Rising cost of flying

Honestly the only thing that jumps out at *me* as excessive is the "Issuance of New Airman Certificate". My 4-year Class-A CDL with Tanker, HazMat endorsements is around $100/5 years. While its still cheaper than an advance driving license, the fact they are jumping from $0 to $50 is a bit excessive. Especially if you get hit with the charge every time you add a rating. Now that $300 checkride has an extra $50 tacked onto it for them to print the piece of plastic.

Everything else seems to be in line with normal vehicle registration costs.

Of course, once they get these items through the door, they have the ball rolling down the road of "well, we're just adding this ONE extra fee" and before you know it, we're paying landing fees to land on Uncle Joe's grass strip.
 
CJones said:
Honestly the only thing that jumps out at *me* as excessive is the "Issuance of New Airman Certificate". My 4-year Class-A CDL with Tanker, HazMat endorsements is around $100/5 years. While its still cheaper than an advance driving license, the fact they are jumping from $0 to $50 is a bit excessive. Especially if you get hit with the charge every time you add a rating. Now that $300 checkride has an extra $50 tacked onto it for them to print the piece of plastic.

Everything else seems to be in line with normal vehicle registration costs.

Of course, once they get these items through the door, they have the ball rolling down the road of "well, we're just adding this ONE extra fee" and before you know it, we're paying landing fees to land on Uncle Joe's grass strip.
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It would seem reasonable to me to charge for a ride with the FAA somewhere just below the average rate for a DPE; maybe $250 for any FSDO nationwide. Leave the certificate issue free.

The fee for a medical seems excessive to process it. The most common procedures should be the cheapest; those being medical certificate and pilot certificate issuances. But, who collects that money? The DPE? Mail it to the FAA? If anyone knows much about user fees in Europe, their cost of collection of these fees negates a substantial value of the fees collected. I don't see the FAA being any different here. Government does nothing well and dang few things right.

Reserving an N number is an on-line process and purely automated. Why should this cost more? I liken it to the phone company charging substantial fees for what amounts to changing a computer setting and requiring no home visit. The actual handling and recording of documents is a different story and may warrant higher fees.

Charging more for renewal of a special N number is a joke. It's added revenue for no additional service required.

Whatever the fees will be, they better be statutory with no allowance for change outside of a congressional bill. Allowing the FAA any freedom to change fees is asking for trouble.
 
You already pay for the ride with the FAA, even if you don't take it. So, is it also reasonable for them to charge for, say, your entry through the door at the FSDO? Why stop there? Taxes plus user fees = double dip.

One little cut is 'reasonable' but before you know it, you're dead from a thousand such cuts. Govt doesn't pull back, they keep going...and taking.
 
NC19143 said:
this is a PDF format list of the rising costs of the FAA services proposed by the new house bill. note the cost of the medical certificate.

http://www.avweb.com/newspics/FAA_service_fees.pdf
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I'm puzzled by the one "Special N number" renewal? When I registered
my homebuilt I reserved a certain number then used that one when I
registered it. It says it's $10 now. I'm not aware of anyone ever getting
a bill to keep their N number.

RT
 
This business of charging to renew a vanity call sign (tail number) has been going on for years with the FCC. It's BS. The number is already in the computer, no extra work is required, why the renewal fee? Because they can. Face it, citizens are allowed to exist as they provide a source of revenue for the government. It's time for another revolution.
 
you pay extra for vanity license plates too.
 
tonycondon said:
you pay extra for vanity license plates too.
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I believe that the DMV once told me it was because they had to make the plate separately from all the others. OK, I said. For the initial issue, I can understand that. But for every time I renew? I'm not getting a new plate every year! She didn't have an answer for that.....
And here in WA, if you have a general issue plate, you are REQUIRED to get a new plate every 5 years. You want to keep the old plate? Fine, pony up $25.

My 'vanity' plate is a Law Enforcement Memorial plate. The extra 40 bucks a year goes (mostly) to the 10-99 Foundation of WA.
 
DeeG said:
I believe that the DMV once told me it was because they had to make the plate separately from all the others. OK, I said. For the initial issue, I can understand that. But for every time I renew? I'm not getting a new plate every year! She didn't have an answer for that.....
And here in WA, if you have a general issue plate, you are REQUIRED to get a new plate every 5 years. You want to keep the old plate? Fine, pony up $25.

My 'vanity' plate is a Law Enforcement Memorial plate. The extra 40 bucks a year goes (mostly) to the 10-99 Foundation of WA.
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I find the extra charge for the vanity plates to be pretty much a joke. In Colorado, I was able to get an amateur radio plate for an extra two buck. Here in Jawjuh, it's free. I had the plate for two years when they changed the background. A remake was ordered to comply with the new background... at no charge.

I hardly think it's any easier to make a plate with specific characters for my call letters on it than it is for a vanity plate. So, it's just a ploy to get more money. The interesting thing is... my ham call letters make my license plate the only number of its kind in the entire US. How's that for vanity?
 
Cost of a registration was 5 bucks, wll be 130, that means the next junker I buy to resell won't get registrated in my name, it wll pass from the guy I buy it from, to the person I sell it too.
 
Ghery said:
Face it, citizens are allowed to exist as they provide a source of revenue for the government. It's time for another revolution.
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But I thought they have all us meek quiet Us Citizens best interest at heart. Come on Ghery don't you know they just want to take care of us and do what is best for us.
Just be patient they are trying really hard.
 
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