So the FAA wants to remove Congressional oversight as a condition of
implementing NextGen ATC privatization. Given the current poor
performance of LocMart's AFSS privatization, hopefully Congress will
see the light.

CONGRESS TOLD FAA LACKS ROAD MAP FOR NEXTGEN

The FAA says that the current national airspace system won't be
able to handle the expected tripling of air traffic by 2025, and
there's generally no disagreement among stakeholders about the
need for ATC modernization. But it is how we get there that is the
big problem. In opening statements before a hearing Wednesday
morning on ATC modernization, House Subcommittee on Aviation
Chairman Jerry Costello, D-Ill., brought up the FAA's poor track
record of previous ATC modernization projects and promptly added
that "vigorous congressional oversight" will be needed for
NextGen. DOT Inspector General Calvin Scovel testified

(http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?fi...-508_FINAL.pdf)
that NextGen is a "high-risk effort" that will "involve
billion-dollar investments by both the government and airspace
users." During questioning, he submitted that the FAA and Joint
Planning Development Office (JPDO) need to have a detailed R&D
plan developed before Congress can properly appropriate funding
for ATC modernization.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195171

On Fri, 04 May 2007 17:12:04 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in :



It looks like the airlines are getting panicky over the threat of
smaller air carriers' ability to provide good service to smaller
airports:


FAA REAUTHORIZATION: NEW BILL IN PLAY

With the FAA's proposal to restructure the way it's financed facing a
broad array of opposition, Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Trent
Lott, R-Miss., have come up with their own solution, The Hill
(http://thehill.com/business--lobby/r...007-05-01.html)
reported on Tuesday. Their bill is expected to be introduced in the
Senate later this week. It exempts piston-driven aircraft from user
fees and new taxes, but would shift a considerable share of costs off
the airlines and onto smaller turbine aircraft. The Alliance for
Aviation Across America (http://aviationacrossamerica.org/), a
recently formed alliance of groups opposed to user fees, has already
expressed "grave concerns" about the new bill.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#195121


On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 14:45:17 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in :



Don't be fooled by the Divide And Conquer strategy of the pro ATC
privatization crowed. How long do you think piston aircraft will
remain exempt? Is there going to be a non-negotiable guarantee, that
once ATC is privatized, piston aircraft will REMAIN exempt from user
fees? I have heard no mention of such a guarantee.

It is definitely what is not mentioned by the FAA that is most
troubling. Funding this privatized NextGen ATC user fee system will
require both the NextGen and current ATC systems to be funded
simultaneously for years (decades?) until the existing ATC system is
deactivated. That's bad enough, but the privatization proponents are
demanding that the current Congressional oversight of FAA spending be
removed, so they'll have a blank check to fill their bank accounts!

Don't be fooled. Privatized ATC is a big corporate aircraft
manufacturer and airline boondoggle, make no mistake.

Currently airliners are lined-up nightly for over a thousand miles
nose-to-tail (within separation standards) all the way from Oklahoma
on their way to KLAX. How many more airliners can the NAS truly
accommodate? It is setting this limit, that should be the focus of
this discussion.