When I learned to fly in the mid 80s it was so cheap. A 152 cost as little as $35/hour. From memory, WACs, EASA, The Visual Flight Guide (remember that?) were free or next to nothing. It has become so expensive to fly now that it is prohibitive to a demographic that could once enjoy it.
Flying has also become quite complex - no FSOs to give you a tip or check the plan. In trying to simplify it, there's more classes of airspace and more rules - I couldn't even tell you the VFR distances from cloud, the CTAF required calls or the Class D procedures for my local airport. These things have changed so much and so often that I'm deterred from driving down to Jandakot to hire an aircraft. Then there's the expense....
However I've just realized that you may have part answered your own question Dick -
That's why we removed operational control by CAA and the secondary airports RFFS and full position VFR reporting . Allowed money to be spent by the industry where real safety could be improved.
And it has clearly worked. No one is calling for a reversal of those reforms .