User Fees are coming closer to being very real

Unless you're suggesting that the current fuel taxes would/should be
eliminated under the "User's Fee" plan? I wouldn't oppose that,
philosophically, although such a tax collection system would be
incredibly less efficient than the current one.

That may work but I have heard no details about the "user fee" system.
If they charge for weather briefings then many people will stop
calkling in. If they charge for filing a flight plan then those are
likely to plummet.

If they charge for flight following (which I use) then expect that to
drop as well.

Overall a user fee is likely to decrease safety.

Imagine when I fly above 00V now I talk to Springs Approach so that
they know where I am and in doing so I am able to help minimize
impacts to air carriers flying into COS. If they decide to charge for
that I might just quit talking with them which may impact flights into
COS as they divert around an unverified target. Note that I often fly
higher than commercial traffic as it passes 00V.

We shall see what happens.

Ron Lee

That may work but I have heard no details about the "user fee" system.
If they charge for weather briefings then many people will stop
calkling in. If they charge for filing a flight plan then those are
likely to plummet.

If they charge for flight following (which I use) then expect that to
drop as well.

Overall a user fee is likely to decrease safety.

Precisely.

Which is why (even if it starts out differently) user's fees won't be
restricted to voluntary stuff. They will have to apply to mandatory
things -- like takeoffs and landings -- simply because otherwise the
bureaucratic economics won't add up when pilots stop using the voluntary
things.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Aviation has ALWAYS been a wealthy man's endeavor. In the 1950's a new
Cessna cost about what a small house cost. Same today.

As for ATC, I'd hate to see user services like landing fees, but
frankly, if I stay VFR, and out of D, C, or B airspace, I can fly all
over the country and never even use ATC services. If they truly are so
costly (and I don't think they really are, if you look at it as adding
on the GA use to the airline NEED), I can do without them.

I just flew Colorado to Mississippi and flew with another airplane that
filed IFR and all the ATC stuff. I didn't file a flight plan or talk to
ATC the whole way (I DO listen). When the ceilings looked a little low
I just tuned in ASOS's from airports in front of me, and upon hearing
they were 5000 AGL was encouraged that I could proceed safely.
Meanwhile my buddy is getting vectored up into the clouds and around
all the MOA's (I just fly throught them, never even SEEN a plane in
one, it's near airports where you see planes). We both got there
safely. Neither of us is right or wrong, just different ways of doing
things. .....

But, yeah, aviation is an expensive endeavor. Somewhere around $100 per
hour to fly the average small GA aircraft. And that is expensive fun,
no matter what you compare it to, though we don't like to admit
it.......