Many posts have refered to the costs. It must be made clear that the user bares NO costs within the US system barring any taxes etc from fuel sales/ hangar tie down fees etc at airports. The airpace system is funded entirely by govt infrastructure spending.
Since John Howard come to power, his agender has been to privatise much of the public infrastructure from telecomunications to aviation, which has resulted in higher costs to the user, and not lower as advertised. This industry, probably cannot self fund the infrastructure (airspce/air services) due to its limited size, from fuel taxes etc. If we want a US system it is clear that a lot more federal money needs to be spent.
If a wholesale adoption of the US system is taken on and properly funded by the government, then the users will bare no costs from Flight Services (weather/flight planning/briefing/filing of flight plans etc.), the absence of landing fees for GA, no airspace charges, no approach charges and an airpace system that encourages VFR use of ATC and caters for VFR and IFR alike.
US system = NO COST to the GA user. Stop privatising Aviation infrastructure and start spending that budget surplus.
MJB
Last edited by mjbow2; 21st Apr 2004 at 02:32.