Sickening GA developments in Stockholm, Sweden. Need your help.

[AdamFrisch]

I grew up in Stockholm and learned how to fly there over 20 years ago and I've been keeping tabs on the hair-curling events taking place there recently.

Stockholm had over three fully paved and fully serviced airports catering to mixed traffic and GA back then. Today only one remains, and it's hell bent on shutting GA out. I learned to fly at Bromma (ESSB), which is the oldest one of them and the one still remaining. What's sickening in this sad saga, is it's not some greedy new airport owner doing this, or fat banker, it's the government's own monopolistic airport company Swedavia doing this! The very ones who are supposed to look out for all aviation interests. It's like being knifed in the back by your own brother.

Swedavia has cancelled all the contracts with all the flight schools, all the flying clubs and all the veterans and kicked them out with nowhere to go (as there are no other airports in Stockholm anymore - the NIMBY squads closed them). All to make room for more profitable commercial airlines and business jets.

Just to give you a sad idea: they just this week kicked Stockholms Flygklubb (Stockholms Flying Club) out, one of the biggest and oldest flying clubs in Sweden. They've been based at Bromma for 77 years uninterrupted and now get thrown out like an old used dog.

Week before that they threw Flygande Veteraner (Flying Veterans) out, who operate the venerable DC-3 "Daisy" in vintage SAS livery, where she served. Absolutely disgraceful and there's now talk of retiring and dissolving the 30 year old club and scrapping the plane as it can't be housed anywhere, due to its size.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4682958873_f02cc0a3e9_o.jpg

And in the same week the also threw out SAS Flygklubb, which is SAS old flying club. Plus all the numerous smaller flight schools and smaller operators, too numerous to mention. Nothing is left.

Now, none of this would be the end of the world if there were alternatives. But there are no other airports in Stockholm. The closest GA airport is over 100km away. It's a bit like asking people to land in Birmingham when they want to go to London.

GA is where EMS services come from, where tomorrows pilots come from, where small business come from, where news comes from, where maps come from, where police comes from, etc, etc. If at all you have business in Stockholm and Bromma, or just care about the future of aviation, please help. Make sure you let the brass at Swedavia, the CEO, or the airport know that you disapprove of their Jimmy Hoffa tactics in either writing, or next time you fly in. If real business people flying in, with real economical clout disapprove and give their feelings, they will listen. The more they realise they will lose real business opportunities, the better.

As a final broader thought: this is the very reason I've always been in favour of very limited government. Because it's simply not true, just like Milton Friedman always said, that government is free of self interest and greed. That they have somehow have a nobler cause. Government is run by humans, and humans have self interest. Here, it's good old greed - airlines pay more than flight schools. But at least with private alternatives, you can choose not to buy there. Here you can't.

Thank you for your time.

[redsnail]

That's pretty bad. Australia's been suffering in the same way.
I hope some common sense prevails... Although, you did mention "government"...

[Miserlou]

Hey Adam,

I am, of course, as sorry to hear of the trouble at Bromma.

Not quite sure which way to take the reference to Freedman. Seems to me he and his ilk are exactly the cause yet you appear to use him in attacking the government.

For Freedman read economist, and for economist read accountant. And THERE you have your answers. The world is run by bean-counters!!!

Gone are the days when a government could do something for the hell of it or for principle or for pride.

Incidentally, what did the courts decree about the termination of the leases?

[AdamFrisch]

Well, with private interests at least you know they're run to make a profit. And you have options and can chose other vendors should they get to expensive and/or not offer what you need. A free market, basically. Here, it's the governments agency that have been appointed to run all airports and you have no choice but to do what they say. Might I remind you this is tax funded, so the fee's they're hiking is just pure greed. They have a monopoly and can do as they please. So the notion that governments are looking out for its peoples best interests is nonsense, which is what Friedman always said. That was my point. They're just as greedy and looking to expand as any corporation. When was the last time a government decreased in size?

Monopoly is a terrible idea. It's like a one party democracy. It doesn't work.

[Miserlou]

But isn't a court of law a seperate entity to government? I have been through quite a lot of tennant/landlord law recently and I know a number of people who have taken government agencies to court.

You are entirely correct in your scepticism of government. But did anyone ever believe otherwise?

I never did. But then, I can also see that democracy and free speech are also not entirely happy bed fellows.

Your government is held to account by the bean counters. And by what will get them elected in the next election.

Are the swedes not just like the germans? Just without the sense of humour.

[Yeager]

Sweden is the last Communist country in Europe.. And yes - they are like Ze Germans, just with no humor :ok:

Sad, sad thing going on at Bromma.. Not a surprise considering a useless and incompetent ownership though. Unfortunately.

Best of luck to the Swedish aviation community. :ok:

[dubbleyew eight]

why would anyone be stupid enough to scrap the DC3?

put it up for sale internationally !!

just how myopic can people be?

[EDMJ]

So what do you want us to do about this local problem?

Similar things are happening all over Europe, particularly in Germany, and it's happening because the local GA communities have been sitting around idly for years; fat, dumb and happy, thinking everything is OK because there are no alternatives to wherever they're located at.

Nobody ever bothered to build the political lobby and clout that e.g. EAA, NBAA and AOPA USA have managed, and now it's too late and the price is being paid, however tragic each of these events are (Vaerloese and Alleroed in Denmark; Neubiberg, Fürstenfeldbruck, Tempelhof, Bremerhaven etc. etc.etc. in Germany, etc.)

And I don't buy the statement, that Flygande Veteraner are going to scrap an immaculate, airworthy DC-3. As such it, it could be sold for more than the scrap value....

[avionimc]

Everything is possible and will happen if "we" do not stand-up and act!

At best, General Aviation is seen as a nuisance by the most of the public and the media. It is upon us to change this perception.

Restrictions and airport closures continue everywhere. Remember Meigs Field?

Or, in Interlaken where elected officials and bureaucrats closed the airport to build a so called "Mystery Park" in its place. The subsidized "Mystery Park" went bankrupt, now they have another attraction park: JungfrauPark, attracting no one.

Nothing learnt by legislators and paper shufflers.

[grafity]

This problem nearly came to pass not to long ago at my old flying club. The land owner had plans to sell up.
We began fundraising to buy some land and build a grass strip a few miles out of town. Luckily the property prices crash and the club didn't have to move, but the point is, if a small club of not much more than 100 members was preparing to do it, could a similar attempt not be made outside Stockholm?

Maybe a bit late now though.

Could ESSE accommodate any of you?