The United States has long been held as an optimal model of general aviation success. It is the safest and most extensive system in the world today. Our country includes over 5400 airports and over 18,000 known landing facilities. The United States has more pilots than any country in the world.

Recreation and Business Aviation pilots and passengers are now being asked to pay excess from their wallets to fix the woes of the airlines, who through poor management or strained relations exceedingly run to the general public to bail them out.

The Issue: The funding system in place today expires on September 30, 2007. This system funds the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A new law is being proposed, or you may have read it as a reauthorization in various publications. Your Congress is currently looking at three bills. It's critical that the FAA and Senate proposed bills are defeated .

Here is a quick breakdown of the proposed bills:

The FAA is proposing the following:
-Increase fuel tax to 263% increase (.70 cents) on personal piston aircraft with a weight based airspace user fee.
-Increase fuel tax to 221% increase (.70 cents) on turbine aircraft, also with a weight based airspace user fee.
-The airlines get a great tax break as user fees replace ticket taxes and segment fees.
-Airports receive almost 1 billion below the current level for airport improvements.

The Senate bill differs but again, favors the airlines by proposing:
-Fuel tax remains same for personal piston aircraft with an 'exempt for now' clause with user fees.
-Turbine aircraft suffer with a 125% tax increase and a $25/flight surcharge user fee..
-The airlines again favored, have the 4.3c/gallon fuel tax eliminated holding them only to a $25/flight ATC surcharge.
-Airports would receive $200 million increase over current spending and $100 million increase annually.

The current favored bill among general aviation is by far the House FAA funding bill - FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2881).
This bill if it would pass would involved the following:
-Increase fuel tax to 25% and NO user fees and only inflationary tax adjustments.
-Increase fuel tax to 41% (30.7cents) with inflationary tax adjustments and again, no user fees.
-Airlines retain their 4.3cent fuel tax.
-$200 million increase for airport improvements over current spending then $100 million increase annually.

How long will we stand for taxes that are being imposed by those who would believe that only the extremely wealthy fly, and should pay for the woes of the airlines through a newly proposed socialized system? The very system that is proven extremely flawed and broken in other countries on a much smaller scale. Imagine the ramifications on a system the size of the United States.

You can read more about this and take action through AOPA's website. They chronicle the fight and the information needed to arm yourself for this battle. Be sure to take action against these attempts that will surely hurt if not ruin general aviation in the United States.