House Introduces FAA Reauthorization Bill

[hotwing]

House Introduces FAA Reauthorization Bill[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
The House of Representatives issued its long-anticipated version of the FAA reauthorization bill last night, and user fees are not included. In lieu of user fees, however, the bill allows the FAA to raise fuel taxes a few cents per gallon and to charge a variety of miscellaneous fees, such as $130 to register an aircraft, $50 for an airman certificate and $45 for a medical certificate. The bill also provides significant backing for NextGen and a strengthened Joint Planning and Development Office to accomplish it. Also required would be key reports on integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace system and how the FAA can reduce the burden of the Washington, D.C. ADIZ. In addition, the bill calls for a ban on non-Stage 3 compliant aircraft and the repeal of the FAA’s “age 60 rule,” effective immediately when the bill is passed. Things are certain to change, though, as the bill is in committee mark-up today and still has to make its way through the full House and negotiation with the Senate, which included user fees in its bill.[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]

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[scoreboard]

$45 bucks for a medical certificate? WTFO???

 

[The Prussian]

Oh, great!...owners and companies refuse to pay user fees...so now we pilots are being stiffed. Grab on to your wallet and hold tight!!!!

 

[Palomino]

corporate flights need to suck it up and pay their share. they have had it too good for too long while the rest of us get pinched.

tax the individual pilot and not the lavish and profitable corporation. great. precisely the reason i hate politics. the little guy gets crapped on every time.

morons. so now they wanna tack on this outrageous fee to my medical certificate that i now must have every 6 months because of some stupid ICAO rule for first officers.

boy...we are really taking it back aren't we?

 

[Freight Dog]

But that's OK... as long as Age 65 is attached to it, we'll have every old geezer call their congressman to push this through despite that this bill will screw everyone else.

 

[The Prussian]

http://entertonement.com/187261/FaceOff/Weeeee_What_a_predicament_/Tone.aspx

 

[NewmanF16]

The original point of the user fees was to shift the costs from the airlines to corporate and general aviation, which now pay through fuel taxes. It would have killed general aviation, much like Europe, and had the effect of decreasing safety by driving people away from services they need to pay for.

I have no problem paying for licenses and such. Heck, I have to pay to register my car and my driver's license. If you can't afford $90/year for your medical, you need to find another profession. All professions have licences, training, etc that are covered by the professionals participating. This will likely result in unions/companies negotiating the cost into employee compensation, anyway.

 

[Freight Dog]

Ah.... isn't that $45 for Medical on top of your $90 class I medical every 6 months? Or $135 if you need EKG and now it becomes $180 every 6 months.

Kinda sucks to see the price of everything going up while you are just recovering from 20%+ paycuts

 

[FoxHunter]

Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

 

[Palomino]

The original point of the user fees was to shift the costs from the airlines to corporate and general aviation, which now pay through fuel taxes. It would have killed general aviation, much like Europe, and had the effect of decreasing safety by driving people away from services they need to pay for.

I have no problem paying for licenses and such. Heck, I have to pay to register my car and my driver's license. If you can't afford $90/year for your medical, you need to find another profession. All professions have licences, training, etc that are covered by the professionals participating. This will likely result in unions/companies negotiating the cost into employee compensation, anyway.

so your solution is to kill the profession by continually putting the cost on the pilot? guess i should start paying for my charts and new tires for the plane. heck, i know gas is expensive - just throw it on my Rewards Credit Card.

as for finding another profession...plenty of former airliners are doing just that. and with b.s. legislation such as this the flow of experienced and professional pilots will continue right out the door.

 

[furloughed dude]

Foxhunter,

I hope you get what you want and die a premature death. Don't you wish you had a life beyond work?

 

[captain dad]

Seat tax.

examples:

150 seat A320 = $150

8 seat cessna = $8

Too simple and too fair to work. The passengers are the users not the crews or the operators.

Airlines require more and use more than anyone. Fair is fair.

Making pilots pay is BS!

Owner Operators need to pay and pass the expense down to the real users.

The aircraft is what causes traffic and ATC usage not the pilot flying the machine. We already pay landing fees at major airports. How much money do overpaid and ineffectual lawmakers want to make them feel justified?

How about stop paying for benefits and even social security to illegal immigrants who don't pay taxes. That will save a few billion. Thanks George you retard.

 

[FoxHunter]

Foxhunter,

I hope you get what you want and die a premature death. Don't you wish you had a life beyond work?

Don't you wish you had a life, work or otherwise? Sad case.

 

[vandypilot]

i second the seat tax idea.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

i second the seat tax idea.

The CorpAmerica lobby is too powerful for that... too bad our particaption rate is only 14% for our lobby....

Money talks BS walks.....

 

[furloughed dude]

Sorry, I have work, a life, and a family. Sorry you have nothing meaningful in your life than flying. Seems like you don't want the ex to get your retirement money. So sad. She'll get it sooner or later and the pool boy and her will rejoice! Again, I hope you get your wish and maybe she won't get to spend that money afterall...

 

[FoxHunter]

Sorry, I have work, a life, and a family. Sorry you have nothing meaningful in your life than flying. Seems like you don't want the ex to get your retirement money. So sad. She'll get it sooner or later and the pool boy and her will rejoice! Again, I hope you get your wish and maybe she won't get to spend that money afterall...

Your more dumb than I could have imagined.:laugh:

 

[BoilerUP]

corporate flights need to suck it up and pay their share. they have had it too good for too long while the rest of us get pinched.

tax the individual pilot and not the lavish and profitable corporation. great. precisely the reason i hate politics. the little guy gets crapped on every time.

morons. so now they wanna tack on this outrageous fee to my medical certificate that i now must have every 6 months because of some stupid ICAO rule for first officers.

boy...we are really taking it back aren't we?

Glad to see you've already bought into the BS Smartskies propaganda of snobbish corporate aircraft "clogging up the skies". I bet it was the talking 747 with the cowboy hat and Texan accent that sold it...

User fees are just as unacceptable to me as a fee on medical or pilot certificate. Combine that with an instant change in the retirement age and I'll be pushing my lawmakers to vote NO to this POS bill.

 

[furloughed dude]

Your more dumb than I could have imagined.:laugh:

Who's dumb? It's You're, not your. Jacka$$...

 

[Palomino]

Glad to see you've already bought into the BS Smartskies propaganda of snobbish corporate aircraft "clogging up the skies". I bet it was the talking 747 with the cowboy hat and Texan accent that sold it...

User fees are just as unacceptable to me as a fee on medical or pilot certificate. Combine that with an instant change in the retirement age and I'll be pushing my lawmakers to vote NO to this POS bill.

the users are the passengers and corporations. why should i be taxed for the use of their aircraft?

so you have no issue at all with a multi-billion dollar company skirting the costs of our ATC system? you'd rather pay the fees for them?

yeah...i listen to talking 747s. i don't have any idea what the context of that statement is.

 

[BOOZENEWS]

I hate to say it but if user fees come into play there probably will be a lot more rogue pilots who fly in IMC with they're transponders off not talking to anyone while navigating on they're own.

Talk about eroding safety!


User fees are such a dumb idea how can anyone support them. Can't wait until 01/20/2009 not that the dems would be any better of course.

 

[JoeMerchant]

The CorpAmerica lobby is too powerful for that... too bad our particaption rate is only 14% for our lobby....

Money talks BS walks.....

So what is ALPA's position on the original user fee proposal? I suspect they backed it along with airline managment... Screw GA... right Rez.....

The airlines are the ones who put a burden on the airspace with hub and spoke... they need to pay for it and pass it onto the passenger....

GA isn't the problem.....

 

[JoeMerchant]

I hate to say it but if user fees come into play there probably will be a lot more rogue pilots who fly in IMC with they're transponders off not talking to anyone while navigating on they're own.

Talk about eroding safety!


User fees are such a dumb idea how can anyone support them. Can't wait until 01/20/2009 not that the dems would be any better of course.

I agree.... the Dems will want even higher fees.... Time for Libertarians.....

 

[FoxHunter]

Who's dumb? It's You're, not your. Jacka$$...

OK, Ms. Smith.

 

[captain dad]

So what is ALPA's position on the original user fee proposal? I suspect they backed it along with airline managment... Screw GA... right Rez.....

The airlines are the ones who put a burden on the airspace with hub and spoke... they need to pay for it and pass it onto the passenger....

GA isn't the problem.....

Here here! The chair recognizes the guy who speaks the truth. Airlines are the cause. Making others pay for their problem is not the cure. Place blame where blame is due. Sweep unwanted FA pregnancy under the rug, but not this. This is money and industry changing legislation. This is the real deal.

Pay to play is the name of the game. You bring a big set of cards, you better bring a big ante. Everyone pays their way. Nobody gets a free, or discounted ride. The propaganda is that corporate hasn't paid their way? You do the research and see who has weasled their way out of fees.

Take your cattle car and shove it deep and wide. Life with and for the airlines is over. There is a better way. Someday you may see the light.

If you are in the 1000 or less on a seniority list, your opinion doesn't count. Enjoy the easy life that you are lucky (luck being the key word) to have. The rest of you stay away from snake oil salesmen and come to jesus.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Here here! The chair recognizes the guy who speaks the truth. Airlines are the cause. Making others pay for their problem is not the cure. Place blame where blame is due. Sweep unwanted FA pregnancy under the rug, but not this. This is money and industry changing legislation. This is the real deal.

The truth will set you free.... I bet ALPA and managment were allies in the user fee battle.... Politics make strange bedfellows.....

Push the failure of airlines and the FAA on general aviation.....

 

[captain dad]

The truth will set you free.... I bet ALPA and managment were allies in the user fee battle.... Politics make strange bedfellows.....

Push the failure of airlines and the FAA on general aviation.....

Push the failures of airlines on the airlines. They force themselves into financial corners and ask others to take up the burden. Find any other industry that has the balls to blame others for its own short sightedness. Take the CEOs and ALPA and shove it. GA is the only pure form left in the industry. You are nothing more than a sh!t slinger!

Criminals are criminals. If you dress a turd in a three piece suit, it's still just a turd. They can all suck it as far as I am concerned.

ALPA owes me more than I owe them.

 

[Big Beer Belly]

Your more dumb than I could have imagined.:laugh:

Um...nuff said!

BBB

 

[XJTAv8r]

So what is ALPA's position on the original user fee proposal? I suspect they backed it along with airline managment... Screw GA... right Rez.....

The airlines are the ones who put a burden on the airspace with hub and spoke... they need to pay for it and pass it onto the passenger....

GA isn't the problem.....

Here's ALPA's position on the new House bill:

ALPA Commends Introduction of FAA Reauthorization

The following statement was issued by ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, at the introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives of a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“This legislation represents a strong step forward in making the modernization of our air transportation system a national priority. While ALPA recognizes that the introduction of this bill is only the first step in the process to pass legislation, the action sets the stage for progress toward meeting surging air transportation demand. U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and his committee deserve much credit for also seeking to resolve an array of critical aviation issues that influence safety and labor relations in our industry.

“We are encouraged by the bill’s language that provides a number of funding sources for the FAA. Adequate funding will allow the FAA to effectively plan for the future development of our air traffic system. The FAA needs a stable, predictable, funding stream to know with a high degree of certainty what its resource capabilities and limitations will be, enabling solid development and acquisition strategies for the programs and equipment that are key elements of modernization.

“We are equally encouraged by the number of robust safety initiatives included in the bill. The support for significant improvements in runway safety, known throughout the industry as a critical need, is commendable, and we look forward to working with the FAA as it develops products and processes to expand the industry’s efforts to prevent runway incursions. The expanded study of wake-vortex effects, research on weather phenomena, and positive steps forward in fuel tank safety have long been key in ALPA’s aviation safety strategy.

“The recognition that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can be introduced into the national airspace system only after complete assurances of safe operation shows the importance of maintaining the same high level of safety for the traveling public regardless of the vehicle or program involved. The bill also reflects the wisdom in recognizing the critical importance of Wake and Midway Islands to the economic operation of flights in the Pacific.

“This bill also takes us closer to addressing one of today’s most pressing airline safety issues—pilot fatigue. ALPA is particularly concerned about pilot fatigue, especially in the current environment in which airline managements are legally able to stretch pilots’ work and duty time to the limit. Rep. Oberstar’s committee directs—in no uncertain terms—the FAA to commission a study by the National Institutes of Health on pilot fatigue and to put updating the U.S. flight-time, duty-time, and rest-requirement regulations into a formal rulemaking process.

“This legislation also reflects opposition to recent attempts to allow greater foreign control of U.S. airlines and makes clear that foreign interests are not to be given control of U.S. airlines.

“Lastly, language to raise the pilot upper age limit was included consistent with many of the key recommendations outlined in ALPA’s May 2007 Executive Board resolution. ALPA will continue to be fully engaged on this issue.

“While this legislation did not correct the inequality that exists in pilots’ retirement benefits because the current law mandates that they must retire at age 60, ALPA will continue to seek an appropriate pension-related vehicle in both the House and Senate.”

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Here's ALPA's position on the new House bill:

ALPA Commends Introduction of FAA Reauthorization

The following statement was issued by ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, at the introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives of a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“This legislation represents a strong step forward in making the modernization of our air transportation system a national priority. While ALPA recognizes that the introduction of this bill is only the first step in the process to pass legislation, the action sets the stage for progress toward meeting surging air transportation demand. U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and his committee deserve much credit for also seeking to resolve an array of critical aviation issues that influence safety and labor relations in our industry.

“We are encouraged by the bill’s language that provides a number of funding sources for the FAA. Adequate funding will allow the FAA to effectively plan for the future development of our air traffic system. The FAA needs a stable, predictable, funding stream to know with a high degree of certainty what its resource capabilities and limitations will be, enabling solid development and acquisition strategies for the programs and equipment that are key elements of modernization.

“We are equally encouraged by the number of robust safety initiatives included in the bill. The support for significant improvements in runway safety, known throughout the industry as a critical need, is commendable, and we look forward to working with the FAA as it develops products and processes to expand the industry’s efforts to prevent runway incursions. The expanded study of wake-vortex effects, research on weather phenomena, and positive steps forward in fuel tank safety have long been key in ALPA’s aviation safety strategy.

“The recognition that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can be introduced into the national airspace system only after complete assurances of safe operation shows the importance of maintaining the same high level of safety for the traveling public regardless of the vehicle or program involved. The bill also reflects the wisdom in recognizing the critical importance of Wake and Midway Islands to the economic operation of flights in the Pacific.

“This bill also takes us closer to addressing one of today’s most pressing airline safety issues—pilot fatigue. ALPA is particularly concerned about pilot fatigue, especially in the current environment in which airline managements are legally able to stretch pilots’ work and duty time to the limit. Rep. Oberstar’s committee directs—in no uncertain terms—the FAA to commission a study by the National Institutes of Health on pilot fatigue and to put updating the U.S. flight-time, duty-time, and rest-requirement regulations into a formal rulemaking process.

“This legislation also reflects opposition to recent attempts to allow greater foreign control of U.S. airlines and makes clear that foreign interests are not to be given control of U.S. airlines.

“Lastly, language to raise the pilot upper age limit was included consistent with many of the key recommendations outlined in ALPA’s May 2007 Executive Board resolution. ALPA will continue to be fully engaged on this issue.

“While this legislation did not correct the inequality that exists in pilots’ retirement benefits because the current law mandates that they must retire at age 60, ALPA will continue to seek an appropriate pension-related vehicle in both the House and Senate.”

"Taking it Back"