Yeah I agree. I helped out at a flying school once, and what a con it was too.
The deal was you scrub dishes for 8 hours a day. After four shifts you get half an hour flying lesson. Absolute rip off. I left after a day when I spoke to someone and asked how many lessons they had had. They said two. Yet they had been their two months already with one shift a weekend. It's just a way to lure you in to catch the flying bug, then you pay for lessons to get your licence quicker.
As a young person going there, the least I can say is that it was appealing.
As I drove up the driveway, it was full of pot holes. I drove past a rusty hangar and eventually parked up in the uneven car park. In pride of place in the grass parking area was a plane similar to a Beech King Air (can't remember exactly what it was) but it looked like it was from the 1960's. All of the planes were tatty and there wasn't a newish plane in sight.
I walked in the cafe and told them I was here to enquire about the volunteer scheme. The lady at the bar then said OK and said "I'll get you a drink and if you would like to sit their and wait for someone to come out". Great I thought, told her a drink I would like, then she asked me to pay!!! The way she said it made it sound like it was 'on the house' as I was a potential volunteer.
Then she potters over and asks me why I am here again. I tell her I am here for the volunteering scheme and she says she thought I was here for an interview for a job vacancy they had.
The then ushers me into the members room to speak to the manager about it. Met the manager who was colder than the ice in my drink, and told her I had emailed before hand. Told her my name and she said 'Oh I don't remember you'. Uhm thanks.
She explained the rip off scheme and I thought i'd give it a go anyway.
Was terrible. No one really welcomed me, and after the first day I was only allowed to text the kitchen manager to say whether I'd like to continue or not!!!
The only guys who made me feel welcome were the pilots, who were probably about 10 years or so older than me. The cafe was also full of old people.
I can say on behalf of the young population of the UK, a flying school is NOT where you want to spend your free time. You'd feel more at home in a care home watching people waiting to die.
Obviously this is just my experience, but GA doesn't fit in with the high profile pilot image that is thrust upon you as a child. If it was a bit cheaper and not so risky, i'd set up a flight school tomorrow purely for the younger population and get GA back on the radar of young people today!