An Experienced Aviator Reports To ANN About His Re-Registration Experiences...

When the FAA clobbered the GA community with what appeared to be an unworkable attempt at playing 'Big Brother' with the recent enaction at 'Re-Registration' one of our first thoughts was about where and when we'd hear of the first abuses of this overtly intrusive process. Thrust upon the GA world in the name of security and other dreck, the Re-Registration scam and its "modest' fees appeared then to be nothing more than yet another federal power grab and yet another way for the FAA to continue its assault on a doddering and faltering GA business. Little did we know how soon we'd see evidence of how cluttered and ridiculous this process was likely to be. And before we get too far into this... why the hell weren't the associations ALL over this asinine Rube Goldberg mish-mash of bureaucratic crapola (doncha just love it when I talk 'technical?')? Outside of the fact that AOPA reportedly sees yet another way to make some (more) money out of this, we really don't have a clue as to why they let this happen without a heckuva fight...

Back to the matter at hand... One of our best friends, Dick Wagner -- once one of the finest purveyors of airplane goodies (along with his wife Bobbie -- when they owned 'Wag-Aero') called us on the phone the other day because we were "the only ones who seemed to pay attention to such things," and reported his experiences with an initial attempt at re-registering one of his airplanes. At our urging Dick sent the attached photo... pretty damning evidence of how screwed up this process is likely to become as the Feds learn to clutter it up with the usual inanities...

The Pile Of 'Paperwork'
Dick Wagner Is Dealing With

Dick tells us that , 'The photo shows the paperwork generated since attempting to comply with the new aircraft re-registration application which was sent on 12/20/10. The aircraft in question was registered with the FAA 3/11/05 with a certificate of registration issued to the Wagner Foundation on 3/29/05. With the new re-registration application, we enclosed the $5 requirement. The letter received from the FAA (dated 1/13/11) is instructing us to re-register the airplane to the Wagner Foundation, enclosing an additional aircraft application, plus another $5.

Dick Continues... "Right at the top of the re-registration application, it makes a statement that it complies with the paperwork reduction act. In addition, we received notice of aircraft registration expiration of different aircraft, all (for) which the form was sent in with $5. However, we now have been informed we have to re-submit this at a later date as they were submitted prior to the three month expiration of April 30, 2011."

Scared yet? Dick finishes his report by noting, "Jim, all of the aircraft have been owned by the Wagner Foundation for a number of years, the proper re-registration forms were submitted, and it is turning into a classic joke. I have never visited the aircraft registration branch in OK, but from what I received today, it is a colossal mess and should be privatized immediately."

Back when the FAA shoved this down our throats, we remarked that it was likely to be more than a burden as time went on, despite the fee of 'only $5' -- basically because these things always get more expensive, more intrusive and more bureaucratic as time goes on... and when you add this nonsense to new Pilot IDs as well as a raft of other restrictive, time-consuming and invasive proposals, its becomes clear that the FAA does not have the best interests of GA in mind... and neither, apparently, do the associations that should have fought this to a standstill.

ANN thanks Dick for his confidence and the time he took to document this issue so that we could bring it to YOUR attention... I'm coming to believe that the true 'saviors' of aviation will not be the associations looking for your bucks at every turn (it's 1800 on a Sunday... and its been at least 12 hours since news of another commercial pitch from AOPA... my email must not be working)... but instead, the organized and educated opposition of passionate aviators who care enough to get involved and fight for the future of our industry... and Dick Wagner is one of them. So are many others...

Are you?

More info to follow...

FMI: www.aviationhalloffamewisconsin.com/inductees/wagner.htm, www.wagaero.com/about.html, Comments/Criticism for ANN????