AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2008 - (Page 45) disgusted with the way the local paper slanted that aviation story? The tools are there. We can cry in our coffee or get out there and spread the joy of flying. Flying is like other things of beauty; unshared and unappreciated, they go away. James McCarthy, AOPA 883274 Janesville, Wisconsin Just what we need—more amateurs in our airspace (May 1989 Pilot). There are far too many already. Flying an airplane is serious business. If what I read is true, these pilots with recreational certificates will be able to fly at low altitudes within 50 miles of their home airports, it scares the hell out of me. Since they are not required to learn how to use navigation equipment, how are they going to know how to avoid controlled areas? They will be a menace to themselves, their friends and family, and to those of us who fly by the rules. I am shocked that the FAA would permit this and am strongly opposed to this “recreational certificate.” Jim Y. Davidson, AOPA 027531 Cabot, Arkansas 1997 It is with shock and dismay that I read about President Clinton’s proposing general aviation user fees. As the owner of a 40-year-old Bonanza that I fly in the course of operating my business, I shudder to think of what I and others who love to fly will do in reaction to user fees. Quite simply, I’ll avoid the long arm of the FAA if at all possible. Where I now file an IFR clearance to remain in the system and safe, I’ll probably go VFR and stay out of controlled airspace to avoid fees. I don’t think that this is Clinton’s intent. I worked for the FAA for 10 years as an air traffic controller, from 1971 through 1981, when Reagan fired me (happily). I learned firsthand of government waste and inefficiency. I distinctly remember being told that the fiscal year was coming to an end and we needed to order new radios and furniture and hire new controllers so as to assure more money the next year. As a small businessman now, I cringe when I recall my previous life in government. The idea of a user fee that supports a terribly inefficient bloated agency like the FAA sickens me. To witness the waste and foolhardy spend- 1994 I was so angered to find the article “Why Women Don’t Fly” (October 1994 Pilot) that I dropped everything to read it that second. I was relieved to find the article excellent, yet mistitled. Perhaps a more appropriate title would have been, “Why More Women Don’t Fly.” As a female Part 135 charter pilot, flight instructor, TV journalist, and mother, I have spent the past 10 years sharing my enthusiasm for flying with any warm body with ears—be it male or female. I have found strong support throughout my flying career, with little discrimination. I have seen many a male jaw drop when they watch me emerge from the Beech King Airs I fly as copilot. Many women do indeed fly, but there apparently aren’t enough to keep those jaws from dropping. As a flight instructor, I have taught quite a few women to fly over the years, yet I am sad to say none went far enough to earn a ticket. I found most lost their nerve, motivation, money, desire—you pick one—despite my strong encouragement. These are the same reasons men quit. Thanks for your article on women, but next time, how about a better title? We’re trying to encourage women to fly—not discourage them by saying we don’t. MayCay Beeler, AOPA 849322 Greensboro, North Carolina AOPA PILOT • 45 • MARCH 2008 http://www.aspenavionics.com http://www.aspenavionics.com
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