Fewer private pilots fly in Maine, FAA says

PORTLAND – Because of factors ranging from escalated costs to aging fliers, fewer people are taking the controls in private planes in Maine and the rest of the country, according to Federal Aviation Administration figures.

There were 10 percent fewer pilots and 20 percent fewer student pilots in Maine between 1999 and last year. Last year, Maine had 2,855 licensed pilots, down from 3,157 in 1999. There were 378 student pilots in Maine in 2006, down from 470 in 1999.

The FAA figures reflect a national trend that has seen the number of pilots drop 28 percent from more than 827,000 in 1980 to just fewer than 600,000 last year.

Over the same period, the number of student pilots has dropped from just fewer than 200,000 to nearly 85,000 last year, a 57 percent drop.

Flying enthusiasts said the decline is due to several factors, including the soaring costs of insurance since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The cost of training for a private pilot’s license also is seen as a factor. Training can cost $7,000 to $10,000, and plane rentals start at about $75 an hour. The FAA requires 40 hours of training time for a private license.

“You go fly for a couple of hours and that takes care of your disposable income for the week,” said Evan McDougal, 52, manager of Sanford Regional Airport, who rents airplanes when he can afford it.

Then there are the costs of airplane ownership. A basic four-seat plane sells for roughly $50,000 and burns about eight gallons of fuel an hour, or about $40 an hour. Insurance costs about $1,000 a year, and maintenance can add up to $2,000 a year. And a single-plane hangar costs about $35,000.

Others say the trend is all about age.

“It’s the graying of America. They are the only people who can afford it,” said Mike Muchmore, 56, president of the Maine Aeronautics Association and co-owner of Wicked Good Aviation at the Wiscasset Municipal Airport.

David Fernald, who heads the Maine Municipal Airport Managers Association, says airports are not just the domain of the rich.

Fernald, manager of the Northern Aroostook Regional Airport in Frenchville, said people think they cannot afford flying, yet they keep a couple of all-terrain vehicles, a snowmobile and a powerboat in the backyard while driving around in a $40,000 sport utility vehicle.