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United States Pilots Association |
Think you’re paying dues to too many pilot/aviation organizations? Do you question if it’s worthwhile to continue to support them? What good is it doing you? Aviation is expensive enough! And, besides that, if they have regular meetings, you don’t have the time to go anyway!
Sound familiar? Is that what you’ve been saying? Is that what you’ve heard your friends say?
Well, if you haven’t already done so, it’s time you took a stand to help those organizations help you. Those few dollars spent in dues each year could mean the difference between continuing GA as we have it today in the U.S. and having our skies totally controlled by the commercial airlines and military. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re fighting a battle for our GA lives right now. The costs of personal pleasure/business flying have been escalating for a long time (I’m sure you HAVE noticed that), but the FAA and commercial airlines are about to drive a stake in the heart of GA with a user fee/pay-for-service system.
Aviation is already paying its way with fuel taxes. Adding user fees is double taxation, to say the least. How many of you like paying so much that you’re happy to pay TWICE? Speaking for myself, I simply cannot afford to do that. That will end my flying career pretty fast. And since that likely will be the case with many others, what will happen to your plane’s value?
The United States Pilots Association is one of several aviation organizations fighting to help you keep flying. There aren’t enough of us in aviation for any one organization to do it all. It’s necessary that we multiply ourselves with multiple organizations. Surely you understand the strength of numbers. Visualize a room full of pilots. One pilot stands up and shouts loudly, “Hip, hip, hooray, USPA!” Not very effective. The first row then gets up and all shout it out together. That’s some better. But when the entire room stands and shouts in unison, it shakes the rafters!
Be a part of the solution. Shake the rafters. If we go down, we go down swinging and giving it our best effort. But our best chance to succeed (and keep flying) is to stand together and support USPA and other pilot groups. And also get off a quick email to your Senators and Congressmen yourself. Your voice counts, too.
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association