birdlike 0 #1 September 3, 2008 Well? It's an honest question. He has laid out these lofty plans he has for energy production, for reduced emissions, etc. It doesn't seem out of line to ask if he might maybe slap some hefty fuckin' taxes on G.A., and tether us all to the earth with unaffordable fuel, airport user fees, etc. etc. etc. What do you know, or feel, about the possibility that the way he's talking, he might end up fucking with our fun?Spirits fly on dangerous missions Imaginations on fire Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,589 #2 September 3, 2008 Our fun is about as un-ecologically sound as four-wheeling in the national forests. I'd hope that he wouldn't target GA as opposed to every other gas-guzzling thing we do for fun, but it's really hard to justify skydiving as deserving of special exemption. That said, I think that in general skydiving is going to get more expensive. It is in other countries, and it seems likely that the US will follow suit. It's yet another use of a valuable commodity. We should all start BASE jumping . We could carpool to the site and save gas. Wendy W. There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #3 September 3, 2008 Compared to the large airlines, GA is a small fraction of the emissions and fuel used. Any proposals he would make to congress would face the wrath of the airlines and they are heavy lobbists. You can bet that any proposal will face a very up hill battle since the airlines will claim they need federal bail out money to pay the fees.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
birdlike 0 #4 September 3, 2008 Surely if they wanted to they could write a bill specifically for skydiving operations, then, and avoid the wrath of the airlines altogether. This would be after Obama railed against the waste, and recited a litany of fuel-consumption figures. Hell, he might even take them from a recent thread I saw on this site... Spirits fly on dangerous missions Imaginations on fire Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,150 #5 September 3, 2008 Maybe he'll just promote abstinence. Worked for Palin.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pirana 0 #6 September 3, 2008 I really doubt there will be any special treatment of skydiving. It's such small potatoes in the big scheme. The price is likely to stay tied primarily to the price of fuel; where ever that happens to go. The bigger risk is of some skydiving related tragedy that might be cause for some nasty regulatory changes." . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #7 September 3, 2008 nah... if G A gets hit, then everything gets hit.. how about NASCAR??? those "ole Boys" would head right straight up to DC and kick a little ass on pennsylvania Ave... you like to "stir it up".... don't you birdlike???though it is an interesting premise... sounds like you think it's likely that Obama will prevail.. j t Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 1 #8 September 3, 2008 Quote Surely if they wanted to they could write a bill specifically for skydiving operations, then, and avoid the wrath of the airlines altogether. This would be after Obama railed against the waste, and recited a litany of fuel-consumption figures. Hell, he might even take them from a recent thread I saw on this site... I sort of doubt that Obama is turning to dropzone.com to look for statistics, and I doubt that he's going to make "fucking with skydiving" a priority of his. Geez, dude, lay off the caffeine already. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trent 0 #9 September 3, 2008 Unfortunately, skydiving and general aviation as a whole is pretty likely to get screwed no matter who's in office. User fees, increased taxes, the list goes on. The nightmare scenario is that the airlines get more control over ATC and charge fees for each use of the ATC system. More pilots will avoid using it. More airlines will have to move around to avoid those little guys who aren't talking to anyone. Airlines will claim this is unsafe and more airspace will be restricted. AOPA has resources for you to write your representatives. As skydivers, I suggest you take advantage.Oh, hello again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #10 September 3, 2008 QuoteIt doesn't seem out of line to ask if he might maybe slap some hefty fuckin' taxes on G.A., and tether us all to the earth with unaffordable fuel, airport user fees, etc. etc. etc. Uh.. hate to break it to you Jeffrey.. but the Bush Administration is already going after that. Look up the threads on $25 a load as a user fee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #11 September 3, 2008 >Surely if they wanted to they could write a bill specifically for >skydiving operations, then, and avoid the wrath of the airlines altogether. That would be a lot of political effort for zero return. We use an insignificant fraction of the fuel used by commercial aviation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHusband 0 #12 September 3, 2008 Quote Maybe he'll just promote abstinence. Worked for Palin. is palin your new bush? "Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama www.kjandmegan.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #13 September 3, 2008 Quote is palin your new bush? Are we talking 70's style bush? That'd seriously detract from the whole GILF thing she's got going on. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingOsh 0 #14 September 3, 2008 QuoteQuote Maybe he'll just promote abstinence. Worked for Palin. is palin your new bush? Just more crap to derail a thread. Palin and her husband also own a float plane. I would assume that means they're fans of GA -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #15 September 3, 2008 >Palin and her husband also own a float plane. Heck, McCain (or at least his campaign) had an Airbus A320! They recently replaced it with a 737. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallingOsh 0 #16 September 3, 2008 Quote>Palin and her husband also own a float plane. Heck, McCain (or at least his campaign) had an Airbus A320! They recently replaced it with a 737. ok -------------------------------------------------- Stay positive and love your life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,596 #17 September 3, 2008 Quote Surely if they wanted to they could write a bill specifically for skydiving operations, then, and avoid the wrath of the airlines altogether. This would be after Obama railed against the waste, and recited a litany of fuel-consumption figures. Hell, he might even take them from a recent thread I saw on this site... Yeah, and if they wanted to they could make all left handed people wear yellow on sundays, call a halt to Star Trek conventions and ban yodelling. Or alternatively, you could get a fucking grip.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maxmadmax 8 #18 September 4, 2008 ain't now doubt that it would be a GA admin fee tacked on to each load or onto us personally. Don't go away mad....just go away! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #19 September 4, 2008 Quote Our fun is about as un-ecologically sound as four-wheeling in the national forests. I'd hope that he wouldn't target GA as opposed to every other gas-guzzling thing we do for fun, but it's really hard to justify skydiving as deserving of special exemption. __________________________________________________ I tend to think Obama would be smarter than to squander the early days of his administration pissing off the GA segment of the public. After all, aviation is an AMERICAN thing - we invented it and cherish our RIGHT to fly. Why would he want to mess with something like that ? What would he gain, but an ulcer ? I'm not worried about him, if anything he won't be so mindlessly buddy buddy with the airlines the Bush has been. We should all start BASE jumping . We could carpool to the site and save gas. __________________________________________________ Uh, no thanks Wendy...... Besides, how can you build a bigway, let alone break it off in waves, from atop an eleven story building ??? ;-) Wendy W. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #20 September 4, 2008 QuoteWell? As opposed to a Republican presidency that wants to control general aviation (including skydiving) so we "don't have another 9/11?" Both parties are about controlling the little people (the few flights made by McCain's 737 and Obama's 757 would not be affected). They just disagree over the reasons ("terrorists" or "the environment") and what to do first (confiscate your eyelash curlers (Republicans and the TSA) or retirement savings (Democrats with taxes "on the wealthy"). Quote What do you know, or feel, about the possibility that the way he's talking, he might end up fucking with our fun? Obama will tax you more now. McCain will increase taxes less but increase the interest you have to pay on the debt in the future more. Bend over and choose a ribbed or studded condom. No matter what you're going to get screwed. Airlines are big (money loosing) businesses, and the republicans are more in bed with (corporate wellfare consuming) businesses so we'll probably get a bigger shaft from them (when the airlines claim that general aviation isn't paying for its fair share of the air traffic control system so they can keep more of their ticket revenues instead of paying for the services that they're the biggest consumers of) Politics are about appearing to do something (so you continue to feed from the public power trough) without pissing off too many people (so you get kicked out of office). Minorities like GA pilots (400,000 in AOPA) don't matter and smaller ones like Skydivers (30,000) matter less. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #21 September 4, 2008 Quotenah... if G A gets hit, then everything gets hit.. GA is a rich man's hobby enjoyed by the 400,000 people who belong to AOPA and 30,000 USPA members. Few of the 300,000,000 US residents get hit along with GA. Quote how about NASCAR??? Only a couple hundred drivers (including NASCAR, Craftsman Trucks, etc) with teams actually paying for it who are in the game for advertising (unless people just put "TIDE" on their car because they like the way their clothes smell) will actually pay anything sport-related if fuel taxes go up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #22 September 4, 2008 Quote>Surely if they wanted to they could write a bill specifically for >skydiving operations, then, and avoid the wrath of the airlines altogether. That would be a lot of political effort for zero return. We use an insignificant fraction of the fuel used by commercial aviation. But we do it entirely for a rich person's sport (over $20 a minute is way beyond even phone sex) instead of getting to important business meetings or loved ones who live far away. While cutting our fuel consumption in half through punitive taxes wouldn't do a thing for the environment, it would "send a message" to the "average American" Politics is all about "Sending messages" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akarunway 1 #23 September 4, 2008 Quote Quote >Surely if they wanted to they could write a bill specifically for >skydiving operations, then, and avoid the wrath of the airlines altogether. That would be a lot of political effort for zero return. We use an insignificant fraction of the fuel used by commercial aviation. But we do it entirely for a rich person's sport (over $20 a minute is way beyond even phone sex) instead of getting to important business meetings or loved ones who live far away. While cutting our fuel consumption in half through punitive taxes wouldn't do a thing for the environment, it would "send a message" to the "average American" Politics is all about "Sending messages" 20 bucks a min. Talking about a wind tunnel right. Unless you're taking a rocket to altitude. And add the freefall and canopy ride. WAY more than a min.I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #24 September 4, 2008 Quote Politics is all about "Sending messages" 20 bucks a min. Talking about a wind tunnel right. Unless you're taking a rocket to altitude. And add the freefall and canopy ride. WAY more than a min.A wind tunnel is the cheapest way to "experience freefall" Although the scenery stinks it's about $12 a minute when you don't share, half that for two ways, and even less if you like belly flying or are proficient in other body positions. For $26 from an airplane you get 45 seconds of working time (tops) in freefall and one landing which happens pretty fast at a 50+ MPH approach speed. Some DZ may have planes that smell like roses (not farts) and have coctail service where the plane ride is actually an attraction but I haven't jumped there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skyrad 0 #25 September 4, 2008 i doubt it. We have way more stupid laws that are supposedly going to help save the world which funniliy enough usually involve us paying some poxey stealth tax and backed up by no existant or dodgy scientifc theories but we it hasn't yet effected Skydiving in the UK or Europe. What has been a problem in GWB's war on Terror which has put the cost of fuel through the bloody roof. When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy. Lucius Annaeus Seneca Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
