Artricle from 2010 Explains it all

 

There's allot worse then that going on, but even still, pork like that is not what's causing all the money problems for the US gov. We should all cool it a bit with how major countries like the US and others operate. It's a complicated process to be sure, and having read or heard of some "who knows what" subject, can only educate us on a single grain of sand.

 

It's a big mess, and has been sense the beginning of the country. Things like the tower closings come and go with the ebb and tide of the economy. The closings wont be permanent if they do happen. The kids on the hill, and in the White House, have to have their food fights. It'll work itself out. The world just went through what should have been called a depression. The US didn't fully recover from the last Great Depression until after WWII... some 16 years between 29 and 45.

 

Closing towers is not a bad thing. I'm sure there are AP's that can go uncontrolled, and controller talents moved to more pressing airspace. The vast majority of US AP's are uncontrolled now anyway, or are part time. Airports are cheap really. You just have to cut the grass every once in awhile.. make sure the lights work, etc. That's why they charge you 100 bucks a month for a tie down, and more for the FBO's. Properly managed, it's no biggie until better times.

 

 

When I first went to flight school in 1996, a Cessna 150 was renting for $40/hour

 

1980 it was 29.00 (wet, but you filled up after returning it) for C172 and 32.00 for Grumman tigers/cheetahs. Top wingers around me are now

going for 145.00/148.00-ish. That works out to about 11% increase a year sense 1980. What's not going up is pay. That's the problem!

1980 it was 29.00 (wet, but you filled up after returning it) for C172 and 32.00 for Grumman tigers/cheetahs. Top wingers around me are now

going for 145.00/148.00-ish. That works out to about 11% increase a year sense 1980. What's not going up is pay. That's the problem!

 

This is the reason why so many flight schools today still use a lot of C150's from the 1970's. That was when enrollment at Flight Schools was the highest. It was affordable and Cessna produced a considerable amount of trainers in that era. I was born in the 1970's so too young to have seen it.

1970's so too young to have seen it

 

Yea, those were wild days! I can remember going out to the AP with my brother (whos still flying) on a sunny weekend, and you had to wait for someone to come in. AP looked like a bees nest with so many aircraft in the pattern. But who knows... with Vans taking over these days, and Light Sport, maybe in better times GA can return to those days.

Update:

 

http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14474

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/us/politics/faa-will-delay-closings-of-airport-towers-forced-by-sequestration.html?_r=0

From FAA post "June 15 will close the facilities unless the airports decide to continue operations as a nonfederal contract tower."

 

I've heard on the radio that allot of states are picking up the tab. My guess is that allot of the effected AP's will go part time. Allot of states are low on dough too... so who knows.

 

 

I should read up on AP operations just out of curiosity. Seems to me, if your busy  enough for a tower, the AP should be able to be self sustaining.

GA pilots are among the "rich"!  So they must suffer for their success!

GA pilots are among the "rich"!  So they must suffer for their success!

 

LOL, that may be true for the most part, but I've seen a few clawing at the bottom like the rest of us.

 

 

It's funny on the radio reports.. The person reporting the story always makes it sound like planes will be totally lost and running into each other.

Politicians are richer than the GA pilots 

Politicians are richer than the GA pilots 

 

Aint that the truth...

 

On a side note... Telluride (KTEX) during the ski season has upwards of 60 flights a day...

 

No Tower.

 

They just gotta watch out for each other, and its no problem.