I spent my Saturday productively, standing at the front of the Eickhoff Conference Room at SUN ‘n FUN, leading a donut and coffee fueled group of Rusty Pilots back through the intricacies of airspace, weather reports, and right of way rules. It was great. We spent three hours together laughing, learning, and sharing a few personal stories that gave context to the art and science of flying in the general aviation environment.
Near the end of the formal presentation, a very attentive fellow near the back of the room asked a great question. “Do we know why so many people have fallen away from flying?” he asked.
In a space full of Rusty Pilots, the answer to his question was of great interest. So we discussed that concern for a bit, but as I so often do, I took an unexpected turn onto a less traveled intellectual dirt road.
And while I won’t quote the entire conversation as it took place, I’ll share the high points with you. Points that were well received, I’m happy to say.
While it is interesting to delve into the reasons why pilots fall out of currency, sometimes for decades, knowing the answer to that question is not particularly productive to the average man or woman in the street.
Because there are as many reasons as there are pilots who are no longer current. For some it comes down to family obligations. That happened to me when my children were small. It was frustrating initially, but family is more important than anything else at times. So like many others, I fell out of flying and got a bit rusty. It took a few years to find my way back.
It happens.
For others the challenge is financial. That’s a common complaint, and one I can understand. It may be a health issue that knocks someone out of the cockpit. Or perhaps an active general aviation pilot is offered the career opportunity of a lifetime — a thousand miles away from home. They take the job and throw themselves into it. They may intend to get current soon, but they don’t know anyone in town, and they’ve got no idea which airport is their best choice or which FBO or flying club would be the best fit for their kind of flying, and so they drift away from currency little by little. Then one day they turn around and realize they haven’t flown in years.
That happens too.
An acquaintance from my flight school days did very well in aviation. After graduation she instructed for the school we attended, then went on to the airlines. Her career was on an undeniable upward trajectory. Today she’s a full-time housewife with four young children in the house. She longs to get back into the cockpit and enjoy general aviation again. For her, and for so many others, why she fell away from currency is of little importance. Her concern is the more productive question: How does she get current again?
The Rusty Pilot seminars are one great starting point. There’s no judgement or booby prize for being the rustiest pilot in the room. Nobody cares about that. Frankly, we can all learn from each other, and that’s the exact point of the process. We spend three hours together, the seminar attendees and I, and by the time we saunter out of that room, they’re on their way back to being a current pilot and I’m feeling pretty darned good about how I spent my morning.
Of course I’m not the only one conducting Rusty Pilot seminars. Kay Sundaram is doing them in Southern California. Mark Grady does a bang-up job of presenting them every time I see him, and I’ve seen him put on quite a show at fly-ins near and far. He’s funny, packs the time full of entertaining anecdotes, and still leaves his audience with solid information they can really use in the cockpit, as well as during the planning stage of their in-flight adventures.
The magic of the Rusty Pilot presentation isn’t all about the presenter, however. As amazing as we all are (and yes, we’re pretty darned amazing) the attendees can be just as interesting. They might even have a direct impact on how you get back into the cockpit more quickly, and cost-effectively.
As I completed a Rusty Pilot seminar in Gainesville, Florida, at University Air Center, one of the attendees raised his hand and announced to those in the room that he’d like to enter into a partnership and become part owner of an airplane. He invited anyone who was interested to get with him after the class wrapped up.
I love that kind of initiative.
This past Saturday one of the young women in the room confided that she was a bit frustrated that she was having so much trouble getting current again. “There just aren’t any airplanes to rent at ___________,” she said [airport name intentionally omitted to prevent undue embarrassment to an airport manager who is undoubtedly trying to attract a good flight school to the field].
“Well,” I replied. “Have you ever considered joining a flying club?”
“There isn’t one,” she shrugged.
“Would you be interested in starting one?” I asked. “I’d be happy to help you if you want to go that route.”
He eyes brightened up a bit and a smile crept across her face. The conversation continues.
Sometimes, it’s best to forget the why, so you can focus on the how. That’s where progress can often be found.
In March I attended a Rusty Pilot Seminar after ten years of inactivity in flying. It was informative, entertaining and inspirational – roughly 100 people in attendance. The seminar was the first step in getting back into flying, and I passed my BFR three months later.
There’s a series of commercials that say “Just do it”. The key to accomplishing anything, after planning, is putting one foot in front of the other and continue until you reach your goal.
Personal GA faces many challenges these days, including cost and affordability. But Icon, which is marketing a rich man’s toy, has over 1,000 orders, and the high-end Cirrus sold over 300 planes in 2014, nearly twice Cessna’s comparable output. It seems that most of the manufacturers are aiming for the high-end market, including the mini-luxury LSAs.It’s true that the middle-class is strained these days, but the people on top aren’t. (And they’re the ones who bought the Bonanzas and Barons back in the old days.)
But we clearly need lower-cost alternatives, including low-cost airframes, cost-effective instruction, and low operating costs through clubs or efficient operations.
But GA also needs more marketing and excitement, especially aimed at younger potential pilots. A video of a C152 in straight-and-level flight with a voiceover about business flying, isn’t going to stir the imaginations of the GoPro generation. Sell the pleasures of the flying experience to get them hooked.
I have been flying since 1973. I too was a rusty pilot in the 1990s. In 2010 I became a CFI and 2011 a CFII ASE
I really enjoy presenting the RUSTY PILOT SEMINAR. There is some great feedback and comments from the audience.
What I see as important to getting the rusty guys flying (and new people too) is to create a friendly social situation that people are attracted to.
It you make it fun, they will come.
Bob
Jamie:
Pollyanna as usual …. not that such an approach is bad. Everybody is ignoring the elephants in the room. The largest of which is $$$$$MONEY$$$$$$. What is left of the middle class simply doesn’t have the cash to support a flying virus. We talk our way around it, but it is the reality of the thing. Every time an ‘affordable’ design is announced, by the time it reaches the consumer it is $100,000 instead of the $23,000 promised. Face it you need a six digit net income to support an airplane, house, car, college education for the kids …… Until the average wage earner can afford to fly, the general aviation market (less the corporate considerations) will continue to decline. More and more community airports will close, because city/county budgets cannot afford them. The general aviation fleet will continue to age and fewer aircraft will be available to rent or buy. At one time Jamie, you and I got to log flight time as aviation journalists, in essence we flew a desk with benefits. Heck there aren’t even as many opportunities in the publication world as there were. Not everybody can be an AOPA designated rep.
As always, I enjoy reading your articles. I guess they don’t call me Captain Crab for nothing. Hang in there old friend …… Vernon “Curmudgeon” Barr, Rusty Pilot and elderly wordsmith.
It’s great to know you’re still out there, Vernon – even when you disagree with me. I remain a long-time fan and have always enjoyed our interactions.
While I agree that money is an issue (as it is in every aspect of life), I haven’t found it to be the deciding factor. There are ways. After years of wishing I owned an airplane, I bit the bullet and bought one. A week later, I bought another. My C-150 cost me roughly what my daughters used car cost. My C-172 cost me less than a new Ford 150. My trade-off is simple. I drive a ten year old car that I like. It’s got some miles on it, but it’s solid. Good maintenance takes care of that, just as it has kept the airplanes in good stead all these years.
One airplane is leased to a flying club, which allows a bunch of people who can’t afford to rent, or choose not to buy, to have access to the sky and some good friendships for a fraction of what it would cost them otherwise. In our club you can log PIC time for as little as $47 per hour. That ain’t peanuts, but it isn’t going to break most banks, either.
The world is changing, Vernon, as it always has. Aviation is changing with it. We can adapt and achieve, or reminisce and be left behind. If I may be so bold as to offer a recommendation, think bigger, consider the industry in a different light. Join a club, invest in a partnership. Do something different. In the long run you just may find a much more fulfilling aviation experience, and keep a few dollars in your wallet to boot.
Be well old buddy. Miss you.
As long as the Federation to Abolish Aviation has it’s way there will never be an “affordable” airplane.
The gov’t has co-oped the FAA to be at the beck and call of the airlines.
Can you imagine how many airplanes and pilots would be flying if it weren’t for the ridiculous demands of the FAA?
Imagine Harley Davidson trying to sell motorcycles if they had to go through the same nonsense.