It’s really a lack of utility because of competition.
Used to be that a light airplane could take you places you couldn’t get to on the carriers.
With the rise of commuter carriers flying high speed turboprops and jets to just about every little town, that’s no longer true.
And the seat cost on the commuters may be high relative to driving or equivalent distance city pairs in major hubs, but it’s still FAR cheaper then owning and maintaining your own beast.
Been there done that...
Used to fly, then had kids and the cost of kids was greater than the cost of the airplane. Would love to get back into it but I can’t afford 100K+ for a LSA and the regulations make flying out for breakfast too expensive.
Factor in the cost of insurance, annual, hangar rent, avgas, and biannual and unless I hit the lottery..it’s just not going to happen. Still...I envy those who can.
Getting in your own airplane and flying across the country is a unique freedom only a very few will ever know. It is almost uniquely American.
It is risky, expensive, demanding and can be fatal but it provides unrivaled freedom. It can only be done well by those who have a passion for it. It is a skill and a craft that must be maintained and cultivated but it provides a life time of experience and learning. I know pilots with decades of experience and thousands of hours on their log book that delight in continuing to learn and improve their competence.
Then there are the men who delight in building airplanes and restoring them. Some never fly but relish the challenge of doing something very critical very well.