Originally published at: Mesa Approves Falcon Field Landing Fees
City leaders say landing fees address an airport funding gap, while flight schools warn of rising costs.
I love watching the results of decisions made by stupid “smart” people. Incapable of understanding the most basic elements of cause and effect, they create the unintended consequences that they then say they alone have the solution to. Aviation in the USA is in increasing decline due to stupid smart people,
During flight planning, one of the first things that i do is look for those added fees. If i see them, and i don’t really have to go to said airports, i don’t. Reroute is in order. Same things with getting fuel. I check the prices. Flying is expensive enough.
if operations fall by 20% or more
So, they introduce fees, which cause a reduction in operations, so they raise the fees, which causes another reduction…
Eventually the one operation per month will fund the months bill.
And why don’t government operations pay?
Flight school operations based at a fee-based airport should have other breaks given than just “10 free operations a month.” Even if they go to other airports in the area for take-off and landing practice, that still is untenable, considering that student pilots will still be footing a very substantial increased bill for ridiculously high cost-per-hour that has already made the cost of flight training out of range for anybody not very well heeled.
If you can’t afford to support the system, sell your airplane. If a landing fee is going to break your bank, maybe you should take up radio controlled flying.
Now that I too am an airplane owner, I do the same thing.
I try to avoid landing fees just like I try to avoid toll roads. I pay taxes already with fuel purchases and other local taxes that are supposed to be used in aviation related purposes. Adding more and more costs just drives more and more pilots out of aviation altogether. And if you make initial training more expensive, that will just drive away those who otherwise would want to make flying a career. Then the alleged “pilot shortage” just might become real in this country.
I can afford to support the system. I choose not to pay for the vaulted ceilings, cappuccino machines, pilots lounges, full service gasoline, and others items that I’ve never used, and will not.
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