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Is Reason Report Unreasonable?
“Business aviation should support the shift to user fees,” urged Reason Foundation director of transportation studies Robert Poole, “if it is part of a comprehensive reform of ATC.” He said user fees would enable the costly switch to a “network-centric” (more technology-based) ATC system that in his view would offset increased costs with potential savings from increased flying efficiency and fewer delays. Poole’s 40-page report assumes that ATC user fees would increase business jet operating costs just 5 percent, based on spreading the costs over all users or charging for weight and distance traveled. In a weight-based user-fee system, Part 91 business aviation would pay more than it currently pays in fuel taxes. Fractional and charter aviation would shell out less because these operators now pay per-leg fees and taxes on hourly charges. Poole did not suggest whether current taxes or fees would disappear under a user-fee system. Fuel excise taxes in Canada remained the same after the country launched user-fee-based Nav Canada in 1999, and none of those tax revenues go to Nav Canada.

Nav Canada Wants Excise Taxes Cut
Canada’s private, user-fee-based ATC system–Nav Canada–believes that general aviation operators are double-charged for use of Canada’s aviation infrastructure and that fuel excise taxes should be reduced. In a letter sent July 19 to the minister of finance, Nav Canada president and CEO John Crichton noted that airline passenger taxes were eliminated after Nav Canada acquired Canada’s navigation services, and it is inequitable for general aviation operators to pay Canada’s fuel excise tax because the aviation infrastructure is self-supported via user fees. Canadian GA operators pay 11 cents per Canadian liter of avgas and four cents per liter for jet-A, in addition to ATC and airport user fees. U.S. GA operators pay 5.6 cents per Canadian liter for aviation fuel and, for now, no user fees. Crichton asked the minister to lower avgas fuel excise taxes to at least the jet fuel rate and also to lower jet fuel taxes “by an appropriate amount.”

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Upgraded Helicopter Standards Planned
New and revised performance and handling qualities requirements for normal- (Part 27) and transport-category (Part 29) rotorcraft have been proposed. The FAA said the proposals are prompted by “advances in design and operational trends.” Some current Part 27 and 29 regulations do not reflect “safety levels attainable by modern rotorcraft.” The proposals–which result from recommendations made by the European Joint Aviation Authorities, the Aerospace Industries Association of America, Transport Canada and other interested parties–have already been presented to the joint FAA/industry aviation rulemaking advisory committee (ARAC). Specific areas targeted for revision are weight limits; performance at minimum operating speeds; high-speed envelope; controllability and maneuverability; stability; and takeoff and landing. Comments are due October 23. For more information, contact Jeff Trang at the FAA’s rotorcraft directorate office in Fort Worth, Texas, at (817) 222-5135.

FBO at Love Field Designated DCA Gateway Facility
Business Jet Center (BJC), a Dallas Love Field FBO, is now authorized by the Transportation Security Administration as a gateway for general aviation flights into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). According to Stephanie Jordan, general manager of BJC, the company had to meet several TSA requirements, including the designation of an area within BJC specifically for processing and screening both the passengers and the crew of flights departing from the FBO and going directly to DCA nonstop. The company or charter provider that operates the aircraft must also be authorized to land at DCA. A background check is made on all crewmembers and passengers for each flight to DCA. “Then they must apply to the FAA for a reservation and then to the TSA for authorization,” Jordan explained. “Also, they must have on board a TSA-approved armed security officer.” BJC can provide a list of ASOs in the area. Business Jet Access, a BJC-affiliated Part 135 operator, is also now authorized to operate charter flights to DCA.