FAA wants $500,000 or No AirVenture That adds up to $10,000 per AirTraffic Controller

[Wrongway Feldman]

My understanding is the FAA provides EAA AirVenture with one hundred FAA employees,
Fifty of them are actually performing Air Traffic Control tower duties.
FAA wants $500,000 for the one hundred FAA employees for the AirVenture week.
That would add up to $5,000 per FAA employee!
Or $10,000 per Air Traffic Controller for the fifty that are actually performing Air Traffic Control tower duties.
Why not tell the FAA to send the other fifty FAA employees home, that are not Helping Air Planes Land and save yourself $250,000

Sequestration can work both ways.

Below are links to Local News Stories on the topic:

WBAY TV 2 News, Video & Text

WLUK TV 11 News, Video & Text

Postcrescent News Paper, Video & Text

[TedK]

Yep... My quick math indicates a fully burdened rate for a Controller is about $3400 per week. Add in travel, food and lodging and $5000 seems about right.

Perhaps we simply should invite the President! Then we would get all the Controllers we could stand.

[Floatsflyer]

Perhaps we simply should invite the President! Then we would get all the Controllers we could stand.

Nah....then we'd have a no fly zone for 2 days! Wouldn't need ATC.

[TedK]

What if I offered him a ride? I have to fly past the DC FRZ anyhow to get to OSH.

Would that make my callsign "GenAv One"?

[rwanttaja]

What if I offered him a ride? I have to fly past the DC FRZ anyhow to get to OSH.

Would that make my callsign "GenAv One"?

No, it's "Executive One."

Ron Wanttaja

[snoskier1]

So, what I am really wondering is why the controllers for the show are paid, in the first place.

I thought the entire show was run by volunteers, with a few exceptions.

[rwanttaja]

So, what I am really wondering is why the controllers for the show are paid, in the first place.

I thought the entire show was run by volunteers, with a few exceptions.

Because they aren't part of the show. They're FAA employees, on temporary assignment. They volunteer for the assignment, true, but they're paid, receive travel and per diem, overtime, etc.

Ron Wanttaja

[wa6ilt]

AvWeb is reporting EAA has caved in on the demand. Bad move. EAA should have cancelled the show.

[Wrongway Feldman]

So, what I am really wondering is why the controllers for the show are paid, in the first place.
I thought the entire show was run by volunteers, with a few exceptions.

That is exactly what the FAA is missing! They don't get it, EAA AirVenture was built by Volunteers!

[scott f]

This has been a great discussion, especially on Ron's part - but I think we may be missing the forrest through the trees here, least from my rather simplistic way of looking at it.

From my point of view anyway, while I love Oshkosh and many of the activties I do with EAA, one of the biggest reasons I belong to EAA is to protect me from user fees (and all the other stupid stuff the FAA may come up with).

If EAA starts paying user fees - then there is no reason to pay them to protect me anymore. After all, why pay a bodyguard that is scared of bullies - Agree with them or not, groups like the NRA actually fight back over these type of issues and what I want..... what I need.... is an aviation group that does the same. And I do honestly mean that, if EAA pays, I quit.

Now some of the issues Ron has been spot on about and I fully realize that telling the FAA to go pound sand would result in some major operational issues. However, I bet in two months time we could hire some people, supplemented by actual volunteers, to do the same for less money. Sure the level of service would be down, arrivals would slow down. People would understand though, because finally we are fighting back. Would we lose some money - you betcha we would, but we would lose that money cause the organization was doing what it is supposed to do.

But - next year when we do it again we will have more time to prepare and we will be better. If we do not draw the line somewhere, this type of stuff will continue and it will only get worse, next what will I be paying for?

Think of it this way, the EAA tells the FAA to stuff it. Then we stick pirate flags all over the grounds to showcase this. At the base of each flag could be a collection jar to fiance both the shortfall of revenue and to pay for a law suit against the FAA for refusing to fulfill it;s safety mission and for what really amounts to extortion against the EAA. I bet we would collect ALOT of money. The theme of the whole convention could be standing up against an out of control government agency. Given everything else going on right now, the publicity for this would be endless. It would be the most interesting Airventure in a long time.

In the end though, We.. the aviation community and the EAA... stop acting like victims. You do have a choice, tell the FAA thanks, but no thanks, we can handle this ourselves. Man up EAA. You exist to protect our rights, not put on an airshow.


PS... if you do pay... and I do quit... think of this. Every year I pay for admission, camping etc despite the fact I volunteer during EAA at Osh and off times during the year. I sure as crud hope they make the FAA people, right up to the Adminstrator pay too. Oh and when I buy gas, what are my fuel taxes going to if EAA is footing the bill for ATC? Do I get them back? Are we charging the FAA G5 landing fees on it's constant shuttle back and forth to DC?