’s theme will be – IF WE HAD ONE WISH FOR AVIATION
You don’t want to miss this. Tune in to the specific blog listed below on the appropriate date and you’ll be glad you did.
And if you like what you see, share it with your friends! #blogformation
You can see the posts at:
The series runs from September 1st-6th, 2013.
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That IS the one positive aspect of these challenges: they force us to be more creative with our ever-dwindling resources (read: money).
Pilot proficiency is a serious problem right now, from what I’ve seen as a CFI, and higher costs don’t help us in that regard. Despite the improving quality of GA simulators — thanks, Redbird! — there’s still nothing that really simulates flying enough to prevent the erosion of important skills.
You are so right Ron! You are definitely in a position to know, as an active Instructor.
I always go back to electric flight, I think that has the potential of being a serious game changer.
Brent this is a great wish, and I know you are not alone. Such a passion and is being prohibited to so many. Let’s figure out how to turn back time and then make this happen. The we’re off to Washington to make it happen. Change can happen. This is one wish we should make a reality. Thank you so much for the link, and your site, for money saving tips.
Thanks Karlene! It does seem like there’s a groundswell of energy around this topic. AOPA and their flying club initiative, OpenAirplane, and others are really getting creative to make flying more affordable.
Brent