superdimona, you may think you're kidding, but at Archerfield I pay almost 30 bucks for every landing already! Do circuits and it's another charge on top just for grins. That's on top of monthly airport usage/parking charges of $120+, and of course on top of any ASA enroute charges..
Charges at YBAF increase at CPI +5% every year just to make sure there's no growth and in due time everyone just p!sses off and the whole thing can be turned into warehouses
I've not seen a more delinquent abuse and neglect of public infrastructure anywhere, and I though some of the Europeans had got it badly wrong, but they pale in comparison to what they get away with here
Great unwashed? Haven't seen many of them airside lately. They couldn't afford to go anywhere near a GA outfit, which is why you mostly see foreign sponsored students around GAAP's -- and the bogan racism that is shockingly ubiquitous in this supposedly friendly and relaxed country and with it in the aviation industry is making sure that market is drying up quickly too:
Indian student market collapsing | The Australian
All this talk about where GAAP's are and should be going is a little inconsequential methinks, in time the developers and local resident groups and pollies will get their wish and training will be banished to remote areas, and the slow death of the aviation industry in a country that has all the prerequisites to be a leader in the region in flying training and GA will continue
Rant over