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Take Action - US User Fees are being proposed by the FAA


Jeff Thomas
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Jeff Thomas
Posted
Posted

Ladies & Gentlemen,

 

If you live in the US, and have ANY notion of ever flying IRL, then you better understand what the FAA and some members of Congress (with support from President Bush) are proposing for us, and what the impacts may be.

 

Here is an example IFR flight from England to Germany where they have a lot of user fees to give you an idea of we may face moving ahead:

http://flash.aopa.org/pilot_media_viewer/media/0704userfees/files/video1.html

 

 

For more information:

http://www.aopa.org/faafundingdebate/

 

I encourage you to become involved or at least informed.

 

Jeff

Jeff Thomas

VP-IT

https://joinava.org

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Steve Thomas 1003593
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Posted

Wow I don't fly in real life yet but that's crazy. I'm doing my first flight within this month. Cessna 172 which should be nice. I don't think I'll ever be lucky enough to be in a cockpit heading overseas though. I have a few friends who own barons, pipers, cessnas and a few others that take me up when they have the spare room. Sometimes I help by offsetting the fuel costs with them. Most airports they go into are small and don't have any control let alone fees.

 

I like how they did this video though and the details they went through are nice.

 

Thanks for the link some good info to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] along.

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Dan Everette
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Posted
Sometimes I help by offsetting the fuel costs with them. Most airports they go into are small and don't have any control let alone fees.

 

That would change as well this new funding scheme. A big chunk of airport subsidies from the government would be cut, most of them being the small GA fields. So, when the small, untowered XYZ airport that you so lovingly fly into for free gets it's funding cut, either you start paying more landing/parking/handling fees, or services suddenly become seriously curtailed.

-Dan Everette

CFI, CFII, MEI

Having the runway in sight just at TDZE + 100 is like Mom, Warm cookies and milk, and Christmas morning, all wrapped into one.

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Steve Thomas 1003593
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That's garbage then. Figures just as I'm going to be getting flight hours all these fees will be coming into effect. I'm not that far from you actually so you probably have similar fees down there. I found a local school that does the first flight for 2 hours for around $100-$120. Not bad but with all the new fees everything will go up.

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Kyle Ramsey 810181
Posted
Posted

Don't just get [Mod: You kiss your mother with that mouth?] about it, write your congresspersons, all of them. Let them know you'll vote their sorry rears out in the next round if they vote for this junk. Most projections show the overall FAA funds declining under this program, but the airlines have sold Ms. FAA a pile of hooey. When I was running an FBO a while back, one of my more interesting and steady streams of customers were vacationers from Europe who would take a plane for a week or two, lay out several thousand dollars doing it. They would tell me if they tried it back home that trip, time and distance, would cost 200-300% higher. If this bill p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]es, you can expect the last bastion of general aviation flying to vanish with it.

 

Just say no. Thanks for kicking off the thread Jeff.

 

Kyle Ramsey

AOPA Member

Kyle Ramsey

 

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Dan Everette
Posted
Posted
That's garbage then. Figures just as I'm going to be getting flight hours all these fees will be coming into effect. I'm not that far from you actually so you probably have similar fees down there. I found a local school that does the first flight for 2 hours for around $100-$120. Not bad but with all the new fees everything will go up.

 

First, do NOT let what's going on up on the hill detract you from pursuing a dream. One thing to keep in mind is that these changes (to the FAA's bogus "funding crisis") are only proposed. The AOPA has done a stellar job thus far, and appears to be holding true to their course of protecting pilots. Being the biggest issue on the street since the GA Revitalization Act, AOPA is (just as they did then), putting forth a full court press to show what's really going on. Every dollar I spend (both in membership dues and donations) to AOPA is worth it's weight in platinum.

 

I'd highly recommend just following the news on the AOPA's website (http://www.aopa.org), and become a member if not already. Note: There are numerous other organizations that are shoulder-to-shoulder with AOPA in fighting this, and thanks to them as well.

 

Above all else, continue planning for, and thinking about your dream. Keep up with the bookwork ahead of time, as it will only benefit you in the long run. Not to predict the future, but I don't think this funding scheme will come to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]. I also don't think that we'll get away free. I'm thinking there will be a fuel tax hike, though nothing along the lines of what's proposed.

 

Either way, keep pursuing your dream, watching this issue closely, and calling/writing your elected leadership. If the worst does come to p[Mod - Happy Thoughts], then you (along with every other pilot out there) will have to decide based on what happened, if they will continue to fly at current activity levels.

-Dan Everette

CFI, CFII, MEI

Having the runway in sight just at TDZE + 100 is like Mom, Warm cookies and milk, and Christmas morning, all wrapped into one.

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Dan Everette
Posted
Posted
but the airlines have sold Ms. FAA a pile of hooey.

 

Thanks Kyle! I was sitting here trying to figure out how to sound polite, yet sarcastic in my last post about Marion Blakey. The Ms. FAA fits the tone I was looking for to a tee. Thanks

-Dan Everette

CFI, CFII, MEI

Having the runway in sight just at TDZE + 100 is like Mom, Warm cookies and milk, and Christmas morning, all wrapped into one.

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Steve Thomas 1003593
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Love your tea party video. Great flying and excellent vid. I'm still browsing your vids then I'll check out the pics

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Sean Reeder 961605
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I am very hopeful that what has happened in Europe, doesn't happen here. The FAA should always be funded by the Government and not by the individual pilots.

 

 

It seems anymore, we have less we can do and have to pay more for everything that we do do.

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Steven Perry
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http://www.themainbang.typepad.com/

 

Not focused on GA... but you'll get an idea of just how well the FAA is managed currently.

Steven Perry

VATSIM Supervisor

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Jeff Thomas
Posted
Posted
I'd highly recommend just following the news on the AOPA's website (http://www.aopa.org), and become a member if not already.

 

 

For those of you might think AOPA is ONLY for real life pilots, it is not.

 

I have been a member for 6 years now, and I have ZERO logged time. I think they are a great organization, and I love their resources. They provide a lot for very little investment from me.

 

I too, echo Dan's comments, and encourage anyone who enjoys general aviation to look into becoming a member. It's probably the best $40 I spend all year!

 

Please, write your congresspersons! AOPA has even gone so far as to show you how to scribe a "letter" to send:

http://www.aopa.org/faafundingdebate/contacting_congress.html

 

The number one reason I don't fly for real right now is COST. If they p[Mod - Happy Thoughts] this, I will NEVER be able to fly.

 

 

Jeff

Jeff Thomas

VP-IT

https://joinava.org

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  • 2 weeks later...
Ryan Strad 827369
Posted
Posted

I hear congress is meeting on this in a couple of weeks! We shall see what happens!

Ryan Strad

ZOA - Senior Controller

ATC-CTI Student

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Stephen Keskitalo 977981
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I just found a pertinent AP article on Yahoo.

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Steven Perry
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I just found a pertinent AP article on Yahoo.

 

It does seem odd that the money is doled out to the reliever airports (that's an official FAA designation, by the way)... but the alternative this article seems to suggest is that we close down all 4000+ small airports and make everyone fly into the 100 or so major airport in urban areas. That won't cause any problems. We'll just need 23 runways and 5 more control towers at DFW.

Steven Perry

VATSIM Supervisor

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Scott Johnston 890281
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Marion Blakely is a moron, and that's all I have to say about that.

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Dustin Robbins 887494
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Marion Blakely is a moron, and that's all I have to say about that.

"Blakey" And yes, user fees would absolutely kill off GA.

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Scott Johnston 890281
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Marion Blakely is a moron, and that's all I have to say about that.

"Blakey" And yes, user fees would absolutely kill off GA.

She doesn't deserve to have her name spelled correctly.

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