Longtimer is correct. There can be no profit motive for Nav Canada. By law, it is a non-share capital corporation, and the service fees it collects must be used to pay for operating costs, retire debt from buying the air navigation service from the federal government, and to develop the system. I wrote to "
[email protected]" to obtain copies of their annual reports and business plan. Interesting reading.
I also attended some of the briefings and consultations about the development of the FIC's in '99, and I was at the Calgary Flying Club in January when the nav can guys were there for a whole week having meetings about Springbank FSS.
Best answer to all this FSS closure stuff is to inform yourself. Call navcan at their toll free numbers. I found out that Transport is very much in agreement with the FIC's, and COPA has given its blessing, with some reservations i.e. "Prove it".
Sure, you could write to Art Laflamme, but he'd write back and tell you that the FIC's are government approved, and he'd probably say that you should read as much as you can about navcan before you complain about stuff for which you are short of info. (at least, that's the word I got !!) When I called the toll free customer service line, Navcan sent me so much stuff I took a long time to read it, and I like what I read.
See ya!
MPK
P.S. Read the web site, and check out the weather products. Awesome ! Then get a FIC briefing and see what's to come. I don't want to sound like a cheerleader, cause I'm a real "show me" guy, but Transport would never be able to do what Navcan is doing.
JMHO
MPK
