I started flying in the 90s. Most of the pilots I met were not rich, but rather just enthusiasts with a particular hobby. The last 30 years have seen fewer people overall, but also skewing more wealthy as the costs have also risen faster than general inflation.

It’s like going to the marina; some people there are notably rich, but most aren’t and are instead just modestly successful folks who put their discretionary money into a hole in the water.