Mate since the days of regulatory dismemberment its all been backwards.
In the good 'ol US of A the airlines (pax) have paid for the WHOLE system with GA (inc corporate) riding along on the basis that their "load" on the system compared to the airlines, is in the scheme of things, irrelevant.
There is a movement by the US Govt to go GA user pays which is causing a bit of angst as the GA/airline "load" ratio has not significantly changed. It is also based on a review of the whole airline passenger taxation revenue system that has been supporting the FAA forever.
Go here for the full drama:
http://www.aopa.org/faafundingdebate/
AOPA US who now have way over 400,000 members, 400 staff, a seriously big bank balance and seriously respected clout are not going down easy neither is the equally powerful NBAA.
Lil Johnny must have been comparing notes with his mate George Dubya.
In any event the whole regulatory system exists for the airlines, that GA could ride off it should never have been an issue in Australia nor become one in the US.
I seem to recall a GA mantra that was sung from the rafters which went something like "pay your own way, have your own say" ?? which is fine and beaut, but you shouldn't complain when you do have to pay. Now as a businessman I hardly ever look a gift horse in the mouth, one can only wonder why those responsible for that concept thought it was a good idea.
I digress, the cat was out of the bag when the DCA was split up, and Airservices became, well, a service provider, required to operate at a profit. It will not go back in the bag easily.
The airlines dont run Airservices and if you look at the GA portion of thier revenue its hardly worth the costs of collecting it.
IMHO the "airlines wont cop it routine" is empty rhetoric and polemic. If ADSB is going to save Airservices therefore the users, GA heaps, it must be saving the airlines squillions. Lets see the data before we fall for that one shall we.
Like your "Timbuktu" isn't it obvious our betters
new better.
Stampede/frighten the proletariate on to the guns shall we, then we can "save" them. Works every time.
