*** PREVIOUS RESULTS *** Last week, AVweb asked readers to peer into the future of U.S. aviation and offer up their best predictions – specifically, with regard to privatization, price hikes, and those dreaded user fees.
The biggest segment of our readership (35%) foresaw privatization of both FSS and air traffic control, as well as the advent of user fees.
9% of readers said that, while FSS privatization is on the horizon, user fees won’t be coming to the U.S. anytime soon. But a much larger percentage of our respondent (25%) thought U.S. pilots would be paying user fees for something other than avgas in the near future.
20% of respondents even went so far as to predict they’d give up flying because of fees within the next few years.
The remaining 11% of participants in last week’s poll were far more optimistic, reminding us that fuel prices and funding shortfalls are only temporary setbacks – and that the FAA is investing a lot of time and money in the recruitment of a new class of “Sport Pilots” who aren’t likely to pay any user fees.
*** THIS WEEK’S QUESTION ***
Conductive keratoplasty, radial keratotomy, wavefront Lasik – options for the visually challenged are widening, but not all are approved by the FAA. How’s your vision?
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AVweb’s Question of the Week …
Key Takeaways:
- A plurality of readers (35%) predicted both the privatization of FSS and air traffic control, along with the introduction of user fees in U.S. aviation.
- A significant portion of respondents anticipates new user fees for pilots, with 25% expecting fees beyond avgas and 20% stating they would give up flying due to future fees.
- A smaller, more optimistic group (11%) believes current challenges like fuel prices are temporary and highlights the FAA's investment in "Sport Pilots" who may not face user fees.
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