Mon Dec 09, 2019 11:02 am
#1734543
By demanding cheaper and cheaper flying, we have been instrumental in killing off our own fraternity.
I think there needs to be more focus on the how's rather than the what's.
Americans did something to enable zero fee landings almost everywhere and $25 handling at the major airports for light aircraft. They do it because local communities got involved and wanted to make it happen, not just GA. They also did it because they recognised the positives that GA brings to their area, and knew that if affordability became a problem, then the industry would collapse and bring a negative impact to their transport network and to local communities. There is also a philanthropy culture. Consequently, the GA population and industry is significantly larger.
Asking for that sort of thing here is seen as fantasy, if not suicide.
Consequently we are left with aerodromes at risk of closing on one end of the spectrum because the landing fees are low, movements are low, regulatory/running costs are fixed, and they receive no alternate streams of funding. And aerodromes at the other end of the spectrum costing 2 to 10 hour's worth of flying to land, park a couple of nights, and be handled due to various inefficiencies and lack of political will.
There are some things here like poorer weather, noise abatement procedures, and higher taxation that we won't be able to avoid. If we want a free and top class NHS then it has to be paid for.
But other things can change. It needs a better political, social and economic environment for it to take off.
If we don't take part in protecting GA access to infrastructure, the smaller aerodromes will be built over, the larger aerodromes will have exorbitant handling fees and awkward procedures, and airspace will be over-classified to Class A everywhere.