"Peter" wrote in message
...

We have a similar debate running here in the UK.

The outfit that runs privatised ATC (NATS) reckons they spend some
millions providing ATS services outside CAS, and they want to charge
GA for it.

There is a lot of resistance, unsuprisingly since GA in the UK is very
small and is in a poor financial state. Also there is no obligation to
use any service when OCAS. To top it, when one asks for a service, it
is often not provided, or the one that is provided is Flight Info
which is of almost zero value (no radar). Occassionally one can get
radar, but much of the time it is refused. If NATS charged for ATS
OCAS, they would then (it has been argued) be contractually bound to
provide it, and they really hate that prospect.

So the cost of provision ATS OCAS falls onto the airlines, and they
don't like it (even though it is only a few million, about 1% of
British Airways profit).

Recently, a proposal for en route charges was abandoned. There was
going to be a VFR and IFR charge, possibly. Currently only IFR over
2000kg MTOW pays, and that remains. The only way to collect or enforce
a VFR flying charge would be an annual/quarterly lump sum.

A lot of people thought Mode S (mandatory for IFR 2007, VFR 2009) will
be used to spy on people for collecting en-route charges - but the
required radar coverage doesn't exist by a very long way.

It's all a bit silly since one can fly VFR anytime except at night, so
2000kg+ private operators can fly OCAS (even non-radio), or VFR
anywhere if at all possible, to avoid paying. In Class G nobody cares
what you do so you can be in IMC (which is always IFR) but if you
don't tell anybody nobody will know - just as long as you can land
"VFR". Not a good safety incentive...

One UK CAA proposal was to stick the VFR (or sub-2000kg IFR) en route
charge on the annual Radio License fee.


That doesn't seem all that similar. In the US FSS primarily provides
weather briefings, updates, and relays some ATC communications. Things that
are either available now from private companies or could easily be
automated.