CAA have a budget problem and the $300 fee is their way to solve that. They have moved from Lower Hutt into an expensive office in downtown Wellington and have much bigger staff numbers than a few years back. The staff numbers have gone up but the output doesn't seem to have changed.
On the met issue, every other recreational sphere get free weather, boaties, trampers, skiers. Aviation is seen as a soft touch.
Don't get me started on Airways, they are just thieves with a cost plus mentality with GA being forced to pay for over priced services they don't need. The day isn't far off when a circuits lesson costs more in landing fees than the aircraft costs.
Last edited by 27/09; 7th Sep 2013 at 23:53.