Recently the Greater Northern Alabama Lying Pilots Hangar Talking and Coffee Drinking Society (or, simply LPS) met for three days running. During these days of breakfast meetings, LPS solved a few of the world’s aviation problems, while uncovering many more. This is not a disinterested group.
Represented at the table were at least one each: a union hater; a union fanatic; a free market fanatic; and one who desires for a return to the regulation of old. All of us remember the dark ages of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, when GA aircraft sales dropped by 87.5 percent in just a few years.
One of us — an airline captain, engineer, homebuilder, instructor, and light sport aircraft (LSA) distributor — had just returned from exhibiting at Sun ‘n Fun (SNF). He was neither happy nor optimistic. Said SNF was down in attendance and that those who did come were not buyers or even good potential prospects. He has exhibited several times each at SNF and OSH (Oshkosh), yet this was the first time he came back less than optimistic. This worries me.
We hear reports these days of the decline of the piston-engine airplane. This is generally blamed on 1) the high and increasing cost of ownership and operation; and 2) the uncertainty of the economy. We of the LPS wonder if the never-ending quest for higher/faster/more capable has made the piston airplane only marginally affordable. If so, will we see a return of basic, low-cost flying in the form of the LSA?
One thing seems certain: Airplanes that can deliver an operating profit — be it freight, passenger hauling, or whatever — will continue to thrive. What happens to those that can’t? We never did agree on that.
We also discussed the current round of merger mania in the airline industry. That pulled us into pilot seniority lists, ticket pricing, the merging of route structures, and other unsolvable topics.
Some of the LPS blame airline industry woes on the guvmint; others blame various combinations of pax, airline management, unions, and/or pilot issues. This was a touchy subject, so we had to be careful.
One of the never-solved questions is why the airline industry can’t raise ticket prices. This seems so obvious one has to wonder why they would go bankrupt losing money on every flight rather than raise fares and let the chips fall where they may (pun intended).
How about VLJs? That’s one segment of the market that all seem to agree will grow and prosper. Business jet aircraft sales look good, but one wonders how much of that is because sales contracts were signed years ago.All LPSers agree it’s an exciting era in aviation. One of the airline pilots, however, says he’s getting sick and tired of all the excitement and wants things to calm down. We also agree that LPS must meet again soon. The industry needs us.
(For more on the 22-year history of LPS, see Ground Clutter-The Blog at www.airportbusiness.com/intereactive.)
