Midwest Flyer Magazine

State Aviation Conferences
University of Arizona, receiving a
Masters of Business Administration.
He intends to utilize this scholarship
to attend the Loretta Scott AAE
(Accredited Airport Executive)
Academy in Denton, Texas.
The Aviation Business of the
Year Award was presented by WATA
President David Mann to Eagle Fuel
Cells, a family owned business in Eagle
River, Wisconsin, for its reputation
for over 40 years of excellence in
manufacturing and repairing fuel cells
for General Aviation. Accepting the
award was company president, Kurt
Hartwig.
The Distinguished Service Award
was presented by WAMA President,
Terry Blue, AAE, and President-Elect,
Jeremy Sickler, CM, to Marty Lenss,
CM, Airport Director of the Outagamie
County Regional Airport in Appleton,
Wisconsin, for his outstanding
leadership and contributions to aviation
in Wisconsin.
The Lifetime Service Award was
presented by WAMA President, Terry
Blue, AAE, to Rice Lake Airport
Manager Jerry Stites in recognition of his
20 years of inspirational and dedicated
service to overseeing and promoting
the growth of one of Wisconsin’s finest
airports. Stu Durkee, chairman of
the Rice Lake Airport Commission,
accepted the award on behalf of Stites,
who was unable to attend.
According to the Wisconsin Bureau
of Aeronautics report “2002 Economic
Significance of the Aviation Industry
in Wisconsin,” the Wisconsin aviation
industry provides a total economic
impact of $2.8 billion, over $1 billion
in personal income, and is responsible
for more than 40,000 jobs.
The 59th Annual Wisconsin
Aviation Conference will be held in
Wausau, May 5 – 7, 2014 (www.
WIAMA.org).
q
Know What You Are Paying In Taxes & Fees
by Dave Weiman
MIDDLETON, WIS. – Taxes and
fees on general aviation are often not
widely known or understood by pilots,
aircraft owners and airport officials.
We know they exist, and we have heard
that we are paying our fair share for
air traffic control services and airport
development, but we seldom give them
a second thought until we are asked to
pay even more!
Once again, the Obama
Administration is proposing creating
a $100.00 per flight user fee on top of
what general aviation is already paying
through a federal excise tax on fuel sales.
That’s in addition to state and local
taxes on fuel sales, maintenance, aircraft
registration, and aircraft purchases.
AOPA Great Lakes Regional
22 JUNE/JULY 2013 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE
Untitled-1 1
Manager Bryan Budds was at the
Wisconsin Aviation Conference, April
29 thru May 1, 2013 in Middleton,
Wisconsin, and provided information
(L/R) Jay Griggs of Griggs Aviation of New
Richmond, Wis., and Attorney Russ Klingaman
of Hinshaw & Culbertson, Milwaukee, Wis.,
introduce themselves to AOPA Great Lakes
Region Manager Bryan Budds following his
presentation on aviation taxes.
on current fees and taxes. Budds
also explained why more taxes are
Dave Weiman
2/23/12 3:21 PM
not only unjustified, but would
be counterproductive to economic
development.
First, the $100.00 per flight user fee
being proposed by the White House
would be cost-prohibitive.
Second, pilots would try to avoid
paying such fees by not filing flight
plans, and limiting their operations to
non-towered airports.
Third, the user fee would require a
completely new bureaucracy to collect it
that would absorb any anticipated gains
in revenue.
Fortunately, any new user fees
would require Congressional approval,
and Congress has not been receptive to
this proposal in the past. The General
Aviation Caucus, comprised of 223
members of Congress, has been our
stronghold.
In Wisconsin alone, the caucus
includes Representatives Ron Kind,
Thomas Petri, and Reid Ribble, and
Senator Tammy Baldwin. Members of
Congress who are not caucus members,
but who still oppose user fees, include
Wisconsin Representatives James
Sensenbrenner and Sean Duffy, and
Senator Ron Johnson.
So what federal taxes is general
aviation already paying
Federal taxes on non-commercial
(Part 91) 100LL avgas total $0.194/
gallon ($0.15/gallon excise tax, $0.043/