If user fees go into effect I'm done

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 21:41:19 -0000, Dylan Smith
wrote in
:

On 2007-02-10, Mxsmanic wrote:
Europeans are already accustomed to having their lives run for them by
bureaucrats (now in several layers both domestic and international). It
does
not occur to them to _resist_ things. The ones who were willing to
resist
injustices and incompetence crossed the Atlantic and Pacific centuries
ago.

Europeans do actually resist - as evidenced by the massive response to
the CAA's Mode S transponder proposals. However, the GA population is so
small it is effectively disenfranchised - the CAA basically responded
'well we're going to do it anyway so there'. When you are 50,000 voters
out of an electorate of 40 million, your opinion counts for nothing -
especially when the CAA is leaned on heavily by moneyed corporate
interests like the airlines - the executives of which can remove their
donations to political parties if the CAA doesn't do what they want.

In the end your only option if you don't like the CAA is to move
somewhere else (typically the US). However, most pilots like enough
_other_ things about their own country that they aren't prepared to move
over just a single issue.

A couple of years ago the Eurocrat politicians tried to bring in a
constitution to harmonise Europe. The people voted it out thankfully.Well in
this case the Dutch and the French.
The politicians got a real bloody nose. It has not stopped them trying to
bring it in again, but they are in a state od shambles.

People power.

On 2007-02-13, Chris wrote:
A couple of years ago the Eurocrat politicians tried to bring in a
constitution to harmonise Europe. The people voted it out thankfully.Well in
this case the Dutch and the French.
The politicians got a real bloody nose. It has not stopped them trying to
bring it in again, but they are in a state od shambles.

The US constitution begins: "We the people..."

The proposed EU constitution begins: "HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE
BELGIANS..."

I think that tells you all you need to know about why it was
resoundingly rejected by 'we the people', despite the good bits (yes,
the EU constitution actually has some good bits).

In principle, I think that the EU is a good idea.
I like the idea of free movement of *PEOPLE* and goods. I like the fact
that I can move to, say, the Czech republic and work there with no
restrictions. However, the other political baggage of the EU is not so
welcome. While I would in principle like to see European countries be in
a close alliance, I strongly object to the way the EU is run now - it's
an undemocratic, unaccountable bureaucrat's gravy train. The
constitution starting with "His Majesty the King of the Belgians" just
goes on to rub this in - the EU is not being run by the people for the
people, it's just a bureaucrat's charter.

--
Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid.
Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de

On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:13:54 -0000, "Chris"
wrote in :


A couple of years ago the Eurocrat politicians tried to bring in a
constitution to harmonise Europe. The people voted it out thankfully.Well in
this case the Dutch and the French.
The politicians got a real bloody nose. It has not stopped them trying to
bring it in again, but they are in a state od shambles.

People power.


It would appear that US Airmen have an opportunity to address their
questions and recommendations on the subject of the proposed Next
Generation Air Transportation System:


NEXT-GENERATION ATC SYMPOSIUM SET
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194461)
The RTCA will host a two-day symposium on the Next Generation Air
Transportation System and how its evolution will be integrated
into everyday flight operations next month in Washington, D.C. The
symposium -- "Operational Evolution Partnership (OEP): The Bridge
to NextGen," -- is scheduled for March 13 and 14 in the Ronald
Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown D.C.
The event is designed to bring together officials from the FAA,
DOD, private industry, airlines, the European Air Traffic Alliance
and other members of the aviation community to examine the
restructured Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) and the
OEP's inter-relationship with the Next Generation Air
Transportation System (NextGen). The symposium will focus on
operational concepts, requirements, policies and procedures, not
on labor and cost issues. The RTCA, formerly the Radio Technical
Commission for Aeronautics, is a private, not-for-profit
corporation functioning as a Federal Advisory Committee for the
FAA.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194461


The symposium schedule is available he
http://www.rtca.org/symposium/symposium2007.asp

Cost of registration is ~$500.00.

To enhance the value of the Symposium, each attendee is asked to
identify THE most important question or issue on which he or she
would like community senior executives to comment. The question
form is included as part of your registration. These questions
will provide the basis for the March 14th senior executive panel
discussion.

It seems that AOPA president Phil Boyer will be moderator of that hour
and a half session. Perhaps we could submit our questions to him for
consideration by the panelists.

Personally, I'd like to know:

1. what measures are being planned to insure solar disturbances
will not render the proposed satellite based system inoperable?

2. How will Mode S spoofing be prevented?

3. What new equipment will likely be imposed on GA airspace users
as a result of NextGen implementation?

4. Will the 'broken' Military Training Route policy be addressed.

5. What personnel will be employed to man the NextGen system
while it is running in parallel with the currently understaffed
ATC system?

6. Why must congressional oversight of FAA expenditures be
relinquished for NextGen to be implemented?

7. What is the current strategy for integrating UAV technology
into the NextGen plan?

8. What will be the plight of Certified NORDO aircraft in the
NextGen system?

....

The answers may be contained in these documents:
http://www.rtca.org/downloads/Listof...EB_dec2006.htm
but who can afford the cost to purchase the documents in order to do
the research?



http://www.rtca.org/
RTCA, Inc.

RTCA, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit corporation that develops
consensus-based recommendations regarding communications,
navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management (CNS/ATM)
system issues. RTCA functions as a Federal Advisory Committee. Its
recommendations are used by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) as the basis for policy, program, and regulatory decisions
and by the private sector as the basis for development, investment
and other business decisions.

Organized in 1935 as the Radio Technical Commission for
Aeronautics, RTCA today includes roughly 335 government, industry
and academic organizations from the United States and around the
world. Member organizations represent all facets of the aviation
community, including government organizations, airlines, airspace
users and airport associations, labor unions, plus aviation
service and equipment suppliers. A sampling of our domestic
membership includes the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Line
Pilots Association, Air Transport Association of America, Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association, ARINC Incorporated, Avwrite, The
Boeing Company, Department of Defense, GARMIN International,
Rockwell International, Stanford University, Lockheed Martin, MIT
Lincoln Laboratory, MITRE/CAASD, Harris Corporation, NASA,
National Business Aviation Association, and Raytheon.

Because RTCA interests are international in scope, many non-U.S.
government and business organizations also belong to RTCA. We
currently are supported by over 100 International Associates such
as Airservices Australia, Airways Corporation of New Zealand,
Airbus, the Chinese Aeronautical Radio Electronics Research
Institute (CARERI), EUROCONTROL, NAV Canada, Bombardier Aerospace,
Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies, Thales Avionics Limited,
Centre for Airborne Systems-Bangalore, the United Kingdom Civil
Aviation Authority and many more.

RTCA has proven to be an excellent means for developing government
/ industry consensus on contemporary CNS/ATM issues.


Task Forces
Occasionally, RTCA is asked by the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration to develop industry consensus on a broad
gauged strategic issue. Examples of completed Task Force issues
include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Transition and
Implementation Strategy, Transition to Digital Communications,
Free Flight Implementation and Certification.


Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee
The Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee's (ATMAC) purpose is
to provide the Federal Aviation Administration with
consensus-based, recommended investment priorities that will
improve the safety, capacity and/or efficiency of the United
States air transportation system.

Public and private sector operational requirements, coupled with
the current and expected availability of public and private sector
funding, are the fundamental criteria upon which ATMAC
deliberations and recommendations are based. International
interoperability is also a major consideration. System life cycle
costs development, acquisition, facility and equipment
modification, training, operation and maintenance and removal from
service serve as the basis for the economic aspects of the
committee's deliberations.

The timing and inter-relationship of government and industry
actions are considered while developing recommendations.


Program Management Committee
Our most frequent requests are for RTCA to establish a new,
special committee to recommend Minimum Operational Performance
Standards (MOPS) or appropriate technical guidance documents. MOPS
are developed by RTCA and become the basis for certification. When
these requests are received, RTCA's Program Management Committee
(PMC) discusses the topic and, based on consensus, initiates
Special Committee action.


Special Committees
Essentially all RTCA products are developed by issue-oriented
Special Committees staffed by volunteers. As with all Federal
Advisory Committee activities, Special Committee meetings are
publicly announced and open to participation by anyone with an
interest in the topic under consideration. During Special
Committee meetings, volunteers from government and industry
explore the operational and technical ramifications of the
selected topic and develop consensus-based recommendations. These
recommendations are then presented to the RTCA Program Management
Committee, which either approves the Special Committee report or
directs additional Special Committee work. Approved
recommendations are published and made available for sale to
members and to the public.

Easy access to updates on committee activities and related
subjects is available on the RTCA web site and in the Digest,
which is published every two months.

Through the years, RTCA has received several awards for its
service to the aviation community. The organization was awarded
the 1949 Collier Trophy for "A guide plan for the development of a
system of air navigation and traffic control for safe and
unlimited aircraft operations under all weather conditions."
Additionally, in 1994, the FAA named RTCA, Inc. as the U.S.
recipient of the ICAO 50th anniversary Medal of Honour. This
unique recognition identified RTCA as the single most important
U.S. contributor organization to the advancement and support of
civil aviation since the creation of ICAO by the Chicago
Convention in 1944.

RTCA, Inc.
1828 L Street, NW
Suite 805
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-833-9339
Fax: 202-833-9434

WATCHDOG WORRIES ABOUT NGATS
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194481)
The FAA's Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) is making
progress toward the lofty goal of reinventing the National Airspace
System, but there's a minefield of coordination, budget and
implementation issues ahead, according to a report
(http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?fi.../av2007031.pdf)
from the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General.
OIG said the creation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System
(NGATS) is "an extraordinarily complex and high-risk effort given the
potential multibillion-dollar investments by FAA and airspace users."
While there seems to be an overall plan to coordinate a bunch of
agencies toward the goal of accommodating three times the air traffic
of today by 2025, the OIG worries that there's a lack of specific
direction within those agencies to make sure the work actually gets
done. The OIG is naturally interested in just how the FAA is going to
invest all those billions of dollars in NGATS equipment and
facilities, but it's also concerned about the financial impact on
those who will use the system.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#194481