It's Time to Get in Line, for FAA Certificate-Holders

We let you know, courtesy an ANN News-Spy, that Washington state is cracking down on scofflaw pilots, mechanics, and other FAA certificate-holders (with broad exceptions). Here's more of what's behind the move. We talked with the state's DoT, and got a lot of information from Ms. Theresa Smith:

"What the legislature recenty did -- last Sunday," she started, but then wanted us to know that, "We have 129 public-use airports; about 90 are solely dependent on state money to maintain them. We have 16 airports that we're at risk of losing, due to lack of funds. The pavement is failing -- they're becoming unusable."

The state will be in trouble if it loses these important aerial links -- and the DoT will take a lot of heat. There's a new director of the state's Transportation Department, and he's suddenly aware of how much trouble he'll be in, if a dozen or so airports close on his watch. The state doesn't have the funding to do the required repairs, repairs the old administrator apparently think were critical. So, now, it's a crisis.

"We have about a $7 million gap in funding for pavement, just to maintain our current pavement," Ms. Smith told us. "We have a new state DoT Director, who wants to make sure folks know of the pavement condition. We want our customers to let us know what to do." There are alternatives, but they're not pleasant. She explained, "'Doing nothing' is one of the decisions that can be made."

The new administration had to get right to it: "If we have facilities that are at risk, what are the funding sources; and can the community survive without medical, blood, pharmaceuticals, checks -- all the things that the communities need so badly," and that the airports support or provide. Washington is a big state, and it's largely sparsely populated. Its economy is also moving from mostly-agricultural, to manufacturing and services. Ms. Smith understands that: "The state has a lot of transitional economic activity, and the airports are critical to supporting that transition."

Taxes are going up.

"The pilot community was polled in the last legislative session," she told us. "We increased the state tax on fuel, and it's variable. Six months ago, it was 7 cents, and it's now at seven and a half cents [a gallon]; it's not good to try plan budgets around [a variable tax]. With the desire to keep these facilities alive, we will soon -- July 1 -- we will have a 10 cent fuel tax. We'll still be way short of the millions needed."

Mostly, the tax isn't collected.

Ms. Smith said that the burden isn't shared evenly, though. In fact, most of the heavy users -- those whose activity most impacts the repair bill -- are exempt from paying the tax! "Within Washington state," she noted, "95% of the fuel users -- just about everybody but small GA, are exempt from the 10 cent a gallon tax." We asked for an example. "Within a two-year period, 564 million gallons were exempt; 46 million gallons were taxed," she told us. Who's exempt? "Commercial service, farm, research, testing, and training -- and all government." Who causes the most wear and tear on airports? Um... light GA?

We asked for it, she said.

So now, there';s this move to hit FAA certificate holders with registration and an $8 registration fee, plus the tax for small operators is going up by 33%. How the heck did that happen? "What has happened -- it was the pilot community that called for stiffer penalties -- just 1/3 of pilots and 1/2 of the aircraft were registered." So nobody was collecting taxes and fees. "Part of that was poor communication on our part," Theresa admitted. It's getting better, though. As certificate-holders now face criminal penalties, and are allowed to pay by credit card, things look to be on the improve... "With the 'credit card' option, we're now at 45% of the population using it," she said.

We wanted to know just what 'pilot community' was pressuring the DoT to raise taxes and collect more fees. "The 'pilot community' was just 'those pilots who were registered,'" she explained, "just 1/3 of the pilots. We hooked up with the AOPA, Washington Pilots' Association, and the EAA -- they have remarkable networks." She thinks that, if pilots believe her organization, they will rush to put more money into the state's treasury: "All the increases will go directly to airport preservation. We are trying to prevent the loss of facilities," she pleaded.

We asked AOPA.

A quick call to the AOPA, asking just why it seemed like a good idea to raise taxes on such a small percentage of Washington pilots, the very pilots AOPA best represents. The answer was that, since the state now promised to use aviation taxes to support aviation projects, it seemed like a good idea, somehow. We're waiting for an official position statement from AOPA, that explains why, after fifty+ years of collecting aviation taxes and neglecting aviation facilities, suddenly we should believe the government when it says the aviation tax increases are for our own good -- and most of the increases won't be collected from favored groups, anyway.

We asked EAA.

We kinda surprised EAA's Dick Knapinski, who didn't realize that the organization's name had been invoked in pursuit of higher fees from a lot of the EAA's members. He looked into it, and got back to us, when he found out what he needed to know about this program. "Whoever told you that EAA was 'in favor of a tax increase' was misinformed.," he told us. "Whatever was taken from aviation, should have gone to aviation. Additionally, we see a lot of exemptions -- 95% of the users are exempt, and many receive a tax rebate. They have to find some way to have an equitable burden. If you're a GA pilot out there, you're conflicted -- you may not want to pay any more tax, or fees -- or you might be glad to 'contribute' to airport maintenance. The question is, how will this be equitable, for all who use the airports? Will those 'exempt' entities, for instance, pay landing fees? How do you make it fair, across the board?" Getting back to basics, "Are we in favor of a tax or fee increase? No. Are we interested in how airports can be kept open? Absolutely."

In the meantime, Washingtonians, line up, register, pay your taxes -- and keep that credit card handy.

FMI: https://secure2.wsdot.wa.gov/air/index.cfm; http://wsdot.wa.gov/aviation