Fly-in Boycott

I think I will not attend this fly-in. Seems like a REALLY BAD precedent to set. If no one shows up, do you think they would get the hint?

MICHIGAN FLY-IN TOLD TO EXPECT BILL FOR ATC
Organizers of a small but growing fly-in at Alleghan Airport, near Grand Rapids, Mich., say the FAA intends to charge them $3,200 to set up and staff a temporary tower for their event in late June. Andy Millin, one of the organizers of the West Michigan Fly-In, told AVweb this week that, barring a change of heart from the feds, his group will scrape together the money because they believe the tower is essential to the safe running of the event. "We're not willing to take the chance," Millin said. But by writing that check, Millin said he understands the watershed precedent the group will be setting. "The tower is clearly a safety measure and is well within the mandate of the FAA," Millin said. "We would like to refuse the payment as we feel this is the service the FAA is supposed to be there for. However, this is a genuine safety consideration and we just can't roll the dice on this one." More...

FAA COMMITTED TO SAFETY ... AT A REASONABLE COST
Millin said that local FAA officials tried to cancel the deployment of the temporary tower last year, citing budgetary concerns. A concerted protest by EAA, fly-in officials and the controllers themselves prompted the agency to relent. However, this year, after Millin sent his standard request for the service, he got a letter from Nancy B. Kort, the FAA's area director for central terminal operations, saying that free temporary tower services are a thing of the past. "Due to increased demands on our FAA facilities to manage resources and account for all expenses, we are asking you and all sponsors requesting our services to reimburse the FAA for these costs," she wrote. "We are committed to providing safety services at a reasonable cost and look forward to working with you in the future." More...

WILL PAY-PER-SERVICE SPREAD?
Millin said he believes his fly-in is the thin edge of the wedge and that charging for these types of services could become the norm throughout the country if the practice isn't stopped immediately. In fact, he said FAA officials he's spoken with are predicting that major events, such as EAA AirVenture and Sun 'n Fun, will be asked to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the FAA for ATC services starting in 2007. Messages left for FAA spokesmen in the Great Lakes Region weren't returned but EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said his organization has heard nothing about being charged for the so-called "World's Busiest Tower" historically manned by volunteers at AirVenture. And he said EAA's position on such a notion is clear. "That would be a user fee and EAA's position is that it opposes user fees.

Bill

This flyin is one of, if not the best in the area. I go every year. Would be faster to drive than to go get the airplane and fly over there but it is a flyin. They have a classic car and motorcycle show and a few aircraft from the Kzoo air Museum occasionally show up.
I gotta disagree with Bill on not showing up. All you will do is hurt the organizers. They will get stuck with the FAA bill with no proceeds to pay it. I personally would tell the FAA to shove it. I think they create more problems at this flyin than they cure.

Since the FAA supplied Tower is the problem, why not have a volunteer staffed tower? Still have the certified controllers doing the work, but contact them outside of the FAA. Then all you have to do is get the waver for a special one-time-use freq.

What ever happens, the FAA should be ashamed and can go stick it in a light socket! :evil:

You could call Serco or one of the other private sector companies that provide ATC services and get a bid. Wonder how much they FAA will charge to run OSH during the fly in?

I don’t really understand how boycotting a fly-in from a pilot’s perspective can really do anything. Most FAA control towers are owned and operated by the city the airport is located in, so any extra funding would come directly out of the pockets of its citizens. Having fly-ins only attracts more attention to an airport which generates revenue for the local economy. That via hotels, shops, restaurants, fuel sales… etc. If the tower is so busy that it needs to have $3200 worth of extra staff around than the city needs to market more to the large crowds of people instead of passing the fee on the pilots and their aircraft, who keep in mind are the main attraction.

Jacob,

There is no tower in Allegan. Closest one is in Kalamazoo. The organizers contract the FAA to send controllers. They come from Kzoo, Battle Creek, or maybe Grand Rapids, set up a little station by the runway and proceed to imped traffic. I suppose they are of some good but it seems half the folks in bound are not aware there is a special tower frequency so some are being controlled some are not. Makes for a mess.

The MAAA has the FAA put in a temp tower at Three Forks every year for their fly in. What a cluster fuck. They do it though because if something happens they figure the FAA can be sued instead of them. Dosent surprise me the FAA is charging for it. The ATO is run by a ex American Airlines exec and is suppose to be it running it like a business.

After flying into S&F in April 2002 and being hit from behind and then getting another airplane and going to the AAA fly-in in June 2002 I felt more comfortable at the AAA fly-in with no tower. The pilots were giving their positions in the pattern and in relation to other planes. Went a lot smoother than when they had a temporary tower. I could tell where the other airplanes were unlike S&F.

We used to have the Great Valley Fly-In at O41 and had an FAA temp tower there. Then a couple of years they couldn't make it and there was no difference and no problems. Tell the FAA that tax money pays their way and they need to get along with that.

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After Headaches, Western Michigan Fly-In Gets Its Temporary Tower
Thu, 11 May '06

EAA Steps In For Second Time In Two Years
If the folks who work each year to organize the Western Michigan Fly-In feel a little put upon right now, perhaps they have a good reason... as for the last two years, they've had to call in outside help to ensure the FAA would provide a temporary control tower for their event at Padgham Field (35D) in Allegan, MI.



Whereas last year the FAA blamed its initial decision to yank the tower on an administrative snafu -- which was cleared up after a friendly call from EAA officials -- this year, organizers of the fly-in were told that sure, they could have a tower... but it would cost them $3,200 for the one-day event.

Fortunately, fly-in officials have the EAA on speed dial. EAA Government Relations Director Randy Hansen went to work on the issue, and within one business day had received assurances that a temporary tower and the controllers would be provided as part of the FAA’s normal services, with no charges to the fly-in.

"I talked with Nancy Kort (area terminal operations manager at the FAA Great Lakes Regional Office) and Dave Ausherman (Acting Manager, Airspace and Procedures Branch Central Terminal Operations), and we jointly resolved the issue," said Hansen. "The FAA fully realizes that the fly-in is a non-profit event designed to promote the airport and its activities to the local community, and that they don’t charge community members a fee to enter the airport grounds for the fly-in."

While it all worked out in the end, to EAA member Andy Millin -- a member of the airport’s advisory board who arranges for the fly-in’s tower each year -- the proposed charge sure sounded like the first implementation of user fees... and an expensive one at that.

"This turned out to be a whole lot more about pilots, the FAA, and user fees than it was about a regional airport holding a fly-in and wanting a temporary control tower," Millen said. "When you’re in the air with that many airplanes, you need to have a tower. We really felt like we were trapped between a rock and a hard place; we could not safely hold the event without a tower."

Of course, the EAA -- like many of the aviation "letter groups' (with the notable exception of the ATA, of course) -- strongly opposes user fees as a funding mechanism for any air traffic control services.

Temporary towers are authorized "to provide for the safe ingress and egress for the aircraft involved and for maximizing flight and ground safety for the users and the spectators" -- a condition the Western Michigan Fly-In certainly meets, with as many as 60 operations at the field per hour at peak times. That includes as many 300 Young Eagles flights, as well.

"We had quite a bit of feedback from other fly-ins, people concerned about this ever happening to them," said Millin, who added that 35D becomes Michigan’s busiest airport during their fly-in. "From the pilot side, many responded angrily that we would ever capitulate and pay the fee. They would rather have us not have the tower because they didn’t want anyone paying the first user fee."

"I can understand that, and I respect their position, but we feel that a tower is needed for our event given the high volume of traffic that occurs. We have to be safe." Millin claims that Allegan is the state’s busiest airport during the fly-in.

Before the FAA cried uncle on the matter, people and companies stepped up and pledged donations to help cover the tower charges should they have been upheld. By Monday afternoon, Millin said they had received pledges to cover about 90 percent of the $3,200.

"But if we had paid this much this year, how much was it going to be next year? What other things are we going to be paying for? Nobody liked the direction this was going," he said.

"We’ve held them at bay for a little while," said Millin, "and if it’s not us next year, who is it going

And umm, what was AOPA doing about this almost user fee?

Oh yeah, thats right. Boyer was meeting with Scott up here about closing off the road(s) around lake hood from everyone but airplane owners.

Hi.

Well, if you come, c'mon down to Vicksburt or the Air Zoo and see the Ford Tri-Motors being built and re-built.

We welcome all 'comers and a tour of the factory floor is mandatory. Besides not having any Pa-18's we do have many fun aircraft projects underway including resoring a B-29, etc.

Just offering and always willing to set down my rivit gun and talk with ya.

Max