The CAA could have forcefully modernised things, but they would have come up against the only lobby which they listen to: the flying schools. Collectively, these don't give a damn about flying; their job is to collect £5k-£10k from every punter. The last thing they want to do is spend money on nice planes, teaching navigation with nice shiny GPS units which tell the pilot exactly where he is. Anyway, the CAA GA Dept is a bunch of retired RAF navigators who wouldn't see the problem if it poked them in the eye.
Not sure about that one! We evil and heartless flying school people really don't have as great a voice as you may think and actually for most of us, we'd absolutely love to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on new a/c. The problem is where to get the finance or backing.
I know for a fact that most investment bods hear the word 'aviation' and run away screaming! It doesn't help that for almost 20 years there was virtually no new a/c being produced, due totally to the fact that PPL's were killing themselves and their families were trying to blame the manufacturers despite it invariably being pilot error.
We don't teach students using GPS since it rightly isn't in the syllabus. I'm quite happy to teach it after licence issue (in fact I'm just organising an evening talk all about GPS and other modern aids for all our members.) but there is no way I would let any student use GPS on nav ex's. The basic principles MUST be learnt first of all.
Your example about Spain, Greece and Italy isn't quite accurate. There are many socio-economic reasons for why there isn't much GA. Greece is not a particularily rich country nor was Spain 20 years ago, Italy does have some GA, not an enormous amount, but it isn't a barren desert, None have the long tradition of GA flying that we have in this country.
Always laying the blame for the state of GA at flying schools is a tired and inaccurate argument. I know for a fact that we are actively trying to push everything forward. I certainly use some of the criticisms heard on here and try to find ways making sure that our members can't have the same thoughts.
I actually think that the potential death of AVGAS will in the long term be a good thing. We have for too long been stuck with aged and decrepit pieces of tat and only now are we starting to see some real alternatives coming onto the market. I have flown a number of AVTUR powered light a/c and hopefully will be getting one soon, finally it is starting to make economic sense to spend the money on new machines, before it would have been financial suicide and don't forget most schools aren't run for altruistic reasons, but as a business that makes money.
If you want things to change, do something about it, don't just blame flying schools many of whom are trying to make things better.