I'm under 40 (for a few weeks :eek:) , started flying at 30, have no kids (no wish to either at the mo), the wife bought me a share - I wanted a Brietling so she bought me one, just not the type that goes on the wrist :D, and we also go to the USA several times per year for some real flying adventures in something new.

I'd like a hard core IFR tourer in the UK but frankly that isn't going to happen anytime soon unless I win the lottery and / or GA in Europe becomes more like the USA. I also don't have any debt caused by flying, and all my licences and ratings are paid for - one of the advantages of getting older. The only way a 17 yo is going to learn to fly is if their parents pay for it. I really couldn't afford to fly until I hit 30 and had a pretty decent job making decent money.

Very true, though him having loads of unlogged flight time, and then going off to the USA to get his JAA PPL, is going to help no end :)

One can do a fair bit of flying on not much of an income IF one lives in a very simple fashion - no family, no boozing, no "accidents" ;)

Wonder if this is another one of those problems that is particular to UK GA flying?

Where I fly (Sweden), most people who start their PPL training in a flying club are in the 30 - 40 year bracket, since few will afford it before that... There are older beginners as well, but they are in a minority (they tend to go to soaring or ultralights instead). The younger ones tend to be the most active, so the people I come across at the club are generally in the 30 - 60 bracket; at 36 I'm rarely the youngest. Our flying school has been swamped with new students, signing up faster than we can train them, and it's been that way for several years.

"GA in Europe" is not the same as "GA in the UK"...

Well, out of the 8 or so people I did my PPL at Ormond a couple of years back (all under 30), I'm the only one who flies now (but now over 30).

The rest are too busy/not interested/can't afford it.

I imagine there's a strong "get the ticket" goal for younger people starting out, but once the realities of cost, maintenance of the licence, medical and availability if not in a group coupled with the UK weather, it's more trouble than it's worth.

(The general unhelpful attitude towards GA at the UK's international spaceports doesn't help either.)

One of my colleagues qualifies for a sabbatical soon, and he mentioned to me over lunch the other day that he is thinking of 'getting a pilot's license' during the sabbatical. We discussed his options but he began to look concerned when I pointed out it was merely the first step, not a goal in itself. He hadn't considered the financial and time implications of maintaining the licence.

It is sad that so many people still see it like that - learn to fly, pass the test, then give up.

On the plus side, though - he's never shown any interest before, as far as I know (and all my colleagues know I have a PPL so I would have thought he'd have mentioned it) so I suppose he will be a genuine 'new' person.

Tim

I'm 17 Y.O and personally only know of one other PPL of the same age

But I know plenty aged 20-24

To a certain extent, but I Helped for a large portion of it, and still feel guilty!

Cheers, Put.

And no hiring overpriced thirsty American spamcans!

Youngsters who want to fly can, and do. Most microlight and all glider clubs have a few around.

It's breaking this mindset that the most expensive way to go flying is the only way, along with the fixation on the licence - rather than the through process of flying.

G

Learnt to fly in my 20s now in my 50s. Spent years flying 12-20 hrs a year before going commercial and getting others to let me fly their machinery :)
Now have well over 4000 hrs.

Cost and a young family and low income were a major influence back then.
Maybe also having achieved the goal of a PPL and 10 times around the local area a lack of direction as to where do I go with this now nearly got me to drop it all a number of times.

My son is flying for EasyJet in a 737 and was doing so at the age of 22. He is just 23 Straight into flying at 16 and onto a career.

It is expensive to fly as a PPL and hence maybe some truth in the fact that many take up aviation later in life.

The young ones either get sidetracked by other life interferances or make a career in aviation and see the PPL as purely an enroute stepping stone.

Pace

I remember it being described a while a go as a triangle with three points - Time, Money and Enthusiasm. When you're young, you have lots of Time and Enthusiasm but no Money. When you get a bit older, you have the Money but not the Time. Eventually you have the Time and the Money but have lost the Enthusiasm!

Intersting statistical note is that, whilst GA activity is decreasing, helicoptering, microlighting and parachuting have all been growing.

I'm not fussy. Put me down for some old wreckage of a female, single or otherwise.....

Given most men in the GA scene are married or have partners, what's wrong with married women? The requirement for women to be single sort of hints at looking for a date (or something like one!), but I can suggest some much better places for that than a flying club!

Given that just about every other activity is dominated by the young what harm GA being dominated by oldies?

and...

Do we really need it at the club too? Don't we spend time in the club to have a deserved rest? Isn't it enough to have it at home? Nag Nag Nag :}

Only married women nag :)

If I could, with a permit aircraft, fly at night and in IMC, I'd do it tomorrow. These artificial restrictions keep me in spamcans and thereby put up my costs, as well as making me fly dinosaurs.

Tim

I learned to fly gliders at 24, converted to power at 30 and am now 48. If we want to change the balance we need to keep a higher % of the pilots who pass and then fade away. The key to this is to get to them during the training and educate them that there are many options other than hire an expensive clapped out spam can from a dilapidated ex WW 2 airfield. The micro guys have managed this, and the rest of GA needs to follow ASAP.

Rod1

The only way IMHO, is to BUY BUY BUY. If you rely on renting then of course you gradually fade away as it becomes too much hassle. When you own, or own a share, you can use your plane like you would a car pretty much - i.e. when you want, for as long as you want, and no one is going to run up to you and give you a bollocking for walking across the apron with a baseball hat on, or give you a bollocking if you arrive back 1 few minutes late - or don't fly...etc.....

Yes but:

(1) Buy a share in a syndicate aeroplane with a private CofA and you'll get your flying for half the hourly price if you fly any kind of decent rate, and

(2) For the majority of PPLs (legal) night and IMC are something which happen to other people - so an aircraft on a PtF can probably meet all of their requirements.

G

I'm mid 30s. I learned to fly at 17 and joined the airlines at 23. There are plenty of chaps (and a few chapesses) at my club in the 25-40 bracket. Quite a few more "experienced" (ahem!) members as well. I even met Mrs HF in the private flying world.

32.

Passed my skills test in 2006. Wanted to learn to fly since age 8 but didn't have the funds.

No wife, kids or mortgage. I guess being gay helps.

DenhamPPL