Help Stop Delays and Unfair Taxes

[Fly4Free]

Help Stop Delays and Unfair Taxes

Our air traffic control system needs to be updated. It is based on analog radio and radar technologies originally developed in the 1950s. Even with updates, our current system is getting clogged with thousands of new corporate jets. Air traffic is projected to grow by 36% in the next ten years with delays growing by 62%. Because of outdated technologies, planes must fly convoluted routes adding up to hundreds of thousands of extra miles each year and burning millions of gallons of fuel unnecessarily.
Digital, satellite technologies, such as GPS, can help put an end to these delays and by enabling airplanes to burn far less fuel, fly more direct routes, and improve environmental performance.

In addition to outdated technologies, our current system is funded by an outdated and unfair funding formula from the 1970s. This funding formula is forcing airline passengers like you to subsidize executives who fly on corporate planes. Airline passengers pay more in ticket taxes because corporate executives are getting a free ride.

Congress will vote on a new air traffic control system this year – a system that will help stop delays, ensure everyone pays his or her fair share, and helps the environment.

You can help! Tell Congress.

Fill Out This Form

 

[BoeingBoy]

Let me guess - they're handing that out at headquarters.

Jim

 

[BuffaloJoe]

What is congress going to do? They'll attach something to it and we'll have a new tax, "The Right to take a Dump Tax". Look at the first three letters in Con gress. Doesn't that explain enough?

 

[Fly4Free]

Let me guess - they're handing that out at headquarters.

Jim

Nah Jim.. lol.. you know how I say "don't like it, contact your congressman." .. well, I saw this on Compass and wanted to pass it along. Please support it if you feel it could help with delays and upgrading the infrastructure on the ground.

What is congress going to do? They'll attach something to it and we'll have a new tax, "The Right to take a Dump Tax". Look at the first three letters in Con gress. Doesn't that explain enough?

They will be voting on this law later this year.

 

[700UW]

Another non-US thread, needs to be moved.

 

[Fly4Free]

Another non-US thread, needs to be moved.

US Airways is involved in this. Look at the bottom of http://www.smartskies.org/ .. we are a participating airline and it has everything to do with our airline and every other one.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Nah Jim.. lol.. you know how I say "don't like it, contact your congressman." .. well, I saw this on Compass and wanted to pass it along. Please support it if you feel it could help with delays and upgrading the infrastructure on the ground.
They will be voting on this law later this year.

CONgressmen are more corrupt than a Used Car Saleman! Its their interest first and only their interest. If they were for the people, two guys in DC would be back in Texas shovelling cow sh!t.

 

[BoeingBoy]

well, I saw this on Compass and wanted to pass it along.

I did leave out that method of "handing" it out, didn't I...

However anyone feels about the underlying issues, it's the standard ATA line - the airlines pay less while keeping more.

Jim

 

[PHL]

...This funding formula is forcing airline passengers like you to subsidize executives who fly on corporate planes. Airline passengers pay more in ticket taxes because corporate executives are getting a free ride.

Congress will vote on a new air traffic control system this year – a system that will help stop delays, ensure everyone pays his or her fair share, and helps the environment.

You must have read that very biased article from an AP writer this past week that was filled with inaccuracies.

The bulk of delays are occurring at the airports where airlines have heavy schedules (i.e. PHL, JFK, LGA, ORD, etc.). The main reason??? RUNWAY CAPACITY. Guess what - the corporate jets are not flying into those airports. They are using the many, many, many other alternate airports that better serve their geographical needs.

The FAA modernization has been underway for quite some time and will continue to move forward. I suggest you look at what's been done already on many of the FAA's sites. ADS-B is the future and is already being rolled out. GPS is widely used by general aviation (basically any flight that doesn't fall under part 121/airline). ATC isn't as antiquated as you might think. Have you been to the Potomac TRACON, for example? It's more than just state of the art.

Ground based navigation still continues to be reliable and well supported. You still can't shoot a CAT III ILS with a GPS (although you can go to about 300' with a WAAS GPS).

You should also understand that the FAA and related services (which includes ATC, flight service, flight standards, etc.) have been fueled by the Aviation Trust Fund. This is fed, in part, by fuel excise taxes that are proportionate to the aircraft using them. This fund has grown, and is projected by the General Accounting Office and other government economists to continue to grow. In fact, the GAO has admitted that the current funding works and will be sufficient to keep the FAA in business and allow for the technology enhancements to support the air traffic growth.

A small single engine plane consuming 10 gallons per hour, therefore, pays a smaller share than the Gulfstream jet consuming 500 gal/hr. But it's not just corporate jets that are getting this so called free ride you speak of. By your logic, then, the other users like disaster relief, agricultural applications, weather and traffic reporting, medical evacuation and personal travel would all be very adversely affected by the proposal the FAA admin has put forth to fund the FAA. You should also know that the GA fleet, as a whole, flies more passengers and flights on any given day than all the US airlines..COMBINED. So maybe it's the airlines that should get their schedules in order, debank the flights and make things easier on everyone.

 

[757fixer]

Another non-US thread, needs to be moved.

STFU! Bottom line is we have the safest air traffic system in the world. Until that changes nothing will change.

 

[N965VJ]

Not to fear, it will all be better when GA *user fees* are implemented.

 

[N924PS]

Not to fear, it will all be better when GA *user fees* are implemented.

And a sad day in the history of aviation as we know it in the United States of America. Perhaps the death knell of General Aviation.

Support the AOPA-Airplane Owners and Pilots Association, the NBAA, National Business Aircraft Association, EAA, Experimental Aircraft Association. Tell your elected representatives NO! on user fees.

What is good for the sorry airline industry is not necessarily good for the rest of aviation. Just those elitist airline CEO's trying to steal something away from another segment of the industry!

And F4F, get informed about the real issues, not what you are being fed.

N924PS

 

[Fly4Free]

And F4F, get informed about the real issues, not what you are being fed.

N924PS

According to this the current system is aging and they are saying it needs to be updated. They are talking about replacing radar with GPS/Satellite tracking. Forget the BS about who pays what, that is SO NOT my point. Did you know that no modern computer can run the software used to monitor our airspace?

I find that scary, and so should you. Analog technology takes up so much bandwidth, it takes 23 zones in the US. Meanwhile, radio communication is filling up.. why not consolidate with newer technology that can serve us for the next 30 years?

And, forgive me, why should this continue.. Airlines are paying for Corporate jets to use the system.. they don't pay their fair percentage. Would you like to pay for someone's share of the bill?

 

[BoeingBoy]

According to this

Just remember that "this" is the ATA's position - smartskies.org is their baby. The same ATA that heaps praise on each outgoing FAA administrator that oversaw massive cost over-runs and delays on ATC modernization programs.

Take a look at what both sides say and do a little reading to get an understanding of the issues before you jump on anybodies bandwagon.

Jim

 

[PHL]

Airlines are paying for Corporate jets to use the system.. they don't pay their fair percentage. Would you like to pay for someone's share of the bill?

That's the biggest fallacy being perpetrated by the ATA and the airlines. It's been disproven with hard, factual, economic data, including within the federal government.

The FAA NextGen proposal that includes all sorts of user fees to all users of the system, including a per-gallon excise tax increase from 19 cents to 70 cents, is being shopped around and pushed by the FAA administrator despite mountains of data that show there will be a surplus in FAA funding if we continue funding it as we have. Thankfully, many members of Congress are starting to get it and have publicly come out against the fee proposals. It's looking more and more like it's dead.

Is it a coincidence that the airlines started complaining about the air traffic just now, despite their own practice of flooding the skies with more frequent, smaller jets in lieu of less frequent, larger jets? The ATA should look in the mirror before they start blaming all the other traffic that doesn't happen to be airline related for causing delays and bottlenecks.