411A - I am willing to bet without a doubt that your fuel price is not under $4.00/gal., anywhere in the US. Besides our flight department we own our own FBO and purchase fuel from Phoenix fuels on a regualr basis in bulk and the fact is that the base price of fuel, before taxes is close to $4.00/gal. When you add in all the taxes the actual fuel cost is around 50 cents higher. Dont know who you are trying to fool, but seeing that this is an aviation forum you have to bet that most people on here can detect bulls..t from the truth.
I myself am American (a very ashamed one at the moment), and cannot agree more that the EU should require US crews to obtain visa's since that is whats required of them when flying into our country. Fair is fair.
It is true that flying the USD is much cheaper than in the EU (no landing fee's, flight planning fee's, etc.) but there is a reason for that. The US is much larger land wise, so naturally corporate aviation is used much more here and is much more streamlined. But take a look around a major EU airport, such as Frankfurt Germany and compare that airport with LAX.... LAX looks like a Greyhound bus terminal compared with Frankfurt. It is embarrasing! I have also never landed at an EU airport with deteriorating runways/taxiways. Where as even at the largest corporate airports here like VNY they are in horrible condition. All this costs money. And BTW - the potential for user fee's in the US is not going away, it will be a reality here shortly as well. Its sad to say, but the US is broke and you can see evidence of that everywhere you look here.
On behalf of the more educated Americans, I want to apologize on 411A's behalf. He is obviously one of those un-educated ignorant Americans that no matter what happens will always say and think that the US is the best country in the world. I sure hope it will one day return to its previous splendor having learned from its mistakes, but until then we are far from the best.