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United States Pilots Association |
Several USPA members and officers have taken the opportunity to contact Northwest Airlines CEO Richard Anderson at https://www.nwa.com/talk/ttu.html to let him know how they feel about his recent editorial, A WORD FROM NORTHWEST.
Following are the excellent comments of USPA VP Bob Worthington:
“Why is it that corp chiefs today seem so prone to say anything, regardless of the truth, just to placate customers and investors? Your recent dribble about how airline passengers are having to pay extra so general aviation can survive is mostly lies but you probably don’t even know that. Do you pay any federal income taxes? I do and income taxes help fund the federal govt to include the FAA.
For the airlines to function you need a system to control IFR traffic. I don’t need that system if I fly VFR. Airlines need large airports with terminal buildings, long runways, a whole lot of extra security for protection. I don’t. I always know who my passengers are and I know what is in their baggage. I require no federal guards to conduct searches of my passengers or their baggage. Many large airports I land at charge me a landing fee. I pay parking when I stay overnight at an airport (and for some airports even if I’m there a short time). I use FBOs, not terminal buildings so I pay the FBO directly or indirectly. I’m light (3000) pounds and under) so I don’t create the wear and tear that your planes do. Usually I land at smaller reliever airports so you have the larger airports for your use without small planes being there.
How often do you use one of your planes solely to take an ailing person and spouse or parents to a medical facility because they can’t afford to buy an airline ticket? How often do you take school children aboard to teach them about aviation without charging someone? How many of your pilots learned to fly by starting out in an airliner?
I can go on quite a bit more but I just want to point out that while many of your passengers will probably accept your lies about general aviation as the truth, there are many of us who are general aviation pilots who very quickly recognize your words as just more of the trash that is becoming too common with so many large corporate leaders who will say anything or blame anyone attempting to make their leadership failures less obvious.”
If Bob’s words inspired you, why not write Mr. Anderson yourself?