SASless
9th Oct 2004, 20:45
Lately, several arguments have been heard regards "Public Use" aircraft and operation of those aircraft by government agencies within the United States.
Private Operators take the position Government Agencies should not be allowed to take advantage of the US Government's Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) to obtain surplus aircraft and equipment at taxpayer expense, then modify those aircraft (again at taxpayer expense), operate under the very lenient FAR's pertaining to "Public Use" aircraft and operations, then "compete" with the private sector to perform functions that could be contracted out or performed by the private sector.
The US Forest Service contracts out a tremendous amount of work and has policies that require the agency to use the private industry whenever possible.
The State of Oregon, for instance, has state legislation (lobbied for by private ....meaning non-governmental....helicopter operators) that require the State Government to operate to the exact same standard as regular operators so that at least the maintenance and training standards are the same for both state "public use" aircraft and operations as for the private sector.
Question.....should governmental agencies be allowed to operate their own aviation units under the "Public Use" regulations, obtain aircraft by means of the FEPP and use taxpayer dollars to subsidize their operations and then compete with the private sector for operations, flights, aerial work, tasks, and such that could be contracted out or done wholly by the private sector? Is this competition and its detrimental effect upon private industry good for the national interest? Are these government operations and their negative effect upon the profitability of the private sector actually harming the amount of resources that could be available in time of natural disasters or terrorist events?
What say you?
Private Operators take the position Government Agencies should not be allowed to take advantage of the US Government's Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) to obtain surplus aircraft and equipment at taxpayer expense, then modify those aircraft (again at taxpayer expense), operate under the very lenient FAR's pertaining to "Public Use" aircraft and operations, then "compete" with the private sector to perform functions that could be contracted out or performed by the private sector.
The US Forest Service contracts out a tremendous amount of work and has policies that require the agency to use the private industry whenever possible.
The State of Oregon, for instance, has state legislation (lobbied for by private ....meaning non-governmental....helicopter operators) that require the State Government to operate to the exact same standard as regular operators so that at least the maintenance and training standards are the same for both state "public use" aircraft and operations as for the private sector.
Question.....should governmental agencies be allowed to operate their own aviation units under the "Public Use" regulations, obtain aircraft by means of the FEPP and use taxpayer dollars to subsidize their operations and then compete with the private sector for operations, flights, aerial work, tasks, and such that could be contracted out or done wholly by the private sector? Is this competition and its detrimental effect upon private industry good for the national interest? Are these government operations and their negative effect upon the profitability of the private sector actually harming the amount of resources that could be available in time of natural disasters or terrorist events?
What say you?