Print edition: 
The number of pilots in the U.S. is declining, and that should be a concern to the general aviation industry, said Bruce Landsberg, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation.
The U.S. pilot population has fallen from more than 827,000 pilots in 1980 to fewer than 600,000 today.
"General aviation needs to take this very seriously," Landsberg told members of the Wichita Aero Club gathered Tuesday at the Wichita Airport Hilton where he was the keynote speaker. "It's time to start taking action."
The industry, he said, wants to sell airplanes, fuel and flight training.
"None of this works without pilots," he said.
Last week, the AOPA Safety Foundation merged with the AOPA Foundation to become one organization called the AOPA Foundation.
The group will continue to offer its safety database and analysis, online courses and safety seminars, Landsberg said.
In an average month, more than 30,000 people complete at least one online pilot safety course.
The foundation stresses the importance of proper fuel management and runway incursion avoidance. It warns pilots not to "buzz" neighborhoods.
And while there are programs encouraging people to learn to fly, more should be done to help them finish, Landsberg said. Only about 20 percent of those who begin to learn to fly become pilots, he said.
"This is a pervasive problem," Landsberg said.
The organization will be asking for input from others to help come up with a long-term plan. But there are some basic necessities, he said.
Helping student pilots finish takes a good training curriculum, a "reasonable" airplane, a sharp flight instructor and flight school managers who are customer-oriented, and simulation training for when the weather doesn't cooperate, Landsberg said.
