Andrew Sarangan wrote:


NACO charts are free. It is like free medical care. It is a great
system and works wonderfully. It has inspired many products and
services that don't exist in countries that have user fees. User fees
will wipe all of them except the big ones (like Jepp) and service will
deteriorate.


For those who don't remember, NACO used to be NOAA, which was not part
of the FAA. Several years ago, the department (Commerce I believe) that
owned NOAA wanted to do away with the charting entity; i.e., no more
government charts except for those charts the direct beneficaries wanted
to pony up to save.

A lot of folks thought at the time that the FAA would pick up Sectionals
and perhaps WACs because no one else charts aeronautical topo/nav
charts. The FAA was flush enough at the time to pick up the entire
charting unit.

Next phase will likely be to equate NACO IFR products with Sectionals;
i.e., Sectionals cost quite a bit in paper format.

Once user fees take hold the NACO IFR products will be priced out of
existence.

The airlines have always driven the aviation agenda in this country.
And, they are now broke for the most part and the prime mover behind
user fees.