Vacation Time

I've been so busy with work and then a trip out of the country for business and pleasure, I have not had a chance to fly. While on vacation in London, I found the only pilot shop in London. It was about 2 blocks from my hotel and we found it by accident. I spoke to the two people who were working there (I forgot their names and didn't have my camera) and had a great talk about the problems with GA on their side of the pond. I am very happy to be where I am.

I spoke at great length to them about the user fee crap that they have to put up with. The government in the UK wants to tax everything (and I mean everything) so GA is not immune. The dollar is taking a beating in the world markets, as I can attest to, so $2 US = £1.00. I found a little flying school just west of Edinburgh Scotland and the best they had to offer was a 5 hour block for £650.00 including VAT. That comes out to £130.00 per hour or $260 per hour for a Katana, at least that is wet. The government isn't worried about take offs as much as it is in landings. Even the small airports have a hefty landing fees.

Because everything costs money (weather briefings, landings, BIG fuel taxes and precision approaches) the pilots there will fly past minimums in order to not have to pay for another approach (which can be very expensive, sometimes as much as £200.00). This makes flying in European airspace very dangerous. The sad thing is that our own government has even been considering doing something like this. That is where the AOPA has come in to help with the fight. They have been fighting this hard since the beginning of the year. If you feel so inclined to help out, you may want to consider joining the AOPA. It is more than just a political lobby. If you are a pilot, they have a lot of great information to help you become a better pilot.

Enough of the soapbox. Below is a picture of me in London at the Transair pilot shop (I went back and got my camera but they were closed by then). They were great to talk to but recommended that if I wanted to buy something, get it back in the States.

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