KSTP TV Minneapolis and St Paul Pilots say FAA bill would clip Angel Flight's wings

Pilots say FAA bill would clip Angel Flight's wings; by: Nicole Muehlhausen, Web Producer.

Theres a lobbying dogfight pitting large commercial carriers against small private planes in Washington DC.

The airline industry says they're trying to save money and jobs, and that unless changes are made, their costs will go up. But small plane pilots say there's more at stake than money.

"I have a condition of the nervous system that causes non-cancerous tumor to grow on my brain and spinal chord," said Mark McLaughlin.

McLaughlin frequently travels to Houston, Tex. to undergo an experimental treatment.

"Its the only place in the country they offer it, so it's where I need to go," he explained.

To get there, McLaughlin relies on an angel. Angel Flight shuttles people to medical care facilities around the country, with expenses paid for by the pilots.

Angel pilot Mike Schoen is worried that he and others that volunteer their time may have their wings clipped because of the Federal Aviation Administration's Reauthorization Bill of 2009—in particular, the section that says who pays for what.

According to the Air Transport Association, small planes don't pay their fair share of the costs to maintain the Air Traffic Control System. Commercial air companies are asking for some of that cost to be passed onto small planes in the form of 'user fees.'

"Most of the pilots Ive talked to in Angel Flight, and otherwise, have said it would severely curtail their flying," McLaughlin said, who says he used to fly commercial planes to get to his treatment destinations but had to stop because it was too expensive.

"If I had to go back to that, I don't know how much longer Id be able to keep going down there," McLaughlin said.

A staffer of Rep. Jim Oberstars office says he opposes changing the payment balance. Oberstar, DFL-District 8, is the head of the House Transportation Committee.

The Airline Owners and Pilots Association has launched a campaign to oppose the proposed changes called General Aviation Serves America"

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[HDaviator]

General Aviation pilots already pay for fees. Landing fees in certain airports and taxes on our fuel. The price for avgas (aviation gasoline) at my local airport is about $5.00 per galon. Most single engine planes burn about 10 gallons an hour, do the math. My airplane has two engines and burns about 14 gallons each side (so 28 gallons an hour total) with a tank large enough to hold about 170gallons. Thats $870 just to fill the tanks for more or less 5 hours of flight time.

[159357dan]

wierd

[88119966]

the faa's pomose is to kill