Will they ban GA?

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

With all the recent crashes, general public must be getting pretty paranoid...just two today...


Florida...


Delaware

 

[Hippie]

Ban General Aggravation?

I highly doubt that at all.

Most GA pilots vote, most GA pilots are AOPA members or members of some other flying org/club/frat.

Besides what would be gained by banning GA, simply because of a couple of accidents?

Who would be hurt the most from a GA ban?

Who would benefit the most from a GA ban?

To ban GA would all but ensure several politicians going into retirement sooner than expected.

Who provides the most pilots to the commercial world, corporate/airlines/charter/ag/etc…

The military?

To ban GA would be one hell of a mistake.

Hippie

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

I sure hope you're right...

 

[ShawnC]

I don't think there will ever be a ban, but there might be a ton of restrictions, if pilots don't think and prevent the problems that they can control before they start.

 

[DIRT]

Banning GA

I don't think the government will ban GA but how easy would it be for the FAA to come up with a rule like every GA airplane regardless of size must have TCAS or something that through sheer expense alone would ground most GA airplanes. Implementing rules like that would eliminate most GA owners and put most small flight schools out of business. So I think it is a real possibility the goverment can regulate GA into extinction.

Shawnc is right to an extent but in the end airplanes do and will continue to have accidents but until the media stops it's obsession with airplane crashes the masses will continue to have a negative view of "little airplanes."

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
I don't think that GA will ever be banned either, nor do I believe that the FAA would ever come up with a scheme to make it cost prohibitive. There are too many forces in congress that would ensure our survival. When it comes right down to it, almost every pilot has some association with GA. GA is in fact the largest sector in aviation and employs more people, pays more taxes and fees and is also a business multiplier (just some buzzword there I thought I'd throw in).
TCAS in a 172? Well, looking at it from a business side it was the insurance companies that were the driving force in how the C-172SP was equipped. While TCAS might seem absurd to some it might be something that the insurance companies would demand in the future under the premise of safety. The real enemy of GA is not the FAA, but greedy insurance companies and ambulance chasing lawyers. Had it not been for the GARA (General Aviation Revitalization Act) the newest airplane we'd be flying would be 20 years old.

Just my .02 cents,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[ShawnC]

Mica is a wolf and sheep clothing. The guy is a closet democrat, so he has to be watched when it comes to safety issues, because democrats are famous for passing stupid laws because there is safety in it.

Nothing against him personally but with the way he votes, and some of the speechs I have heard him give, it really gives me that impression.

 

[DIRT]

Kaman,
I agree with your point about insurance companies but there is not a single law that I know of forcing aircraft owners to have any sort of insurance. I still think there is lots of political pressure out there to limit GA. Just one example is the mayor of Chicago wants a permanent TFR over the city.... this is just one example of very important people that don't understand GA that want to eliminate/restrict it. With enough political pressure they can at the very least make it difficult for us. Have you ever flown in Europe and seen how restrictive flying is over there? I personally have not but I have many Europenan colleagues that fly for fun in Europe and they cannot believe how easy we have it here. So yes I do believe it is entirely plausible for the FAA to greatly limit GA through regulation.

 

[Snakum]

nor do I believe that the FAA would ever come up with a scheme to make it cost prohibitive.

They don't have to ... it already is for most folks. I realize that we have it LOTS better than the Europeans but it is still rather steep.

I think we should thank AOPA that it hasn't gotten any worse. And on that note ... EVERY SINGLE PILOT should become a member of AOPA and help support those who protect what we all love to do.

Minh