By now you’ve probably heard that the FAA wants the Experimental Aircraft Association to foot the cost for air traffic controllers at this summer’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin – to the tune of about $500,000. Not surprisingly, EAA is hopping mad. In a normal year this request would be ludicrous. After all, pilots who buy fuel to fly to Oshkosh pay for ATC services in the form of the 19.4-cent-per-gallon tax on avgas. No question, asking EAA to pay for controllers that pilots have already paid for by filling their tanks is tantamount to double taxation.
Of course, this is far from a “normal” year. The impact of government sequestration has caused pain in all corners of aviation, from the cancellation of performances by the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels to delays in certification of new aviation products. The FAA is being forced to make $384 million in cuts by September 30, and is looking to save a good-sized chunk of money by asking EAA to pay for the controllers the organization needs at AirVenture.
