Who can afford it?
We all get irritated by the general assumption that all private pilots are millionaires, but given the current price of fuel I suspect the average man in the street is less likely to frequent their local flying club than we like to think.
It isn't so much a case of being able to afford the occasional hour, as being able to enjoy it without thinking of what else the money could have bought.
Ignoring those who use aircraft for business, heading for an aviation career, or who really are rich by anyones standards, just how well off is the average Cessna hirer or Cherokee group member?
Do we really get many people on less than £30k/year? Or even £40k which is roughly 90% of the population. I'm beginning to think the average income for PPL holders must be approaching £100k/year.