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Spin Zone / Re: Privatized ATC's affect on general aviation
« on: June 24, 2017, 09:03:42 AM »
Nonsense unless you look to number and type of operations since Privatized ATC is fee-based services per operation - also need to separate out private/personal aircraft vs. corporate and airline aircraft.
Due to the overall pro-GA environment in the US (combination of regulation, services, fuel and insurance costs, variety of airports and airspaces, etc.) we do have a more robust GA system, that's why literally everyone comes here to train and why our system and freedoms are the envy of the world (I regularly fly with pilots from Europe and they constantly comment on how much better we have it).
A legitimate comparison requires substantially more info than you started with IMO - however I recall reading (there are articles I am too lazy to go search for) that the switch to privatized ATC in Canada had a chilling effect on personal aviation such that pilots made choices about whether or not to make flights (or visit certain airports) based on the new costs associated with the services needed to safely complete the flight.
Privatized ATC is a bad idea here, and in fact anywhere else - managing a national airspace system is one of the functions that a government can and should do - the fuel tax is adequate to cover the load on the system and, if the government didn't raid the aviation trust fund, would be adequate for airport and system improvements as well.
This is my first significant policy difference with Trump so far, not totally surprised he proposed it, not surprised the House went for it, I am surprised the Senate has objected and responded with a bill that maintains the status quo.
Our system is the best but it is the result of a delicate balance that won't survive privatization intact, 'someone' will lose and that 'someone' will be those of us not flying buses.
'Gimp
Due to the overall pro-GA environment in the US (combination of regulation, services, fuel and insurance costs, variety of airports and airspaces, etc.) we do have a more robust GA system, that's why literally everyone comes here to train and why our system and freedoms are the envy of the world (I regularly fly with pilots from Europe and they constantly comment on how much better we have it).
A legitimate comparison requires substantially more info than you started with IMO - however I recall reading (there are articles I am too lazy to go search for) that the switch to privatized ATC in Canada had a chilling effect on personal aviation such that pilots made choices about whether or not to make flights (or visit certain airports) based on the new costs associated with the services needed to safely complete the flight.
Privatized ATC is a bad idea here, and in fact anywhere else - managing a national airspace system is one of the functions that a government can and should do - the fuel tax is adequate to cover the load on the system and, if the government didn't raid the aviation trust fund, would be adequate for airport and system improvements as well.
This is my first significant policy difference with Trump so far, not totally surprised he proposed it, not surprised the House went for it, I am surprised the Senate has objected and responded with a bill that maintains the status quo.
Our system is the best but it is the result of a delicate balance that won't survive privatization intact, 'someone' will lose and that 'someone' will be those of us not flying buses.
'Gimp