Re-Tread

By Ed Downs

No, not old tires, although many of us “re-treads” appearing in this month’s sonnet do have some “spare tire” issues.  The re-treads being referred to are former pilots who have decided to give flying another go.  Sport Pilot has opened doors that some may have thought were closed.  This writer was reminded of the “re-tread” market, just the other day, while teaching a class at Yingling Aviation, an historic Cessna dealer located in Wichita, Kansas.  During our lunch break, I wandered over to the Cessna Skycatcher final assembly hangar to look at new planes on the assembly line.  While looking through a viewing window and talking with one of my students, a young line attendant approached us and asked if we would like to join a retired couple (in tow by the line attendant) and go into the hangar for a closer look.  Of course, we joined them.  It turns out, no sales personnel were available and the line attendant was doing his best to talk about the C-162.  My offer to help promote the plane (very familiar to me) was readily accepted.  Joe, the retired guest, was considering reentering aviation after a 40-year hiatus, but knew nothing about Sport Pilot or LSAs.  Skycatcher pricing, performance and simplicity left Joe quite impressed, especially after we discussed just what he would have to do to re-enter flying.  Of primary importance was the ability to get back into flying without the need to participate in the FAA medical bureaucracy.