Originally Posted by
Dave Gittins
There isn't an airfield I've been based at that hasn't had problems, my first lessons were at Ringway, then I flew at Chester, then Barton, then Luton, Fairoaks, Lee-on Solent and now Redhill.
I don't think private flying is on it's deathbed at all, it just has ebbs and flows and lots of issues and it's expensive. If the government could be persuaded to give up the paltry amount of overall tax it takes from 100 LL we could all be flying a lot more and the whole industry saved. Grant Shapps .. how about it ?
Funny you should mention that as that is precisely what the Transport Secretary is looking to do. Tax revenue from AVGAS is roughly £10m per year. There is no way Treasury is going to zero-rate it and it is not in the Transport Secretary's gift to change that. What he is asking, however, is exactly what you have suggested - to have that £10m tax revenue re-invested into GA. The GA Unit at the DfT (as opposed to the CAA's GA Unit), used to have one fulltime person and one part time. Following Grant's appointment the department now numbers more than 25 people. If he's still in place following the G.E. then expect to see further developments for GA. Whatever your politics are, Grant is certainly the first TS I've come across who a) recognises the issues that GA faces in the UK (including a shrinking airfield infrastructure), and b) is prepared to do something about it.