Take aviation user fees off the table in budget negotiations

President Barack Obama has proposed aviation user fees in an effort to help balance the federal budget. This user fee charges aircraft operators $100 every time they file an IFR (instrument flight rules) flight plan, which utilizes air traffic control services in low visibility or bad weather conditions. Although this $100 may not be a significant amount for airlines and large charter or corporate jets, it may discourage single-engine and small aircraft pilots from filing an IFR flight plan. This could potentially lead to riskier flights into Instrument Meteorological Conditions, aka bad weather. This user fee also has the potential to slow down growth in the general aviation sector of the economy. I propose we continue to pay for air traffic control services through aviation fuel taxes.