FAA user fees

[727C47]

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[Nolife]

While flipping channels last night looking for the squigilly line channel I came across C-SPAN. They were showing the senate commitee hearing on the new FAA budget. The only person there that seemed to know anything about aviation was Administrator Blakely. The senators were clueless, including Sen. Lott. User fees are coming and it will get worse for GA before it gets better.

BTW... is it just me or does anyone else think that new ATC equipment won't reduce congestion at large hub airports, ie IAH, ATL, DFW, ORD, IAD, LGA, JFK, et al. Seems to me the best way to reduce congestion is for airlines to stagger departures, but that kills the hub and spoke concept which is the main reason for congestion in the first place.

Maybe airlines need a new business model instead of killing the GA competition with user fees.

 

[HelloNewman]

All I can say is it is about time they did this! I can't tell you how many times we have been flying into a small midwestern or east coast airport and have to hold because some dinky cessna or piper is doing a full blown dme arc approach or some type of other long approach for practice. They always seem have to do the longest approach possible. This can cause unnessecary delays. Maybe it will make them think twice before blocking traffic in IFR conditions "just for practice". The shortage of pilots would also be great for bringing up wages. I am all for this bill!

 

[HelloNewman]

GA is where it all started for many of us - Respect it.

Yes GA is where most of us started that fact can not be denied. For those of us at the airlines though we no longer need GA. I have not stepped foot in a GA aircraft for quite a while. To be quite frank most airline pilots that do fly for fun fly in VFR weather only. This is not an unfair tax. It only seems to apply to those flying IFR. The VFR weekend warriors will not be hurt at all.

 

[siucavflight]

All I can say is it is about time they did this! I can't tell you how many times we have been flying into a small midwestern or east coast airport and have to hold because some dinky cessna or piper is doing a full blown dme arc approach or some type of other long approach for practice. They always seem have to do the longest approach possible. This can cause unnessecary delays. Maybe it will make them think twice before blocking traffic in IFR conditions "just for practice". The shortage of pilots would also be great for bringing up wages. I am all for this bill!

Yep, going into HPN last week, Eagle flight go around Cessna still on the runway.

 

[Swaayze]

You guys are fools if you support this. This is exactly why I joined AOPA a few years ago even though I cannot afford to fly for pleasure now (nevermind in the future if this comes to pass)!

Fortunately it seems some important members of the aviation subcommittee agree with those of us that think this is a bad thing, so maybe it will be shot down.

 

[wrxpilot]

Yes GA is where most of us started that fact can not be denied. For those of us at the airlines though we no longer need GA. I have not stepped foot in a GA aircraft for quite a while. To be quite frank most airline pilots that do fly for fun fly in VFR weather only. This is not an unfair tax. It only seems to apply to those flying IFR. The VFR weekend warriors will not be hurt at all.

You know what? FU$K YOU.

 

[HelloNewman]

You know what? FU$K YOU.

Nice retort. How does this "kill" GA. All the VFR weekend warriors will be fine. All those getting an instrument rating will simply have to pony up the user fee for like 3 cross countries. Charter Companies, Air Ambulances, etc will simply have to pass on the cost to their customers. All this will do is make those who needlessly clog up airports in IFR weather pay to do so. Its about time they stop cessnas and pipers from making all the other airlines hold just because they want to do a full approach in IFR conds. Talk about making a big deal out of nothing. This won't affect a large portion of GA at all

 

[dseagrav]

All the VFR weekend warriors will be fine

... for now. I give it two years tops after the implementation of the fees before the FAA says "We aren't making enough money!" and starts charging us too. Once they have a cash flow that isn't subject to oversight, greed will take over.

And don't forget the fuel tax increase that comes with the fees... That affects everyone except the airlines.

 

[neflier]

Nice retort. How does this "kill" GA. All the VFR weekend warriors will be fine. All those getting an instrument rating will simply have to pony up the user fee for like 3 cross countries. Charter Companies, Air Ambulances, etc will simply have to pass on the cost to their customers. All this will do is make those who needlessly clog up airports in IFR weather pay to do so. Its about time they stop cessnas and pipers from making all the other airlines hold just because they want to do a full approach in IFR conds. Talk about making a big deal out of nothing. This won't affect a large portion of GA at all

Newman,

F%ck You. The 400% increase in fuel tax will affect every VFR operation. The airlines don't own the airspace. This is a free country, or it was at some point in time. Please explain what is wrong with a piston single doing a full approach. I spent five years in an RJ and NEVER held for a GA aircraft. You are talking out of you a$$. This FAA proposal is nothing but an effort to destroy our freedoms.

If you didn't see it the first time, F%ck You.

 

[pilotyip]

Really I doubt we would hardly notice a 400% increase inthe gas tax, that would be less than a $1.00/gal increase. Gas had bounced around due to markets conditons outside of $1.00/gal range. It will not stop me from flying and we will still have the the cheapest place in the world for GA flying. Now users fees those scare me!

 

[BGSkyGuy]

Nice retort. How does this "kill" GA. All the VFR weekend warriors will be fine. All those getting an instrument rating will simply have to pony up the user fee for like 3 cross countries. Charter Companies, Air Ambulances, etc will simply have to pass on the cost to their customers. All this will do is make those who needlessly clog up airports in IFR weather pay to do so. Its about time they stop cessnas and pipers from making all the other airlines hold just because they want to do a full approach in IFR conds. Talk about making a big deal out of nothing. This won't affect a large portion of GA at all

Boy, you are really well informed about this user fee stuff. (Been drinking the Kool-aid again I see) User fees are so much more than a pittance paid to file an IFR flight plan. It is expected that user fees wil be added to everything from weather briefings to mandatory landing fees. In the Netherlands right now it costs $1000 to take a knowledge test. Is that the kind of legacy you want to leave up and coming pilots? And by the way, at one point we were all in a 172 clogging up the pattern.

 

[neflier]

Really I doubt we would hardly notice a 400% increase inthe gas tax, that would be less than a $1.00/gal increase. Gas had bounced around due to markets conditons outside of $1.00/gal range. It will not stop me from flying and we will still have the the cheapest place in the world for GA flying. Now users fees those scare me!

The 400% increase in fuel tax is only one of many fees added to GA. How about the proposed additional fees for getting a medical, issuing a pilot certificate, annual aircraft registration, etc.

If you think the fuel tax on GA is no big deal, then how about applying that same tax to the airlines?

One thing that has not been mentioned, is that when the typical GA aircraft is flying, the money spent by the pilot to operate that aircraft has already been hit with an income tax. The same cannot be said about an airliner.

 

[erj-145mech]

How about the proposed additional fees for getting a medical, issuing a pilot certificate, annual aircraft registration, etc.

the money spent by the pilot to operate that aircraft has already been hit with an income tax. The same cannot be said about an airliner.

The FAA has no annual registration reguirement, only the initial registration (14CFR45). Now, individual states do, but thats a different matter.

Will my federal taxes go down since I won't be subsidizing the FAA any longer?

 

[siucavflight]

Will my federal taxes go down since I won't be subsidizing the FAA any longer?

Um, no.