Thirteen companies, claiming to be “part of the solution” to flight services, modernization and pilot training, have signed a letter to President Obama, the FAA and Congress, arguing that the FAA’s “cost recovery” pursuits threaten entrepreneurship. At issue is the FAA’s stated intent to impose a per person user fee on digital products created by private companies and produced from content originated at the FAA. The FAA claims the new digital products have driven consumers away from its own products, resulting in a $5.3 million shortfall it now seeks to recover. Among the letter’s signatories are the founders of ForeFlight, FlightAware, WingX, and SkyVector as well as the chairman of RedBird Flight Simulations and the CEO of Avidyne.
