Flight Forum

Dale Smith wrote a nice article on common checkride pitfalls ("Gotcha!" July 2006 AOPA Flight Training); however, he states incorrectly that "the FAA doesn't accept electronic transmissions of the Form 8710-1. Please refer your readers to the IACRA Web site. This is a 100-percent paperless system for completing the 8710-1 and receiving a temporary certificate. The work put in place by the FAA at the Integrated Airman Certification and/or Rating Application site is first rate. They even have a toll-free help line that is answered off hours.
Mark Hokeness
Rose Hill, Kansas

Editor's note: We should have clarified that the FAA doesn't accept electronic transmissions of AOPA's Electronic Form 8710. Several readers wrote to remind us of IACRA, which Dave Wilkerson examined in the March 2005 "Checkride."--Ed.

User fees not the answer

User fees sound like the answer to some people, i.e. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and others. If we look closer we can see "user fees" will be even more damaging to the FAA.

Just like other things in aviation, when you make a decision many other things will change. On final, if I decide to not use flaps on my Cessna 152, many other things change--pitch, airspeed, glideslope, and flare.

Here is a list of things that will happen if user fees are placed on items like Flight Service flight plans and weather briefings, DUAT weather briefings, communications with air traffic controllers, new certificates or ratings, landings, etc.

• Many innovations in the aircraft (aviation) industry come from the trickle-up effect. The GA pilot is the one who initially develops new technology.
• There is also the trickle-down effect. The big companies are very innovative with new technology. And the GA pilots are the ones who benefit from the new equipment. With user fees, these systems will be dampened.
• Fewer GA pilots would contact approach and ATC to avoid the fees, so there would be more chances for accidents. Pilots may avoid flight following and select an altitude that takes them under the outer shelf of Class B airspace, for example.
• More cross-country flights that are not working within and as a part of the system. Students and CFIs will avoid the extra fees any way they (we) can.
• There will be fewer GA pilots in the air and hanging around airports. Just the presence of GA pilots on the "lookout" in the air and on the ground is good for national security. We need more, not fewer, GA pilots alert for the unusual and watching our sky and our topography.
• FBOs would suffer financially. Reduced sales of fuel and other items equals less taxes to the government.
• GA would become a lot less fun.
• Accidents would increase because GA pilots would fly less often and lose currency and proficiency.
• There would be fewer FAA examiners needed.
• Possibly fewer ATC staff also.
• Aircraft sales will drop through the floor!
• Hangar sales and rentals will drop...again, less tax revenue.
• There will be fewer qualified pilots in the future because flight school fees along with the user fees will be too expensive. Fewer CFIs.
• Less fuel will be sold...less tax revenue to the government.
• User fees equal fewer active pilots equal fewer active aircraft equal the loss of millions of dollars in lost sales of airplanes, parts, supplies, accessories, which will lead to fewer qualified airframe and powerplant mechanics.
• Local economies around airports would suffer.

To summarize, many negatives that we can't even predict today would happen if user fees went into effect.
Dennis K. Flood
Sarasota, Florida

Erratum

"Pilot Products" (August AOPA Flight Training) included an incorrect Web address for the aviation podcast, The Finer Points. The correct URL is www.thefinerpoints.net.