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User Fees Talk


CT4ME

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The talk of General Aviation "User Fees" is circulating again... as it has for many years. But maybe, soon, it may become part of the Obama legacy. In a recent response to a petition asking that user fees be taken of the table, Dana Hyde of the Office of Management and Budget dropped a bombshell...

"We have concluded that a $100 per flight user fee is an equitable way for those who benefit to bear the cost of this essential service,"

100 Bucks per flight! Now, this isn't a current specific proposal... but...expect the $100 'burger to be $200 sometime soon.

 

What burns me is the government will create a bureaucracy that costs more to run than it collects in fees. Why not just add a few cents to the already-in-place fuel tax?

 

I'll be sending a few extra $$$ to the AOPA/EAA PACs...

 

Tim

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In my opinion, based on no expertise, the way the government will attack this is:

 

1. Apply the user fee to operations that can pass it on rather than have to eat it themselves.

 

2. Apply it to IFR flights (maybe to be followed by Traffic Advisory VFR flights).

 

3. Portray aviation as a rich person's luxury that the rest of the nation should expect the user to pay for

 

4. Implement it incrementally, a small target audience and a small fee at first, to be expanded later.

 

Again, I know nothing about the details, the above is purely speculation.

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

Here in Canada, we have a good system. All the NavCanada/Transport Canada stuff would STILL be needed by commercial aviation even if there were NO private pilots. Therefore costs are based on the weight of the aircraft. Litterally pennies for us floks, however, rather more if you fly an A380.

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