Yes. But I think you know that. If you had read the user fees threads in their entirety, you would have seen that my primary motivation for user fees is always about increasing GA's contribution to the Trust Fund and ending the unfair burden that the airlines are forced to bear, reducing their margins. That's the main goal. Reducing the pool of available pilots might be a side effect that would be beneficial to increase bargaining leverage, but it isn't the primary goal. In the same way, I favored the new Flight Time/Duty Time regulations. That regulation did eventually get finalized, and it goes into effect next year. The primary goal is to increase safety. But a side effect will be a necessary increase in pilot staffing at many carriers, driving up demand. Not the primary goal, but it is a nice benefit for someone worried about bargaining.
As far as new pilots breaking into the industry, nowhere in that second quote do you see me talking about how I want it to be easy for new pilots to break into the industry. All I said was that pilots who are breaking into the industry shouldn't be scared away from a legitimate airline by people with outdated prejudices. Your attempts to connect these two disparate ideas are flimsy at best. It's clear that you don't have a firm grasp of the issues, so you're grasping at straws instead and trying to twist words.
Again, I asked for your OPINION. I got it. I don't care about trust funds. Clearly... because I read what you said, quoted the noteworthy (to me, in order to gather your position, and opinion) items, and linked the rest, I didn't read it, and thus have a reading comrehension problem.... Clearly.
You're right, you never said you wanted it to be easy, you said you wanted it to be COST PROHIBITIVE. It already is. New pilots shouldn't be scared from a "legitimate airline"? What if they don't WANT to fly in the airlines? Then you want it to be as cost prohibitive as possible for a kid to accomplish their dream.
I think you think you're still playing with VATSIM and DVA when you say some of this stuff. Do the kids you play with at DVA know that your intention is to make is as difficult as possible for them to obtain their ratings, and to fly airplanes? Do they know that you are in a position to influence those decisions, and have that motive? You are in a position to affect GREAT change in, not just aviation, but someone's life. You have a position where, if you wanted to, you could create scholarships, and grants to allow those same kids to achieve their dreams. Instead, you are so insecure, small, and simple minded that you're ok with the idea of making those dreams impossible for the same group of people that inspired you to chase your dreams. Simply inconceivable to me, honestly.
I think if you had it your way, the only airplanes left flying would be airliners. And for everyone else, it would be "just too bad". If they can't afford to fly, than so be it. All in the interest of cronyism and you waking up and having a job tomorrow. While I may say things off base, and without a complete and thorough understanding of it about flying (reference the mountain wave discussion), as I am low time, I am juggling 6 years of controlling with 1 year of flying, and am sorting it all out; I assure you, I know enough about business to understand what you're saying, and the terrible ramifications will be wrought on the aviation industry as a whole if you're allowed to proceed with your agenda. I also am a huge advocate for a free market within the GA community, and aviation. I am a business owner. I am one of the guys that, if you had it your way, you'd wipe me out. So that you may have a job. And, because I don't have an interest in flying for an airline, you're ok with pushing me out.
You have an agenda. As the VP of an airline union, you want to ensure that every one of your pilots has a job. I get that, and respect that. But, in my opinion, you're going about it all wrong. You have a position where you could contribute great things to aviation as a whole, instead you choose to take so that you may have more, leaving others with less. You're "doing your job".
Starting in these places, you and I have a difference of not only opinion, but priorities. I want every child that wants to learn to fly an airplane to have that opportunity. I want every man or woman who wants to fly professionally to have that opportunity. And I want aviation to return to being one of the front runners in advanced technology, like it was for 5 decades. You want to wake up tomorrow, and ensure that you have a job. Do you REALLY think we'll see eye to eye?
Again, thanks for your opinion.
