Illinois Pilot Registration

[siucavflight]

Now I'm curious: Since people--myself included--have strong feelings about this, and compliance is understandably less than total, has anyone ever been ramp checked and asked to produce the registration card?

No the Feds would never asked for this, I have been ramp checked twice in IL and never asked about this card.

 

[FN FAL]

Now I'm curious: Since people--myself included--have strong feelings about this, and compliance is understandably less than total, has anyone ever been ramp checked and asked to produce the registration card?

We just went through this same subject not too long ago with the Florida aviator that swarmed by cops during a crackdown on aircraft registrations.

Whether or not you want to comply with your state's laws is up to you, however I have to remind you that crime in general has been on a steady decline for the past 13-15 years. The courts are a big machine and they need cases to be brought in to justify keeping those paychecks coming in.

In addition, revenue monies are tight for municipalities right now, so fees and fines are important to government coffers.

Here's my take on how such thing as state registration of pilots may go down:

Somebody at the Governor's office or city hall decides that it's time to crack down on aircraft registrations and pilot registration, because the fee money isn't coming in...so they assign beat cops to patrol the airports more often. After all, it's post 9/11.

They arrest a pilot without a state pilot registration.

The pilot is booked, then a court date is set. However, the district or city attorney has decided to make an offer. Pay 500 bucks and the charge is reduced to a Class C or D misdemeanor, no jail time, record is expunged in five years if no further law violations occur. That's a deal!

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What is the pilot going to do? Hire Johnny Cochran? Nope...he/she'll pay. Not having to suffer the cost of a trial, almost makes this 500 bucks seem like free money to the government. And nobody is going to spend 3,000 bucks or more in hiring a lawyer to save their butt unless there's jail time involved...so the plea arrangement is going to be taken without so much as a thought of going to court.

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[Metro752]

it isn't legal to tax a federal license, so you Mr. Cheesehead Caravan Driver, pay it if you want.

 

[FN FAL]

it isn't legal to tax a federal license, so you Mr. Cheesehead Caravan Driver, pay it if you want.

They aren't taxing your license, it's a "fee". And in addition, they are primarily placing the fee on a resident's operation of a vehicle in their state. Which they have every authority to do. If you don't believe states can't regulate vehicle operation, grab one of those 4.99 a 36 pack of Olympia and taxi about the airport tossing the beer cans out the storm window. The local cops will be taxing that ass.

 

[Metro752]

I'm not taxiing with beer cans going out of the windows.

the paper says you have to pay $10 to support the IL thing where they tell you about important stuff. The only thing I have ever gotten from or see or heard about the IL Department of Aviation is a postcard asking for $10. Never said anything abouty any penatly.


oh and just in case they find out who I am I am going to pay the $5 half year fee, our of scaredness cuz FN-FAL brings up a good point about the squart-system in Amerkina

 

[FN FAL]

I'm not taxiing with beer cans going out of the windows.

the paper says you have to pay $10 to support the IL thing where they tell you about important stuff. The only thing I have ever gotten from or see or heard about the IL Department of Aviation is a postcard asking for $10. Never said anything abouty any penatly.

Did you expect a visit from the Illinois Bureau of Investigation so they could explain how it's not polite to kill someone in the state of illinois?

They don't want you to pay the five or ten bucks, what's the profit margin in that? They want you to get caught violating, so they can ask for the bigger money at a plea agreement.

 

[Metro752]

otay otay otay!

Just in case they find out who I am I am going to pay the $5 half year fee, our of scaredness cuz FN-FAL brings up a good point about the squart-system in Amerkina

jeebus, so much for that ounce of rebellion in me!

 

[FN FAL]

otay otay otay!

Just in case they find out who I am I am going to pay the $5 half year fee, our of scaredness cuz FN-FAL brings up a good point about the squart-system in Amerkina

jeebus, so much for that ounce of rebellion in me!

I'm not saying I agree with what Illinois is doing, but it is a Class A Misdemeanor.

It's almost like the mafia thugs that go to business owners and demand "protection" money, Isn't it?

 

[Metro752]

yes it is

 

[FN FAL]

yes it is

Not too long ago, I got hit with the realization that my state was charging an annual fee on corporations and that I was delinquent and subject to having my corporation dissolved by the state. They charged me an extra 50 bucks plus the 25 dollar annual fee to get things back on track. This was a result of a new law that had passed and I missed the notification because I never filed a change of address for the co.

It was this incident that got me thinking, all you have to do as a government to create employment for people is create a fee for things or concepts, then hire someone to manage the reception of fees and the application and administration of the registry. If the fees cover the cost of administration, plus a nice profit for the government, what a deal! Plus, it's not like you can go to their competitor without moving to another state, that is.