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Show AVIATION NOTES WHO BUYS AIRPLANES? Through a survey, conducted by the Aeronca Aircraft corporation, through its 1,200 dealers all over the U. S., some enlightenment was obtained relative to potential personal per-sonal plane buyers: Apparently the biggest group of potential light-plane buyers falls into the age group between 18 and 30 years, but Aeronca dealers report re-port no marked decline in interest until beyond the 40-year mark. The number of people who prefer to buy on time or pay cash are about equally divided, the survey shows. Another 40 per cent of potential light-plane owners are about equally equal-ly divided among lawyers, doctors and educators on the one hand and highly successful business men and industrial leaders on the other. The remaining 20 per cent are independently independ-ently wealthy people who defied classification as to gainful occupation. occupa-tion. Fifty-five per cent of the people who planned to buy personal planes know how to fly and 27 per cent of these are ex-servicemen, although not all of them flew in the service. Three Per Cent Women. Men far outnumber women as prospective light-plane owners. Only about 3 out of every 100 potential customers are women. But, as might be expected, many women accompany their menfolk to dealers deal-ers to look at models and talk airplanes. air-planes. Where the man usually asks such questions as "How fast is it?" "How much does it cost?" and "What is the operating cost?" the women want to know "How safe is it?" "Is it easy to fly?" and "How long does it take to learn to fly it?" Sixty per ent of the dealers reported re-ported that it was their experience that men learn to fly more readily than women. Another 25 per cent said they could see little or no difference dif-ference between men and women in aptitude to learn to fly. The other 15 per cent showed what must be a mixture of high honesty and diplomacy diplo-macy by refusing to commit themselves. |