"Chris" wrote in message
...

"john smith" wrote in message
...
For someone who already has a pilot certificate and has an airplane to
fly, what are the costs (other than fuel and oil) associated with flying
in Europe?

50 hour inspections, annual inspections, 3 yearly "star" annual (very
expensive) and if importing a US aircraft possibly $6000 to get it on the
register after a pile of useless mods are added.

If you want to fly IFR on the US register in Europe aircraft will need ADF
and DME. GPS substitution is not acceptable so mods are required to those
nice glass cockpits.

All airports charge landing fees. Last week we did a couple of practice
ILS
approaches and a landing, the charge was $50. That was after booking a
slot
two days earlier.

On that particular day we did 90 minutes flying, the aircraft costs incl
fuel were $160 and the user charges including the low approach and two
landings came to $80.

If we were an aircraft with a weight above 2000kgs and flying IFR then
there
would be route charges too.

I am sure that within the next 10 years that will be the case in the US,
in
that the user should pay the costs for what they use rather than it be
paid
for by the taxpayer.

I am a US Pilot and I Am A US Taxpayer. I don't mind my tax dollars going to
support aviation related services, But we cannot chouse how the government
spends our tax dollars, I would rather see it go for general aviation
services then a career welfare recipient. Another Idea would be to charge
the Major Aairlines other than GA.