FB11
I personally think that dwindling GA is mainly down to costs (hire/purchase, running costs, insurance, fuel, maintenance, increased legislation, etc), lack of airfields due to land prices and NIMBYs, UK WEATHER!, in a lot of cases having to rely on booking club aircraft, the 'it's dangerous' factor, and, probably, time pressures due to work and family. Can you explain how Red Bull can help with these?
Red Bull is great to watch, I'm positive the pilots are 100% competent and it is great promotion for pilots to climb up to aerobatic flying and for people to go and watch aerobatic competitions, but promotion for GA as a whole? I personally don't think so. It's like saying Formula 1 and BTCC is good promotion for people to learn to drive.
Equally the 'non too safe manoeuvres' are flown by pilots who, surprisingly, are very well qualified to fly them and they are very safely flown when compared to someone with, say, a 45 hour PPL.
Noisy? Yep. polluting? I guess (compared to a diesel VW Polo.) Dangerous? The highly skilled pilots would agree to an element of risk but know their aircraft and their limits sufficient to mitigate low level aerobatic risk.
Ok, which is it? You agree or you don't?
If it was 100% safe it would not be considered spectacular and awe inspiring and it would not draw the crowds. Please note I did not use the word 'dangerous', if it was 'dangerous' I'm sure it would not be allowed to take place.
Oh, and it's 6-7 gallons an hour leaned!
