Sky Angels. Great new video on YouTube.

It's easy to think of California as 1 big paved parking lot, but there is an amazing amount of nearly empty backcountry there. Lots of mountains, lots of desert-like spots and some great flying. I never did fully understand what happened to Chris in this film. Was his plane found? I read the note that most weather related accidents are fatal, but I didn't see, or hear anything definitive about the missing pilot in this story.

I also noted that all of the characters were old. No youngsters were part of this story. That doesn't give me much hope for the future. Is this the last generation of Sky Angels? Is backcountry flying a financial luxury that favors older folks that have a lifetime of savings after the kids are grown and gone and they've downsized their living arrangements? Certainly most other pilots I've met in backcountry airplane camping spots are every bit as gray haired as I am.

Flyhound wrote: Is this the last generation of Sky Angels? Is backcountry flying a financial luxury that favors older folks that have a lifetime of savings after the kids are grown and gone and they've downsized their living arrangements? Certainly most other pilots I've met in backcountry airplane camping spots are every bit as gray haired as I am.

Yes. The video a decade from now will be about drone pilots.

Right after that graphic about fatal IMC flying they have a scene with Chris on the radio. Chris Kunkle was a producer of this film. Also the guy making the film was pretty young as well.

Flying, especially TW airplanes is not a budget activity for most youths these days.

Yes and no. Quite a few young folk at HSF. But yes the cost of airplanes and everything around them is prohibitive. I keep telling my kid that there will be tons of Carbon Cubs around cheap soon when we all die off but it hasnt happened yet....

The dream of flight will exist as long as people do, and each generation will figure out how to realize their vision of it. Technology—new airframe manufacturing systems, electric propulsion, tiltrotor architecture, software-automated aircraft control and deconfliction—will bring down costs, increase safety, cut externalities, and bring in new users. More users means more support for public infrastructure, more volume in the supply chain, more interest in keeping the history of aviation alive. Exciting times!

Maybe? I can't tell how much of the cost is driven by the abysmal product volumes, vs fundamentals? I mean how much would an F150 cost if Ford was turning out 150 a year? It'd be a million dollar truck. So maybe a mass produced aircraft could get cheaper. But it needs to be actually accessible for the demand to be there. And it's funny how accessible provokes complicated feelings when you've mastered something difficult ha.

Maybe it has always been rich toys though. At the risk of thread drift I was curious about the perception that aviation has become less affordable, so I asked GPT:

2025
Median annual income: $45,000
Median home price: $410,000
Average cost of an automobile: $50,000
Cost of a new 182: $680,000

1956 (Year of 182A, probably peak # pilots from WWII and still in the peak of sunk aircraft capital manufacturing cost paid for by Uncle Sam from the war)
Median annual income: $3500
Median home price: $10,000
Average cost of an automobile: $2200
Cost of a new 182: $15,000

Lot of ways to slice these ratios. A 182 was 6.8 cars in '56, now it's 13.6. Ouch. But a house was 2.8x income in '56 and now it's 8.5x! So maybe the reason we can't afford planes is because we it's all gong to the mortgage lol. Cars are closer to a wash? Sorta.

I'm no macro-economist, but my guess is that the underlying issue is that technology has broadened the income distribution, so earning the median is a harder life than it used to be?

stretch wrote:The dream of flight will exist as long as people do, and each generation will figure out how to realize their vision of it.

In my opinion, this is half the problem. People aren't awed by flight anymore.
This activity is increasingly unaffordable as stated above.
I'd say we're in the sunset of GA.

stretch wrote:Maybe? I can't tell how much of the cost is driven by the abysmal product volumes, vs fundamentals?

I think you're replying to my now deleted reply

Sometimes I forget to not express strong opinions. Good response regardless.

Prices for both planes and cars/trucks have sky rocketed because of tech being added to them. Some of that is user desired and some of that is government required. It all costs more. Same for houses. Safety can come at a great cost.

The experimental market may be the solution for the future.

34° 47.915'N
119° 59.958'W

Some pretty impressive flying at the least....

I just paid the same amount for my F-150 recently as I did for my pristine 185 on floats in 1993.

What a great “feel good” film that shows general aviation in a favorable light as well as the great human spirit in people. Fantastic!

To Flyhounds, comments:
Yes, the subject pilots were”old” but the average age of the film and production crew was around 23 years old. All very talented at their craft and all aspiring pilots. I am envious of the amount of invites they get to participate in all types of aviation. Christian (drone pilot in the film) Just spent a week in the back of Trent P’s plane flying southern UT. (YouTube)
As far as the whereabouts of Chris, following the storm. Returned alive and well when the storm abated, just a little added drama

sbmaule wrote:To Flyhounds, comments:
Yes, the subject pilots were”old” but the average age of the film and production crew was around 23 years old. All very talented at their craft and all aspiring pilots. I am envious of the amount of invites they get to participate in all types of aviation. Christian (drone pilot in the film) Just spent a week in the back of Trent P’s plane flying southern UT. (YouTube)
As far as the whereabouts of Chris, following the storm. Returned alive and well when the storm abated, just a little added drama

Hey, long time no read. How ya been?

Doing well, flying a Supercub now and living the dream!
Had to click “forgot my password” but back and following along.
Great work on the website, thanks!