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...