WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress and the president have big taxation problems to resolve before the end of this year, so there will no doubt be a lot of discussion about aviation user fees. On Dec. 31, all the “Bush” tax cuts will expire, the debt limit will need to be increased, and payroll tax cuts […]
Opinion
Join the club
The subject of flying clubs and their relative merit has taken up space in this column before. I’m a believer. The idea of spreading the cost of ownership across eight or 10 or 12 partners in a flying club makes sense. And that’s to say nothing of the social aspects that can be so beneficial […]
GAN’s own Jamie Beckett wins AOPA’s Let’s Go Flying Award
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has named Jamie Beckett, our Politics for Pilots blogger, recipient of its 2012 Let’s Go Flying Award, for his efforts in promoting and defending general aviation. The award was presented Thursday during the AOPA Aviation Summit in Palm Springs, Calif. Beckett’s love of aviation began early as the […]
Bringing the cost of flying down
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Manufacturers of general aviation airplanes, users of those airplanes, and the FAA are taking steps to reduce the costs, complexity, and time involved in certification in an effort to reduce prices and stem the decline in general aviation flying. Recently, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association held […]
The race to euthanasia
I received an email over the weekend that stunned me. I don’t use that term lightly, either. I was truly shocked. The opening sentence read, “The fact is GA is just about done for.” That got my attention. Not only is that a sentiment I disagree with entirely, it is a position that I cannot […]
Compatible use
Recently my wife, kids, Mom and I all flew to Des Moines, Iowa, for the wedding of one of my cousins. While in Des Moines, we drove east to Newton to see where my Mom grew up. On our way in, I drove past the town so we could visit the Newton Municipal Airport (TNU). […]
Embry-Riddle: Climbing out despite turbulent times
You might wonder how a big aviation university is doing during the recession. After all, airline flying is not the glamorous, big money career it used to be. What’s a college to do? At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, change is the order of the day. That change has been underway for some […]
Ask Paul: What’s going on with my spark plugs?
Q: I have a 1962 Piper Cherokee 160 with the O-320-D2A engine. The engine had a complete overhaul in 1992 and only 500 SMOH. In addition, 20 hours ago the engine had an annual in which an oil change was done, new plugs, and compressions in the 78/80 range. What I have noticed is when […]
Questions abound about proposed user fee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Small Business Committee recently held a hearing about President Obama’s proposal to charge a $100 per flight user fee for some flying. Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) came out strongly against the proposal, as did many of the committee members. Some people involved in general aviation believe that since […]