"USER FEES" Opposed in USA - "LJH", Please TAKE NOTE!

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Courtesy of AVweb's NewsWire service;

Under the heading... "BIZAV UNITES TO OPPOSE USER FEES"...
'Congress must continue to have authority over the FAA,
USER FEES MUST BE AVOIDED, (My Upper Case)
and the General Public-
-WHICH BENEFITS IN BROAD WAYS FROM A ROBUST AVIATION SYSTEM -
(My Upper Case - AGAIN!)
must continue to fund at least 25 to 30 percent of the FAA budget.
So decreed ...President of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
at a press conference yesterday, joined by (the) leaders of the General Aviation Manufacturers Assoc. (GAMA) and the National Air Transportation Assoc. (NATA).

The three said they are willing to pay their fair share of running the system, but they are already doing that by paying fuel taxes, which are easy to collect and efficient to pay......
And so it goes......I remember we HAD a tax here on AVGAS - to fund 'Air Services'. (Well, part of it anyway....)

Now, we have GST - which supposedly goes to 'The States'.
Are there any 'other' taxes on AVGAS / JET A1 here in AUS?

If the 'Good Ole USA' Aviation Business Sector can see the swamp we are descending into - and say something about it - then it begs the question -

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT HERE IN AUS?

Our Aviation Business Sector not 'Big enough'?
Not Enough Votes?
Can the 'User Pays' at ALL COST, be modified / amended, to reflect 'Community Service Obligation' principles - or are they just empty words and Gov. B/S?

CASA Fees?? etc etc

I really do not know....Open to YOUR thoughts, and those of the Politicians
within OUR industry.....:confused:

[DIVINE WIND]

I miss Oz everyday but at the same time I feel more and more inclined to stay overseas as I watch things get worse from a distance. The fearless rulers of our airspace see the major players as their only customers!
The GA pulse is getting weaker everyday. If I went back a couple of years and tried to keep a job in NT whilst also paying fee's for medicals and also trying to get my ATP subjects done, It would be almost, if not impossible. It was hard enough then.
In such a vast wide open country it is hard to understand why we don't having alot more GA. We are simply discouraged.
I know that alot of you have your thoughts on the US. Yes it's cheaper and there are 300 million people, but people in the US are encouraged to fly and Private pilots are also more than likely than pilots in any other country to pursue IFR training. The airspace over here is tight but at the same time it still handles GA without transmitting a simple "No" like you may experience in a major Australian city.
I don't know what the answer is, but it upsets me that we (private and professional) are just treated like over priviledged wankers by the Govt.
Will all future career pilots be able to follow the bush hour building route or will airlines one day only be hiring cadets (pay for training of course!)

R.I.P. Australian GA.

P.S. hiring a C-172 in NE USA is about US$125-130/hr. What is it in Oz now?

[Jug47]

User fee's will no doubt cause even more decline. It is suprising that this thread has not created more replies. I have been browsing prune for some time but this is my first post. This issue is something that gets on my nerves but at the same time I am not surpised that it's happening. This will affect many but unfortunately many of us who move up the ranks to CPL and later ATPL no longer give a **** and the public thinks that all small aircraft are a danger to us all. This is certainly an easy decision for the govt. They have the publics ignorance on their side along with a piss poor opposition.
No doubt the the power struggles will continue whilst we continue to make endless and useless changes to the system.
I would certainly like to continue flying after retirement but doubt the costs can justify it.

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

G'day 'DW',
From the Royal Aero Club of WA site........
C172;
Trng. - Solo $160.60 Dual $222.20
Pvt - Cash $134.75 Charge $160.60
Plus...Jandakot Landing Fees - Full Stop $20.50, Touch&Go $3.00
Does this illustrate the point?.....:{
Cheers:ok:

[SM4 Pirate]

http://washingtontimes.com/business/20060308-091004-2308r.htm

Seems the 'commercial industry' doesn't agree Griffo!

Who won the debate here? Did the privateers even object to getting rid of the fuel tax, did they lobby for it to be removed?