Taking a bit of direct action may not be a bad idea (I'll let you know in a few days).
Hearing this thread in the back of my mind, I was reading a front-page story in the Bournemouth Echo about the Yak-52 crash there earlier this week. The story was surprisingly well informed, balanced, and factual - nothing about flight plans ("And he didn't even file one!"), nearby schools and hospitals in imminent danger, or daredevil pilots. The writer obivously talked to (and LISTENED TO) the CAA rep on site, local cops and fire dept, airfield manager, and printed a comprehensive account about what was known at the time and what the investigation by the AAIB would be all about.
Wanting to reward good behaviour and a job well done, I dropped the author an e-mail last night to say thank you and congratulate her (him?) on the story. Based on the response I get, we may take the educational opportunity further by inviting to the airfield, talking about GA and our world, and going for a flight. OK, it's only one local journalist, but you've got to start somewhere.
It's a combination of both the public and the media being ignorant and unfamiliar with GA that causes our problem. They don't know anything about us or our community/methods/training, etc, so they make assumptions. We become compalcent with the familiar. Everyone drives cars so accidents on the M25 don't make the news. Any little mishap with an airplane, regardless of outcome, gets splashed on the front page because the public think, and the media encourage, that it's all incredibly dangerous and dodgy. The goal should be for the public and media to be as educated and complacent about us as they are their own cars. then we might start to see some relief from the NIMBYs and other activists who would like to see us banished from the skies.
This kind of thing could be worthy of an AOPA or PFA campaign. While we're doing the media and educating them as to how simple/safe/self-controlled aviation is, maybe would could do the same with the CAA/EASA and get them off our backs as well.
Pitts2112