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United States Pilots Association |
Reading AVweb today I note a story out of Pittsbugh, PA, where aircraft owners say they are being forced out of their hangars by a tripling of rents. Get this folks. The rents for small plane hangars is being raised from about $550 per month to almost $1,600 per month. County officials blame this on the FAA, which supposedly requires airports to charge fees at market value for the services rendered. The woman from the airport authority stated that some rents may not have been raised in fifty years.
First, I'd like to know who in their right mind would pay $550 per month to hangar an airplane, much less $1,600? These must be some fancy hangars. Second, have you noticed the word FEE pop up here? The article quotes a Mooney owner.
I hate to be repetitive, but I insist they (the FAA) are going to get at us financially, one way or the other. Now the FAA is telling airport owners (who have undoubtedly taken federal money for improvements over the years) they must charge more for these services. It is not bad enough we are faced with $4.00/gallon plus fuel costs. Now the FAA is going to tell us indirectly what we should be paying for hangar rent and other services.
If you think this is going to end by itself with a softening of attitude by Ms. Blakey and company, come see me. I pay $125 per month to hangar a 206, and I think $2,000 a month is a fair figure to charge you for this space. In fact, I will rent all the $125 tee hangars I can find and sublet them to you, my friends, for only $1,000 per month. In a couple of years I will open my own refinery on my property, refine only 100LL avgas, and sell it to you, my dear friends, for $2.00/gallon more than it cost me to make it. Just think, it all started because the FAA wants fair prices.
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association