AOPA Petition Against User Fees

Mahesh said:
Velocipede's profile says he is supposedly a major airline captain. I guess now that he made it, he no longer cares about the small guy. I wonder how he got his training? Either military (tax payers paid for his training) or GA. He should go back and reimburse the government for all the training he got before user fees. :yup:

My troll-dar is also going off.
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I know Velo, and for the record, he IS a major airline captain who is simply stating his opinion on the matter. Just because you don't agree with him doesn't mean he should be called a troll. I have no opinion one way or another on the matter because I don't know enough about the issue, but Velocipede is indeed a major airline captain.
 
Velocipede said:
Very nice, Jarhead. However, the bottom line is that in high traffic terminal areas, GA "junior birdmen" are a safety hazard. Now, out in the country where they can't hurt anybody but themselves, fine and dandy. You want free flying, join the military and serve the country like I did.
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It seems to me that "high traffic in terminal areas", and user fees are two different issues.


By the way.........any Jackass can come here and pretend to be Maverick, but you know what they say........."money talks, ########........"
 
Mariano said:
You guys have the same registration date in JC. That's funny.
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What are you, a conspiracy theorist? Actually, SkyCougar is 2/22 (AS AM I, as a matter of fact) and Velocipede is 2/24. What's your point -- we're all one person? :whatever:
 
SkyCougar said:
I have no opinion one way or another on the matter because I don't know enough about t
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I don't know what's your involvement with aviation, but I suppose that you are either a pro-pilot, a GA pilot, or are interested in becoming one of the two (or both).

Regardless, you should inform you self about this issue, because it is something that WILL have a serious effect in your plans. At least, of course, that you can spare $20,000 in a PPL or over 100.000 in a commercial.

And don't expect to have a lot of work as CFI, because there won't be as many schools as there are now, or many new students around to teach.

As a matter of fact, the traditional way of building hours instructing will be gone for ever, and it will be replaced by the "Gulfstream" method.

Exciting, isn't it?
 
SkyCougar said:
I know Velo, and for the record, he IS a major airline captain who is simply stating his opinion on the matter. Just because you don't agree with him doesn't mean he should be called a troll. I have no opinion one way or another on the matter because I don't know enough about the issue, but Velocipede is indeed a major airline captain.
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He has repeatedly posted saying that GA pilots pose a safety hazard and that they should just "go away" because he wants the airspace for his 737. I find that derogatory and I stated my opinion. He doesn't know who I am and how I fly. That is why I implied he was being troll-like.

That's great that he is an airline captain. However if he is going to post things that people find insulting, he should be ok dealing with the backlash.
 
The over 100% rise in fuel tax and the $25 per flight charge BS will kill off GA slowly but surely.
 
Mahesh said:
That's great that he is an airline captain. However if he is going to post things that people find insulting, he should be ok dealing with the backlash.
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Why do you find the "idea" that you should pay for the ATC services you use insulting? You pay for gas. You pay for groceries.

You want to pursue GA? Fine. Pay your share of operating the system. You want to fly your C-185 from a grass strip in Missoula, Montana then the cost will be significantly lower than if you want to go sightseeing along Black's Beach in San Diego.

And, BTW, YOU may not be a hazard, but there are plenty of your low-time buddies in high density traffic areas with their heads "up and locked."
 
Velocipede said:
Why do you find the "idea" that you should pay for the ATC services you use insulting? You pay for gas. You pay for groceries.

You want to pursue GA? Fine. Pay your share of operating the system. You want to fly your C-185 from a grass strip in Missoula, Montana then the cost will be significantly lower than if you want to go sightseeing along Black's Beach in San Diego.

And, BTW, YOU may not be a hazard, but there are plenty of your low-time buddies in high density traffic areas with their heads "up and locked."
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So, if I will have to start paying user fees, how will that make me all of a sudden less of a hazard to you...? Please enlighten me because I lost you. And I don't understand why it is so important to you that GA pays user fees. Where/what do you loose if GA don't pay user fees?
 
SBI said:
So, if I will have to start paying user fees, how will that make me all of a sudden less of a hazard to you...? Please enlighten me because I lost you. And I don't understand why it is so important to you that GA pays user fees. Where/what do you loose if GA don't pay user fees?
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All Velicopede wants is less GA, and thinks supporting user fees is a way of doing it. The tie-in to safety is a pretty thin one, as the GA guys flying VFR aren't using the services he propose they pay for.

Moreover, the whole premise of user fees flies in the face of the fact that GA pilots do pay for the service, via various taxes. He essentially wants them to pay twice in hopes of getting rid of them, and for no other reason than that he percieves tham as a nuicance. Fortunately, he's in a pretty vast minority, even among airline pilots: Hence AlPA involvment.

It's pretty shortsighted reasoning if you ask me.
 
Velocipede wants less GA. Right. But why? What could possibly be going on in your head? Scary. What is your deal?
 
CapnJim said:
All Velicopede wants is less GA, and thinks supporting user fees is a way of doing it. The tie-in to safety is a pretty thin one, as the GA guys flying VFR aren't using the services he propose they pay for.

Moreover, the whole premise of user fees flies in the face of the fact that GA pilots do pay for the service, via various taxes. He essentially wants them to pay twice in hopes of getting rid of them, and for no other reason than that he percieves tham as a nuicance. Fortunately, he's in a pretty vast minority, even among airline pilots: Hence AlPA involvment.

It's pretty shortsighted reasoning if you ask me.
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I understand that, hence I would expect a major airline captain to provide a little bit more solid evidence to these argument. Apparently he has none and all he (and unfortunately others) wants is to get rid of GA. And as jonnyb said right after you - "Why?"...that's the big question.
 
Why?
You can be sure the answer to that question involves either an astounding selfishness or an astonishing shortsightedness.
Or both.
 
You want free flying, join the military and serve the country like I did.
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Thanks for your service, and you are welcome since I was part in the millions that paid for your FREE flight training.

Pay your share of operating the system
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We do, I believe it is called fuel taxes. Why am I paying for part of a road, in taxes, that I will never see in my life? Why am I paying taxes for buildings I will never use, or buses I will never ride on, or facilities at my college that is totally irrelevant to anything I will need to know, and why did I take that Philosophy class that is absolutely pointless to me?
 
I think user fees could also become a safety issue. Just some examples if it does go through (hope not) :(

**People are not going to file VFR flight plans because it costs extra..

**People will scud-run below controlled airspace because it costs extra...

**People will not talk to 1-800-WX, it costs extra...

**non-towered airports will be used more than towered *IF* people still pay extra and continue GA...lower training quality..more crowded..

**reg's/repairs will be bent more than they are now just to save a buck for struggling FBO's..

**GA will die..it already is in a way.. $10K PPL coming soon..if it does small airports will croak..small towns will suffer..

I agree, people who use the system should pay for them.. maybe some aviation fuel tax.. but ehhumm..it's already stretched pretty far with gas prices. Only thing I can think would be good for user fees would be; pilots now would be in more demand since training is so expensive and *MAYBE* wages would go up.

Just rich kids could afford training (seems like that way now..) but.. I don't think airlines wouldn't mind outsourcing jobs so if there was any benefit to user fees it would be short lived.
 
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