I'd be curious the percentage of pilots that use FSS for briefings as
opposed to getting the wx off the web(duats). I fly about 300 hours a year
and very rarely call FSS. I'd assume there is some correlation between
FSS use and how often people fly. Meaning that the people that might
fly 50 hours per year on short flights might use FSS a lot more than people
that fly a lot since they don't feel comfortable getting and interpreting wx
from
the web themselves. That being said I believe FSS should not be privatized.
Even though I rarely use it, I would still be willing to pay a yearly fee
for the
times I don't have access to the web.


"One's Too Many" wrote in message
om...
AOPA has an article online right now regarding an FAA study to
possibly privatize the operation of the FSS system.

(http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...03-4-164x.html)

AOPA says, as usual, that they will fight the privatization of the FSS
system as vigorously as possible. I fear that some privatization of
govt aviation infrastructure is inevitable regardless of whether we
like it or not.

If the government is hell-bent on privatizing FSS, the major aviation
support organizations (AOPA, EAA) and the US aviation community at
large should get together instead and step up to the plate to put
together an alternate plan to take over the FSS infrastructure,
modernize it, and operate and manage it instead of putting it up for
bid. The FAA seems to want to wash their hands of the expenses and
responsibilities of FSS and we need an FSS system we can trust and
rely on. I feel the aviation community, with guidance and support of
AOPA/EAA/whoever can likely do a better job of building a non-profit
organization to run the FSS system like a customer-owned co-op. I
wouldn't even mind paying some reasonable annual fees if I knew the
money was going directly to the operation of a non-profit,
run-by-the-pilot-community-itself FSS system, and preventing the money
from lining the pockets of some greedy, low-bidder corporation that
just exists to suck in all the money they can while giving out
half-assed FSS services run on a shoestring budget.

Thoughts anyone?