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From: ths@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Fly vs. Drive
Message-ID: <20095@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 23-Jan-85 18:05:33 EST
Article-I.D.: lanl.20095
Posted: Wed Jan 23 18:05:33 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 27-Jan-85 07:37:12 EST
Sender: newsreader@lanl.ARPA
Distribution: net
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 28

OK Doug, I think I know what you are "driving" at.  If I didn't "love" to
fly I would not consider using general aviation as transportation.  The
main reason I think, is that it takes a considerable effort to get
certificated (not to mention the cost) and to get ones skills to the point
that you CAN reliably use it for transportation.

A perfect example of this occured with a young man I know.  He heard all the
hype about flying being good transportation and decided to get his license.
At about the time he was finishing he made the comment that if he had
known it was going to involve so much of his time (and money) he wouldn't
have started.

He got his license and took a few trips but soon realized that to
use GA reliably he would need an instrument rating. He also noted
that he had to "refresh" his knowledge and stay current. To make a
long story short - he gave up flying less than a year from getting his
license. For him, flying wasn't fun and it took too much effort to stay
"safe". Flying was not like driving.

P.S. He doesn't like driving either but it provides transportation
that doesn't require constant study or practice. Automobiles "dribble" the
money out of your pocket in a constant thin stream instead of periodic
gushers that are soooo noticable with aviation.

Wichita is experiencing what Detroit went through. You can only sell a
mediocre product at an outragous price for just so long. Even though
there is a "sucker born every minute" its going to take a few years before
the next generation of "suckers" can afford the current prices.