General aviation has always been divided, or bifurcated as the business school types would say. One group flies for personal travel and recreation, and the other flies for business reasons. Most people who fly for business actually enjoy flying, particularly the owner-pilots, but even those who are strictly passengers are often aviation enthusiasts so the distinction between the two groups can blur in the middle.
However, there is an all-powerful arbiter that determines which group you fly in — the IRS, because its rules determine if you are flying for personal or business reasons. I like to think of it as there are pilots and airplane owners who pay for their flying with before-tax dollars, and those who spend what’s left after taxes. It doesn’t take much of a memory to think back to April 15 to imagine what a difference in costs that makes.
