Privatizing ATC

[orionflt]

I was just looking thru my mail and saw this on my daily aviation brief.

Looks like a different approach to make us pay user fees.

Campaign to privatize air traffic control heats up

An effort to remove federal control of the nation's air traffic system is gaining traction, inspired in part by sequestration cuts to the federal budget. "There are conversations taking place among the stakeholders," said Gerald Dillingham, civil aviation director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. "All things are on the table, including privatization or corporatization." Bloomberg (9/23)

http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/eLeKDPmQzQgbpptQfCyYdUfCZVqR?format=standard

[Jamie]

Whatever model they pick, I seriously hope the funding is decoupled from the specific service provided. That is, once you're in it's all you can eat. Pay for what you use seems to be the slippery slope towards "maximizing shareholder value".

 

...and just because I read Snowcrash recently...

 

"Bugsmasher 3141 Papa, thank you for using Lockheed Flight Following. You are now leaving our primary service area and are invited to contact one of our Cloud Service Partners as you continue to your destination. Please have your account number and SecureID token ready...."

[orionflt]

Whatever model they pick, I seriously hope the funding is decoupled from the specific service provided. That is, once you're in it's all you can eat. Pay for what you use seems to be the slippery slope towards "maximizing shareholder value".

 

...and just because I read Snowcrash recently...

 

"Bugsmasher 3141 Papa, thank you for using Lockheed Flight Following. You are now leaving our primary service area and are invited to contact one of our Cloud Service Partners as you continue to your destination. Please have your account number and SecureID token ready...."

scary thought isn't it....sorry bugsmasher 3141 papa, you do not have the required credits to enter the airspace please land immediately......

[Cruiser]

at least the 19.4¢ per gallon federal aviation fuel tax will go away right?   

[yvesg]

at least the 19.4¢ per gallon federal aviation fuel tax will go away right?   

Don't count on it. In Canada, when transport Canada privatized ATC with he new Nav Canada, the tax stayed.... and the user fees started to pop up.... fight this hard... or you will regret it later like we do here!

Yves

[flyboy0681]

"Thank you for contacting Lockheed Air Traffic Control Center's Memphis Center. Your flight is important to us... All controllers are handling other aircraft. Please stay out of the Class B airspace until your are called. This transmission may be recorded for training purposes."