Jim Macklin wrote:
The FAA and ATC exist to serve the military. The airlines
are a justification on the budget. GA is forced to use ATC
because in the past 50-60 years the FAA expanded the scope
of controlled airspace to be everywhere. 25 years ago there
were large areas that were uncontrolled below 14.500 feet.


Your not the only one to make the argument that the FAA exists to serve
the military. The last time that was factually correct was during World
War II.

It is all about the airlines.

As to controlled airspace, what adverse impact does lowering Class E
airspace below 14,500 (known at one time as the Continental Control
Area) have on GA? What imposition does Class E impose upon the VFR
pilot, other than to have the transponder turned on?

As to IFR operations, light aircraft would be precluded from using the
system without Class E airspace below 14,500.

I started flying IFR in 1956. We didn't even have to have a radio to go
into most towered airports then. But, the folks I flew for in the early
days didn't think that was very smart so we had radios.

Airways were far more limited then and direct routing off airways was
usually impossible because of the lack of controlled airspace beyond the
limits of the airways. We have a lot more flexible system today for IFR
operations because of large areas of Class E airspace.

Class B and C airspace comprises a very small percentage of the total
airspace in the country. Those classes were not established to enhance
IFR operations; rather, they were enacted to mitigate collision risk.
Most of the world had some type of restrictive terminal control areas
before the FAA went there.