When I started flight training in Jan 2007, I was astonished at the amount of regulation and bureaucracy that plagues general aviation. You have to be a true zealot to put up with it and fly – even in America! I can’t imagine trying to do it in Europe…

The contrast with the auto industry provides a lot of perspective – look at the continuous advances in quality, simplicity, convenience in cars versus light aircraft. Any questions on what over-regulation does to an industry?

Yes, 3-dimensions and weather bring additional complications, but at the end of the day a Cessna 172 still weighs 1000lbs less than a Honda Accord, has 100 less horsepower, carries fewer passengers and much less cargo. Which one is truly more dangerous? Or more likely to be used by a terrorist?

Anyone going to put up with the TSA restricting access to or demanding passenger checks on who rides in your Honda?

People need to wake up, join with AOPA and fight for sensible structure and free access to what we already pay for with our taxes — not blindly allow rampant new, tax-generating bureaucracy. Keep up the fight, Bruce!

http://www.aopa.org/pilot/features/2007/feat0704.html

It’s the same song, different verse and I believe that AOPA has been very outspoken in regard to user fees and over-reaching gov’t. See GA Serves America effort.

My point was relevant to charging for safety services that are in everyone’s interest. Seems like every administration in recent history has mistakenly looked at this as a cash cow.