The needle on my GA-o-meter registered an optimistic uptick this morning. In other words, Im getting more submissions for On The Air, IFRs much-loved back page. Over the past five years at the helm of this magazine (five years exactly with this issue), OTA has been my barometer for how much people are flying light GA and in what way.Theres a predictable uptick every spring and Im beginning to see it. History says it should peak in May and then spike again in August or September. Winter sees fewer submissions, and the ones that do come in are mostly from airline pilots or folks running all-weather aircraft.
The magazine editor observes a seasonal uptick in submissions but notes a five-year trend indicating fewer light General Aviation (GA) IFR stories and more VFR or ground-related incidents.
This shift suggests a potential decline in IFR flying confidence and proficiency among light GA pilots, possibly due to financial constraints or the increasing perceived cost of advanced IFR equipment.
The author anticipates a "sea change" in light-piston IFR, where advancing technology like NextGen may further divide pilots and potentially lead to automated ATC interactions in the future.
The needle on my GA-o-meter registered an optimistic uptick this morning. In other words, I’m getting more submissions for “On The Air,” IFR’s much-loved back page. Over the past five years at the helm of this magazine (five years exactly with this issue), OTA has been my barometer for how much people are flying light GA and in what way.
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