Posted on 02/13/2016 5:56:32 AM PST by IBD editorial writer
The nation’s antiquated, balky, delay-prone air traffic control system could finally be a thing of the past, after a House committee approved a bill to transform the horribly mismanaged government-run Air Traffic Control system into a federally chartered non-profit corporation.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Be careful what you wish for. Every major Gen Av organization is fighting this tooth and nail as they know user fees will be next. It is bad enough Gen Av as dwindled to shell of it’s former self. It would be another blow as was the $5 fee on R/C models > .5 lbs to all those that have the enthusiasm to enter aviation as a profession now have to be blessed or sanctioned by a Federal Authority as in the recent change of getting your Student Pilots Ticket from a FSDO instead of your DME. Who here even know what a FSDO is?
Pumping my hand up and up and up! "Call on me! Call on me! Me! Me! Me!"
Never mind. I forgot what you asked.
“NO, on me! NO, on me! Me! Me! Me!”
Happy flying folks (without more national govt airspace control)
You didn’t read the article, did you?
The post office is actually a profitable entity. What hurts is that government agencies are stealing from their pension fund.
Think Nav Canada or Eurocontrol...user fees are probably coming. Being recently retired ATC who worked next to Toroto Centre (and visited to talk with their airspace team), Nav Canada works very well. Way better workforce balance.
But, Canada doesn’t move the traffic that we do. By the way, Canadian GA comes over to US airspace for practice approaches (to dodge the user fees in Canada).
Seems like adding one more opportunity for corrupting a system.
But what do I know.
We could just make it operate like the FED and they can just make up whatever they want (expenses leading to more fees, extensively detailed and pricey licensing, special permits for whatever) on the fly...pun not intended...
Does this mean people who graduate from air traffic controller school will have an equal shot against all those inexperienced applicants Obama is hiring?
Do tell. Just for aircraft? I've been out of the hobby for years.
Can you confirm that Nav Canada is set up as their version of a 501(c)(3) and that while a non-profit it gets its funds from the Canadian Govt?
As I understand it, this gave them the freedom to purchase the latest hardware / software for the controllers vs going through our dunderheads in the House and Senate and have any modernization being subjected to herding 535 cats...
Hmmm... Sounds like a Pulitzer Prize story for IBD Writer.
With that said, I'd love to know....
* Who are the "Contract Firms" that will benefit.
* Who are said Contract Firms K-Street Lobbyist / Attorneys.
* Who else works for these K-Street Firms...
* You know, former Congressmen, Senators, their Wives or Husbands, their Kids, their Son or Daughters in Law(s), and Nieces and Nephews...
“Who here even know what a FSDO is?”
If that’s some sort of narcissistic attempt to think you’re part of an exclusive club, think again. Millions have participated with aviation and it is a common term among all of them.
IMHO it is about control, how dare you have fun without our permission.
R/C guys and Gals are the salt of the earth, the lovable nerds who go on to technology careers, professional aviation careers, and it was the humble beginnings for the likes of famed Aircraft Designer Burt Rutan.
Tell me how this fosters another generation of Burt's or instill in the heart of a 10 or 11 yr old aviation nut to go forward when he has to ask permission if you will and pay a fee? and this is Tangent to finding an R/C instructor and joining the AMA...
FSDO is the sound you hear after dropping your MIDO tablets in water. ;-P
No, no narcissism here. However for the uninitiated it is another acronym and another place to go to fill out a form. Yes they will probably learn it in Private Pilot Ground School, but must we add another hurdle to getting your PVT SEL?
They need to do the same to the NSA!!!
Check out this ‘live’ shot of air traffic.
http://www.flightradar24.com/32.99,-97.59/5
Give it a moment to populate.
Amazing they can keep track of it.
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