Last week I wrote - "Well folks, it looks as if all the efforts may have been worthwhile. There are unconfirmed reports that the Eurocontrol council of ministers have totally rejected the proposal to levy charges for using the SES concept on VFR flights or on IFR flights in aircraft of less than 2MT. In other words the current situation as has been the case since Eurocontrol started charging back in the 1970's."
After attending the CAA seminar at Manchester it rather looks as though those unconfirmed reports were in error. In fact due to the UK governments refusal to pick up the tag of exempting UK aircraft flying VFR and IFR if under 2MT in terms of paying the ANSP for their costs we will ALL be stuck with EUROCONTROL charges for all of our flying. I suppose there may be some letouts to be announced but do not hold your breath if you fly any GA aircraft, powered or otherwise: heavier or lighter than air.
Hope fully when they look at the complexity of any charging scheme they will back off but I really doubt it.
We tried - we really did.
Commiserations,
Trapper 69
