The average plane owner is richer than the average car owner. The average plane owner needs the plane less than the average car owner needs the car. The average car isn't burning leaded fuel.

I would still say "rich jerks" is overstating things, but there's not zero relevance.

I don't think that's the same thing at all. The mention of "(rich)" was an absolute statement, not a relative one, which portrayed light aircraft owners as wealthy people hurting the populace just so they could have a little more money.

I live in China and regularly paint car owners as rich jerks in my head, considering that they are very expensive and most people don't own one. Then they drive like they own the road, don't yield at all, run pedestrians off the street, drive on the side of the freeway when there's traffic (I look on from a taxi)...

Give me an electric powered tri (trash) cycle anyday.