Depending on who you talk to, 2006 was either a very good year for aviation, or a year of much foreboding.

This was a year... in which general aviation continued to make much progress, but saw the specter of user fees threatening it at every corner.

This was a year... in which the F-22 and the F-35 flew, but the reality of budget tightening threatened both programs.

This was a year... in which the Airlines made progress, slow though it may be, from the brink of bankruptcy to the brink of profitability -- however at the cost of their employees, stockholders, and the trust of the American public.

This was a year... in which business aviation continued to thrive, but also a year in which it continued to take flak from a media that didn't understand it, an FAA that didn't value it, and the airlines who covet their prosperity.

This was a year... actually a great year for sport aviation, as the sport pilot community saw blue skies for the first time in a long while, and new airplanes filled the sky at a rapidly increasing rate... but the costs of entry into the LSA community still seems to be way too much for the average Joe to handle.

This was a year... in which the space shuttle got back to business, the commercial spaceflight industry made incremental progress, and plans for the future on both sides of the aisle moved forward... but to all intents and purposes the progress has been marginal, and far less than what people expected by now.

So, okay... 2006 was a mixed bag and it's bloody hard to determine which stories or story topics truly line up at the top of a list that we've decided to limit to a solid dozen entities -- presented in quasi-alphabetical order. But warts and all, this is what we've come up with -- the stories that made a splash in 2006 -- while also containing some promise (good and bad) for the future. Read them, think about them, and let us know what YOU think.

TSA Stupidity Knows No Bounds

Okay, we know this is hardly a tough topic to document -- kinda like shooting fish in a... well, you get the idea.

However; the stories of TSA abuse and stupidity are seemingly without limit. This nation has learned to put up with all kinds of abysmal behaviors that seem to do little to protect our nation's security, but do seem designed more to look good than to accomplish anything. While security induced hassles are keeping passengers away from airplanes, and many more to miss their flights, the TSA continues to abuse the public trust by failing to address the root causes of our security vulnerabilities by putting up feel-good, public Band-Aids that fool no one.

There are a number of simple steps that need to be taken to secure ourselves, as unpopular as they may be, but singling out grandmothers in wheelchairs, or elderly medal of honor winners, or persons who obviously don't meet the terrorist profile (like the four-year-old who wouldn't give up his juice bar), seems more than ridiculous. And while we're not specifically advocating what most consider to be racial profiling, there is no question that the threats we face do seem to come from a section of our world's society that can be easily identified, and should necessarily be given a bit more scrutiny than the average Joe.

As someone who has to walk through way too many TSA checkpoints, I am amazed at what is ignored, as well as the (often) less-than-professional behavior I see from the TSA.  Many of these personnel do not seem qualified to be entrusted with such grave responsibilities -- and they do not have the right to heap abuse on the public. If you so much as question any TSA staffer about their conduct or procedures, no matter the justification, you're in for quite a trip -- possibly all the way to jail. I personally had to deal with questioning by an annoyed police officer after watching an unkempt TSA staffer fumble through some of my expensive camera gear -- who nearly dropped an $8000 camera (which only survived because I caught it). He ignored my instructions to be careful and became quite annoyed when I asked to speak to his supervisor... which he refused... calling the cops instead when I made it clear that a complaint was to be made. When the situation was revealed for what it was (I invited the officer to view the video record kept of such proceedings--which he said was not necessary after the TSA staffer changed his story three times), the officer became nearly as annoyed as I was, while also noting that he was as sick of watching the TSA use law enforcement as a crutch for their own egos as I was.

Believe it or not, I think there is help for this mess -- a lot of help. This nation has a precious brain trust in the form of the hundreds of thousands of men and women, throughout the years, that have served this nation and their communities in a law enforcement role and developed the kind of insight and instincts that are sorely needed by TSA. Why the TSA is not seeking out former beat cops, retired detectives, and other available law enforcement professionals to provide needed guidance for an often young and inexperienced staff is beyond me. Simple but proper inspections do not have to be complicated. They rarely have to rely upon expensive equipment. And, it is common sense that a dozing four-year-old in his Mother's arms poses less of a threat than the middle eastern male who is acting nervously. But, unfortunately, the fear of being accused of racial profiling is one of the few things that TSA staffers fear... and as a result the scrutiny that some people need to be given is often abandoned as too risky to pursue. No one is suggesting that we aggressively profile anyone without reason... but we should not be afraid to include anyone who fits the demographics of those who have committed terrorist acts in the past.

The overall effect of the current dilemma is that this nation's TSA is looked upon as a clueless gathering of Keystone Cops. ANN is filled with stories of TSA abuses, the general media has far more than we do, and we believe it is time for a complete and thorough overhaul of the entire TSA apparatus. We can start by using experienced streetwise law enforcement oversight to replace or train staffers that often seem unqualified for TSA jobs, much less the fast food positions too many of them seem to have come from.

TSA does not work. TSA is a joke. TSA is one of the few outside reasons that the airlines can legitimately blame for some of their troubles. There is precious little reason for the amateur efforts of the TSA to be put up with, by the flying public, any longer. If this nation's transportation infrastructure is to make any progress in 2007, and if the airline industry hopes to survive its many self-induced and outwardly induced problems, a thorough and aggressive overhaul of the TSA would be a damned good start.

UAVs Everywhere!

Boy... here's a truly fascinating topic. On one hand, ANN cannot help but be thoroughly impressed by the technological progress made by the unmanned air vehicle development community. Proving themselves time and time again in intelligence roles for this country's military and security networks, the modern UAV has become a versatile defender of democracy. They've even proven themselves to be an agile weapon system when properly equipped and operated by this nation's military. Numerous personnel, overseas, owe their lives to UAVs, and a number of great victories over terrorist interests have been accomplished by skilled use of a new generation of UCAV's that have been guided to targets -- often by sophisticated UAV surveillance programs. On a strictly military and security level, UAVs offer this nation a nearly painless way to protect ourselves, our personnel, and our interests around the world.

But... then there's this other problem. As UAVs have counted up amazing successes overseas, and the technological progress posted by this community seems to know no bounds, UAVs are being tapped for a number of domestic roles. Border patrol chores seem to be the first area of concentration for domestic UAV surveillance programs, and outwardly such programs make perfect sense. However; for all the technological progress these vehicles have made, and with all the amazing talents that their operators bring to the fore, there is still no sensible strategy for identifying these aircraft and seamlessly allowing them to operate in the same airspace as manned vehicles, be they 747s, or J-3s. This is an accident waiting to happen.

ANN agrees that UAVs have a phenomenal future both overseas as military and security defense systems, even domestically, to protect our borders and in a number of other special uses... but at no time should a UAV be operated in such a way as to endanger any manned vehicle -- nor should a UAV, except in circumstances involving dire emergencies, take precedence over the need of manned transportation systems to be able to utilize our nation's skies as needed... no matter the type of use, whether it be professional or recreational. One of the true tenets of American democracy is seen and celebrated every time a private citizen jumps into their plane to take flight, and we cannot, and should not, surrender those freedoms because somebody's got a new toy that they have not adequately prepared for use in the national airspace system.

There are tremendously talented people involved in the regulatory environment and working within the UAV community, who assure us that UAVs can be used on a limited basis, domestically, without any threat to civilian or military air traffic. We tend to believe that but the rush to deploy UAVs, willy-nilly, in order to grab some attention and try to do a job for which they're not fully prepared, seems shortsighted and premature.

User Fees/Airlines Attack The Rest of Aviation

If there is a more pressing issue for 2007 than the fraudulent issues put forth by the FAA in the form of user fee proposals (in seeming partnership with the airline industry), I don't know what is. The FAA has done a poor job of validating their need to abandon a workable and still-functioning funding mechanism, that not only is paying the bills today, but is showing plenty of evidence that it can do so in the future. The airlines, in turn, have done a very bad job of disguising their intensive support for FAA's user fee proposals through their greed, arrogance, and self-interest.

These are the facts... the FAA does not need a new funding mechanism -- it needs to spend its money more effectively and carefully. Nearly as important; the FAA does not need a new funding mechanism that has the potential to create complex new levels of bureaucracy, confusion, and expense. The FAA and the airlines, although they may deny it, appear to be working in concert to produce a united front in order to sell the public and our legislators on the need for changes that, so far, make no sense at all.

Far more learned persons than the staff at ANN have made compelling and well-documented arguments for why user fees make no sense, why the FAA's arguments are fallacious, and why the airlines are acting in a penny wise and pound foolish manner. We've done those stories... and we'll keep doing those stories... but preaching to the choir is not the way that we are going to defeat upcoming user fee proposals. The entire aviation community has to band together in ways it has not done, in many years, and it needs provides solid logical arguments to refute those that are being put forth by the airlines and the FAA. In the meantime; the airlines themselves are going to have to learn that alienating the rest of the aviation industry has a cost.

I have made it personally clear, when conversing with airlines sources, via conversation, mail and e-mail, that the actions of the ATA (the airline's vociferous and somewhat bombastic trade association) not only do not have my personal support but are likely to cause me to find ways to abandon airline use whereever possible. I have also made it clear that I have heard from thousands of ANN readers throughout the last year that think likewise. It's time that more people said these things, and it's time that the appropriate aero-organizations put forth such concepts. More important than anything else; the airlines have to be educated to the fact that there is going to be a cost for their arrogance and alienation -- not only by the rest of the aviation industry, but by a critical type of customer those who have heretofore has been some of their best friends, and staunchest allies.

The non-airline-affilated aviation industry, no matter what segment they represent, needs to publicly and positively broadcast a message of support for the defeat of user fees, and the return of fairness and sensibility to the way that the FAA deals with the entire aviation industry -- instead of just their buddies in the airlines. For God's sakes, folks, let's not let the Federal Aviation Administration get turned into the Federal Airline Administration.

VLJ Wars

We've used the word "war" to describe the conditions surrounding a number of the problems that we faced in 2006. And while we risk the danger of over-using the word, we believe that it plays such a descriptive role in chronicling the issues of the year, that we're forced to rely upon it yet again.

This is another case in which the word seems apt. However, you may not realize just where the conflicts are when it comes to the burgeoning VLJ market. Recently; we've seen the term 'VLJ war' used to typify the competitive atmosphere that exists between Eclipse, Adam, Cessna, Diamond, Cirrus, Piper, Embraer and a number of other companies that either are already producing products for the Light Jet, Very Light Jet or Personal Jet market -- or soon will be...

We think that the true upcoming VLJ conflicts will not result from the competitive pressures noted above, but in how these revolutionary aircraft are going to be treated and accepted by an industry that (at one time) seemed to welcome these birds with open arms. Lately; they've been painted, by both FAA and Airline hype, as unrepentant thieves of our airspace, resources, and airports.

Boy, what a load of bat guano... Light Jets, Very Light Jets, and Personal Jets -- whether they be used for recreational or professional purposes, are going to be some of the greatest boons to American business that we have seen in many years. The National Business Aircraft Association can tell you that the average business jet, something that most smaller companies could not afford before now, has been a tool that has been used quite effectively to make Biz-Jet equipped companies more competitive, more mobile, and far better business entities.

When the business power that has heretofore been leveraged by $10-$50M business jets starts being leveraged by companies that can afford $1M-$2M for smaller jets with (at least) 75% or more of those bigger jet's basic capabilities, we're going to see some very impressive business results. Katy, bar the door...

At least, we THINK we're going to see some very serious business results, that is... if the baby is not thrown out with the bathwater by enemies of the VLJ community. The FAA's insistence on new funding mechanisms, and the demonization of VLJs as potential spoilers or bad boys that will be robbing the FAA of their resources, is not only a misnomer, it's pure and utter dreck. The Airline Industry's attacks on VLJs are not only self-serving, but foolish -- to the extreme. No segment of the private and business travel industry is as convinced of the viability and value of commercial air travel as people who fly and own airplanes. Yes, while they tend to fly their own airplanes wherever possible, these are very mobile people who often own very mobile companies -- staffed by very mobile users who have no problem using the airlines where it suits their needs. They comprise a valuable customer base that the airlines are alienating with each passing day and frankly, really starting to "piss them off" with all the anti-GA rhetoric (the quoted comment having been derived from a conversation with a pilot who runs a very mobile Fortune 500 company, by the way).

So... the REAL VLJ war will have little to do with competition among competing VLJ builders... it will, instead, revolve around whether or not VLJs, their owners, and their pilots are going to run into resistance from self-interested government agencies and much-more-self interested airline industries. It is conceivable that these counter-interests could strangle a burgeoning new segment of aviation one that has extraordinary promise for this nation's business future.

If the user fee issue and airline antagonism toward GA grows throughout 2007, it behooves every participant in aviation -- every user, every pilot, every company, every organization -- to set the record straight and to make sure that all segments of aviation get equal access to our airspace and airports without paying for things that they don't need, never wanted, or have been thrust upon them by those looking to pass the buck. The VLJ community may be the first heads on the chopping block if those anti-GA interests have their way... mark our words.

FMI: Comments?