"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Matt Barrow" wrote

The _present_ for of funding is primarily taxes; I prefer the proposed
method of removing ATC out from under the tutalage of Congress and making
it self-supporting. Under the present funding/governance, ATC is dead
meat in a just a few years.

I'm not quite sure why that you think this is so inevitable, but I'll
accept that premise for the sake of discussion.

If we knew that this was the only step down the slippery slope that the
new fee structure was going to take, that might not be so terrible.
(unless you are the turboprop user)

The problem is, that I think it is very likely that this will be the first
of the changes that will lead us down the road towards a system like
Europe. That would be a real shame, and that would be putting it mildly.

Trouble is too many people believe the nonsense spouted by AOPA.

In Europe ATC fees are zero for VFR and IFR below 2500kgs, which covers just
about most of the private pilot scene.

Privately owned airfields mean they charge but then what investor would not
charge for their product.

What kills here is the licensing. For example in 2005 in the UK only 65
private pilots got an IR in 2006 it went down to 23.

10 exam papers, a certified course of study costing about $5000 and a
checkride costing $1300 plus the cost of the specially modified aircraft -
no hoods or foggles allowed. Screens must be used and you can see why we
stay VFR. IR is really for the professional pilots.

to convert my FAA/IR to JAR, I need to do the 10 IR exams , or the 14 ATPL
exams and 15 hours of approved training then do the checkride.

And finally the exams each cost $130 take from 30 minutes to 3 hours to do
and happen every 2 months in one place in the country. page 4
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/AIC%20...0White_140.pdf


So the issue about user fees for flying and comparing with Europe is bunkum.

And again if you can afford to get the licences and certificates to fly in
the airspace, then the costs of doing so are no big deal either.

The other point as well is that in Europe ATC is provided nationally by a
myriad of (22+) bodies from private companies, to private/ public
partnerships to governments. A common charging policy means that no one
can route just through one country for the cheapest costs. All that would
do is increase congestion in certain places with spare capacity in others.
That is a crazy way of utilising resources.

I don't like it, but in the European context where you can pass through 6
countries in 30 minutes and 20 in a 3 hour flight, I cannot see what would
be better.

The US is not Europe, you can fly 7 hours and still not leave the country.