But, if the goal is to reduce the stress on the NAS, user fees are the way to go.
It's not a problem with the NAS. We have the best run system in the world. It is by far the most efficient. There is not a problem with to many airplanes in the sky. When was the last time you saw a 172 at FL360? HMMMM?! Or a Naviaon on short final at SLC? It's more a problem of not enough space on the ground. Think back to the few days after 9/11. How many runways had aircraft parked on them because there simply wasn't enough space on the ground?
Just a few general observation on the everyday life of a flight instructor at multiple airports. I have the ability to work at two different flight schools, in two very different environments. One is a "mom and pop" airport, and the other used to be the busiest GA airport in the world until very recently.
#1: It seems to me, that the majority of airplanes in the GA realm are small piston singles, flying VFR, going into and out of GA airports. i.e. limited to no commercial ops (non 121). And most of them only use ATC for taking off and landing. Seems to me, small GA pilots don't like to talk on the radios, so they don't congest the airways/radio waves. To prove my point, why don't you go on to liveatc and listen to LA center for a few hours. Take notes on GA radio traffic, and airline radio traffic. Tell me who wins that battle, mmmkay.
#2: The small mom and pop airports, have a very small, wooden peg of a leg to stand on, because they don't have the backbone of corporate financing to speak with. They also make up the majority of airports in the US, and 1/100 of the airlines frustrations conjestion.(LAX/LGA/LAS/PHX/IAH/ORD/MIA/ORD/etc.). So putting the blame on GA is like saying the American people were behind the attacks on Pearl Harbor.
#3: Think of all the small companies that make parts for GA aircraft, all of the support services. Also think of the controllers at non-commercial airports, avionics techs, A&P techs, flight school managers, restaurants at small airports, city jobs at small airports, etc. The list goes on and on. It goes into the millions of jobs deep. What are we as a nation right now, 685k people out of work. I think I just low balled that too. Oh wait, here's a good idea, lets install user fees, put more companies out of business, and make that number of unemployed go up exponentially. Lets raise that number into the millions, because the airlines say that GA guys are causing them to bottle neck into DTA and PIT. Sounds like a rational train of thought to me.
I understand that you are pro-union and ex-military. Good for you. I actually like the fact that you stick up for both of those things, because at the bigger companies, unions are needed, and the military generally turns out good pilots. But some of us got into this career to one day build an airplane, and fly family around in their spare time. User fee's would be the end of that for many people. And like ppragman said, flying would only be for the super rich. The average Joe, who might be a great stick, and awesome CFI, would now be thrown to the side lines, unable to afford to learn a unique skill set, or teach someone with a passion for aviation to fly. The Ab-inito thing may look like it works on paper (kinda like 141), but when the poop hits the fan, whats going to happen to the guy who has 250-500 hrs and is flying your son/daughter around and doesn't have the where with-all to handle a mess because he was "indoctrinated" into aviation because he did well in an interview with------hhhhhhuuuuuuu-------NO FLYING EXPERIENCE------------Tisk, tisk.
Just take a look at peoples opinions of user fees in Europe, Australia, and Japan. How has it really benefited the airlines? Has it benefited their NAS?
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