Free Flying Lessons

[jedi]

Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said at a campaign event in Seattle that every person in the United States should have the opportunity to learn to fly … and that the lessons should be free.

So says http://www.aero-news.net/ANNTicker.c...b-a3799ec9d8ef

Continuing:

“The ability to learn to fly an airplane should not be limited to those with a lot of money.” Sanders said. “Every person who desires to learn to fly and maybe pursue a career as a pilot shouldn’t have to worry about how they’re going to pay for it. The joy of flight should not be reserved for the top one percent,” Sanders said. “Here in Boeing’s back yard, you know there is going to be a pilot shortage that could be very damaging to the industry. The government needs aviation to be strong, so we should make it possible for young people to pursue this career without the burden of a huge debt at the end of the process. We’ve proposed that other education should be free, and this just makes sense.”

Sanders said that it only makes sense that if the training is going to be provided free, then the airplanes should be free as well. “We know that not everyone in the country is going to want to learn to fly, so we should be able to provide the airplanes as well,” Sanders said. “This is a possible career path, so we need to make as many tools as possible available to give them the best chance at success.

I would like to see the pilot community pick up on this and carry the issue to the public. Truth is the FAA is responsible for issuing pilot certificates and can not, by law, charge for their services. The FAA flatlly refuses to do their required job and instead farms this obligation out to private contractors who can and due charge for their services. Sanders has a seat in the US Senate and is a position to do something about this.

What action has he actually attempted towards this issue?

Please join the cause to advance or expose this issue. Is it a scam or a genuine issue and goal? How does it fit with the FAA reauthorization and the third class medical reform?

Do not let statements like this stand without followup.