Tells Wichita Pilots To Prepare For Marathon

There is little doubt in AOPA President Phil Boyer's mind that a battle is looming over user fees for general aviation pilots. At a pilot's town hall meeting Wednesday in Wichita, KS, Boyer received some powerful support in that battle.

In a videotaped message shown at the meeting, Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt (right) told attendees in Wichita any bill supporting user fees would meet strong resistance in Congress.

"If FAA plans call for user fees for general aviation, they will not have my support," said Tiahrt. "In fact, I will work against any effort to impose user fees on general aviation."

In his videotaped message, Rep. Tiahrt acknowledged that budgets are tight, "but transportation funding remains an important priority."

Responding to the administration's proposal to cut almost a billion dollars from airport funding, Tiahrt said, "We can't jeopardize the national transportation system by ignoring needed safety improvements at airports." Tiahrt also made the strong point that any changes to the FAA's funding structure "would need congressional approval."

Boyer and Tiahrt both stressed such fees would have a negative impact on aircraft sales that are a vital part of Wichita's economy.

"That should be a pretty clear message to the Bush administration," AOPA President Phil Boyer explained to the pilots gathered in Wichita, "because Rep. Tiahrt sits on the transportation subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. He and his colleagues literally write the check for the FAA. If Congress says 'no' to user fees, as they have in the past, the fees won't happen. Period."

Fortunately, the issue is still a little ways off -- fees cannot be enacted before the FAA's current funding is up in September 2007 -- which is why AOPA is stressing the issue now, Boyer said.

"We're in about mile three right now" of a 26-mile marathon, Boyer said.

FMI: www.aopa.org, www.faa.gov, www.house.gov/tiahrt/