There are varying perspectives on whether general aviation (GA) is declining or poised for a renaissance generated by new interest in light sport aircraft (LSA) and avionics technology. When attending the annual EAA AirVenture extravaganza in Oshkosh, Wis., for example, it is always interesting to see the contrast between those who complain about the cost of flying and those who embrace every new development.
The way this plays out is that attendees at the annual "Meet the Administrator" forum held by the current FAA Administrator sound off bitterly about over-regulation and rising costs of operation. Yet walk a quarter mile or so to the exhibition halls and you'll see 10-deep crowds surrounding the avionics vendors and manufacturers of the latest handheld GPS that come with optional approach plate updates costing hundreds of dollars a year, and people are pulling out their wallets and buying these expensive products, many of which cost the equivalent of 10 to 20 hours of flight time.
