Ga User Fees In America And Faa Funding

[tedrbr]

It's a never ending struggle to bail out the big boys in the airline and aviation industry, ain't it?


Ranks right up there with the additional Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI) deduction in soldier SGLI deductions to pay for all the amputees from the war.  "Give us a hundred dollars, and take back ninety-nine."

[Bucky73]

Who cares where this is posted....geeeez don't read it if you don't like the topic.

Some people:rolleyes:

[Gloves]

LOL.  The funny thing is, it's really a proposed tax increase to everybody, not just  GA.  GWB just doesn't want to call it that since he worked so hard to give us more money to spend (BS-ometer is getting pegged).  If he says user fees, it doesn't sound so bad.  However, if you increase the cost for a company to do business, guess what happens to the cost of their goods or services - they go up.  They won't absorb the cost, just pass it on to everybody who uses their goods/services.

Glove

[Wolfala]

Did a flight last week from the Bay Area down to Pt. Mugu. Was 4.5 hours round trip with an ILS shot to minimums. Fuel was $200. Plane was $495. We went out of the Class B from San Francisco and had Flight Following most of the way, then went IFR when the fog popped in down in SOCAL and shot the approach to 200 and 3/4 mile vis at Oxnard.

So, the $695 bill which was that trip, would add a few new costs under the new rules would cost me and my passengers the following.

Tower fees:  $30
Class B use:  $40
Enroute services:  $30
IFR Service:  $40
Approach Service:  $35
Fuel tax @ $.70 per gal (roughly 40 gallons burned) $28.00

Another $200 on top of $695, not including landing fees which we pay anyway at some airports.

Tell me who is getting ****ed.



Wolf

[-SR-]

I will contact my representative and let him know I am against this rediculous proposal.



-SR-

[mars01]

That is the spirit SR,

Here is a site that is trying to organize Aviation Advocates in this country.   http://www.AeroBlue.org

AOPA is a great org and is doing it's part, but they are more geared to pilots and plane owners and that limits their voting block, where AeroBlue wants to organize Aviation advocates which includes everyone.  Power to the people.  

There is no aviation advocates like the NRA for guns etc.  These guys want to fill that void so that when the siege comes we will be prepared.

[steely1]

Thank you for this post.
GA is very important to me and I plan on Contacting my Congressman and voice my opinion.
The GA community is relatively small but I hope that it can organize and become very vocal on this topic.

[mars01]

The GA community is relatively small

Absolutely right steely!!  And that is exactly my point with AOPA vs the idea of an organization like AeroBlue.  AeroBlue wants to encompass non pilots and people in the industry, people that support the industry, from Airport personnel to people that just like to go watch planes take off and land as well as pilots.  I think in order to really protect Aviation for the common person we need to have a lobby that can generate the mass numbers needed to really be heard.  Whether or not AeroBlue can deliver is yet to be seen, but it is a starting point.  

They also have a list of reps etc for each state and a place to email those reps.  I think it's under the "my action items".  Be sure to have look.

As of the end of 2006, there were 597,109 active pilots, according to the AOPA Jan. 12, 07 newsletter which cites the FAA's estimates. This number has been declining slowly over the long term, down from a high of over 827,000 pilots in 1980. The numbers include:

    * 84,866 student pilots
    * 242 recreational pilots
    * 939 sport pilots
    * 236,147 private pilots
    * 130,234 commercial pilots
    * 144,681 airline transport pilots

Within those groups, there were:

    * 37, 837 glider pilots
    * 10,511 balloon pilots
    * 41,306 rotor (helicopter) pilots

An active pilot is defined as one who holds both a pilot certificate and a valid medical certificate, so this value omits pilots who do not have a medical certificate (particularly glider and sport pilots).

[Casca]

The FAA is right in the middle of this.

The pending FAA reauthorization is just a preview of draconian measures that will eviscerate GA in the US.  We are almost the last bastion of viable GA worldwide.

The FAA is completely in the tank for the carriers.  Consider this snippet from a recent Marion Blakey speech:

When you hear horror stories about the FAA being “anti-GA,” I want you to take a good look at the numbers. In our proposal, Joe pilot in a Cessna 172 will experience an operating cost increase of about four dollars per hour. In other words, the owner of a very expensive airplane is engaged in a heated dispute that hinges on the cost of a Starbucks latte.

She seems to feel misunderstood about being perceived as "anti-GA" and then dismisses the concerns of "Joe Pilot".

We well on the path to a la carte pricing.  I can't wait to hear the controller say: "Say type aircraft, altitude and VISA number."

This is part of a long FAA trend of pay more for less.  In my FSDO district (Kansas City) there is virtually no such thing as a field approval any longer.  I was negotiating with my PMI to put shoulder straps in my Luscombe.  Had a ream of previously approved 337s and drawings.  No dice.  So I fly around wondering if I'm going to re-arrange the instrument panel with my face or hire a DER.

[mars01]

Yep you are right Casca.

I was just talking with an Aviat Pitts dealer this past weekend and the Aviat factory told their dealer that they were no longer allowed to put smoke systems in the S2C aircraft.  Amazingly Aviat was going along with this BS.

The FAA said they were unsafe.  Which is BS when you look at the fact that there are numerous working examples to go by, the fact that you cant get combustion where there is no oxygen ie, an exhaust stack etc.

So the dealer was smart enough to talk to the person that was making the problem and ask them to cite where it says in the regs that smoke systems are dangerous and not allowed.  After a few phone calls and citing what the regs actually say they were able to get the system approved.  The problem is the BS you have to go through.

Be persistent, find someone that pushed it through and you should get results.