Important point
 

Snarek:
How does not using the radio make flying cheaper? How does NAS 2b make flying cheaper? What changes are proposed in the charging system that will make flying cheaper? What NAS end state will make flying cheaper?

Snarek,

You said:

Rubbish. Have a look at AIP ENR 1.6 8.1.3: if you've got one, it MUST be on AT ALL TIMES and AIP GEN 1.5 6.1.2: in E airspace, transponders are mandatory unless you're flying a bugfrightener.

Given your fairly senior position in the AOPA pilot's union (and therefore, I assumed incorrectly, with a good grip on the rules), this merely demonstrates that the average joe-blow VFR jock is far removed from the skilled, competent and knowledgeable VFR airspace system user that you mob are relying on to prevent midairs. Here's a question for you: how many of your members actually know what an AIP is??!

If I had a dollar for every VFR I have asked to turn on their transponders because they were off, I'd be able to retire and not put up with being dicked by Dick.

Snarek

Andrew, as a very long term AOPA member I am really concerned at your ill informed comment on this subject thru this post.

YOU ARE .. WRONG WRONG WRONG
The concerns expressed here by both regional pilots and ATCOs is all safety based. No other reason. Neither party want to own any airspace or control any airspace that does not need to be controlled. The military have less airspace than a decade ago and its availability to civil aircraft has also improved over the same time period. These members of the industry do however want to ensure that how either they participate in the airspace or manage it is as safe as it can be and that all identified risks have been mitigated against to the best extent possible.

Please by all means express your OWN opinion, but don't peddle the cr@p of late as a representative of the AOPA board, giving the impression that AOPA policy is what you say when it is clearly not.

And by the way... have a read of your AIP - GEN 1.5


You should not be suggesting to any light aircraft pilot that they don't operate their transponder when failure to do so may place them at risk. Remember there are no winners in a mid-air, just loosers - we all loose. Why, because it puts our industry on the front pages when it is going through its worst time ever - and you know what the media are like, not to mention our insurers!

All responsible light aircraft pilots that operate aircraft with transponders should operate them AT ALL TIMES and any suggestion that they either don't have to or should not is most irresponsible.


Again as an AOPA member I am concerned that MP has accepted without question the whole story peddled by the NAS IG. Not once have we been asked as members what we think, neither have we been given a list of the questions asked and the replies when those briefings with the NAS IG took place. Supporting 2b was an easy out to remain politically acceptable to those in power and not necessarily acting either in the best interests of the members and the industry at large.

If the hard questions were asked and answers provided then most of this thread would not be here.

"no known traffic" :ok:

Proof Hansard hot off the press
 

All your NAS questions answered, at page 53 onwards:

http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S7054.pdf