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Old 1st January 2010 | 10:10
  #9 (permalink)  
IO540
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From: EuroGA.org
I'd like to see AVGAS and AVTUR duty scrapped on the basis the money this government has raised doesn't appear to be re-invested into developing and providing services in aviation infrastructure for the general public - specifically free landing/approach fees, reduced CAA fees, and the presence of a widespread Class-E airspace system to provide separation to light aircraft in IMC.
This will never happen in the UK, which is why it is virtually impossible for any GA airfield to make ends meet while doing any reasonable level of maintenance. Hence we get "places" like Elstree.

It will also ensure that GPS approaches will be "for ever" irrelevant in the UK because they need full ATC, and the only way to get around full ATC would be to contract with a nearby radar (or perhaps procedural) unit to provide the approach procedure service (which is how it works in the USA) and that - privatised - unit's billing for that service will always be prohibitive... Biggin Hill probably pays best part of £100k p.a. to Thames Radar but they have enough high-end traffic there.

Quite a problem! And with powerful interests wanting to keep things the way they are. Safety doesn't come into it at all, of course.
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