State of the Industry

Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 11:43 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article addresses the paradox of a declining pilot population coexisting with an unprecedented pace of aircraft and avionics development.
It explains this phenomenon by illustrating how long-time aircraft owners are heavily investing in comprehensive upgrades to their existing planes rather than purchasing new ones.
Pilots are opting for extensive modernizations, replacing old panels with state-of-the-art touchscreen EFIS systems, digital autopilots, and navigators, essentially making their decades-old aircraft "new to them."

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Those of you who regularly read my remarks have probably noticed that I don’t often take on global subjects, instead preferring to discuss narrow or even personal situations. After all, there are commentators out there who are far better informed than I bother to keep myself, so I’m happy to let them comment on things like, well, the state of the industry.

But I don’t ignore broader happenings. After all, for example, who isn’t aware of the declining numbers of our ranks? Yet, the pace of aircraft and avionics development is unprecedented. I find it challenging to reconcile a dwindling pilot population with all that new-product development. Who’s buying all that new stuff? I can guess.