Doug Carter wrote:

wrote:

The last I recall, in the now-five-year-old program for 500 GPS approaches a
year, some 70-80% of those were established (and are being established) for
airports that have no commercial operations except perhaps for a very
infrequent Part 135 arrival.

It does not follow that an airport without Part 121 and
infrequent Part 135 operations has no economic value.

No doubt about it, and I did not imply that. Nonetheless, a 3,000' runway at
Podunk, Iowa, with two GPS approaches, represents a signifgicant federal subsidy
to the users of that airport. Those users who use it in conjunction with their
business or perhaps for an Angel flight, etc, indeed contriubute to the economy.
The guy who uses it to fly for $100 hamburgers (or, are they $200 hamburgers these
days?) is getting subsidized without his flight contributing very much to the
economy. I'm not suggesting it's right or wrong. I certainly have used the
system like that a lot over the years.