It seems that the push in the US to improve the US Air Traffic Control system is rumored to include user fees for General Aviation pilots. Some guy where I work (who comes across as a bit of a know it all) has posted a "fact" on the internet to defend his belief that user fees won't be so bad .... he says "Look at Canada. Those pilots only pay about $50 a year in user fees."

I pay close to that amount just to transit Canada on my way to Alaska from the Lower 48. I just got my first bill from my most recent trip for $17 for "international" service while landing in Lethbridge. I will get more bills in the mail soon for other landings.

My questions are: Do you really only pay about $50 a year in user fees? Am I paying more for my short trip because I'm a foreigner? Am I paying more for international legs? Is my coworker correct or is he poorly informed?

How much will you pay if you typically fly 100 hours a year in a single engine airplane?

My invoice from Nav Canada is about $70/yr for user fees (doesn't matter how many hours I fly as a private pilot). Not sure of the charges you are getting flying into Canada.....if I fly to the U.S. there is a fee for the annual decal that is required.....can't remember the cost though.

Whenever the government starts talking about fees we should get nervous.....not sure I have ever experienced paying the government more and receiving a better service!

If I understand the NavCanada fees correctly you are charged per quarter, i.e. if you enter the country once or more it is $16.91 for the entire quarter. That is assuming you don't land at YVR , Pearson, or some other large airport (why would you want to?).

My fear of the USA privatizing the system is since we have the best government money can buy, the airlines and other special interests will lean on the Congress and totally screw it up for the GA segment.

Now here is an idea that will never fly in DC, but consider if the USA just contracted w/ NavCanada to handle all of North America. Call it NavNA. They have the expertise and the business model is already there. The airspace could be integrated with special considerations or spaces for certain regions like Alaska, Nunavut, YT, etc.

As someone who occasionally uses the NavCanada system, I have been favorably impressed with the service and $17/quarter cost is lost in the noise in the world of airplanes.

Guaranteed high blood pressure: " Hello, I am from the government and here to help you."

TD

That reminded me .... on one trip I left Alaska and entered Canada on the last day of a month and, of course, flew in Canada the next day, the first of the next month. I was charged two quarterly fees, even though I was only in Canada a few days. Just bad timing on my part to fly in Canada during two quarters.

Well, it doesn't sound like the user fees in Canada are too oppressive.

The amount I pay for Canadian aviation fees amounts to peanuts, insignificant, if you want to talk about the taxes I pay to fund our "free" healthcare system for EVERYONE, it is another story.

Steve

NavCanada fee is per plane that you own. Still a reasonable amount.


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I pay $70/ year as well. It is a per plane charge though I believe. Also, some airports charge user fees. Those tick me off and I no longer land on them.

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I've amassed 569 landings in the last two years. If user fees are imposed what would that have cost in the coming fee world...

Some US airports have landing fees also.
Around here, SeaTac does, as do some private strips (Roche Harbor being one).

I haven't flown into Canada in several years, but when I did I got a bill from NavCanada for less than $20US for one quarter's worth of "ATC services used or made available". . I've landed at Nanaimo, Boundary Bay, Pitt Meadows, and the long-gone Butler strip on Vancouver Island-- never a landing fee or international service fee

Decal fee for entering US (regardless of registration) is $27.50. Annual per airframe.

Some individual airports have landing/parking fees. In Canada there is an ATC "user" fee, usually annual for Canadian registered aircraft though I know some homebuilt/experimental without electrical that have never paid a fee. Sleeping dogs and all that.

Didn't know they charged foreign aircraft a quarterly fee. How do they track you down? Registered mail to the owner on record?

Years ago when the Canadian government ran ATC they decided that GA should pay user fees for the service. Many meetings and negotiations took place and the result was a very small tax on all AVGAS would look after the shortfall and that money was dedicated strictly to ATC.
Well things change and the tax was redirected to GENERAL REVENUE and got buried in the system. When ATC was privatized to NavCanada the tax did not move over to them. Investigation to find the original signed document proved unsuccessful. It was interesting to see that the entire file had disappeared and could not be found. We still pay the tax but it does not go to ATC.
NavCanada provides a great service to GA for the small fee of about $70/year. I sure hope they never start doing the user fee thing like they do in Europe.

175 magnum wrote:".......I sure hope they never start doing the user fee thing like they do in Europe.

Or Australia. GA is strangled by fees and regulations down here.
I was amazed at the ease and economy (comparatively) of aviating as a private day VFR pilot in the USA. My advice, worth what you paid for it, is fight user fees tooth and nail.

Peter

Are Canadian user fees in lieu of fuel taxes or in addition to fuel taxes?

C170Pete wrote:

Are Canadian user fees in lieu of fuel taxes or in addition to fuel taxes?

As electric motor powered aircraft become more available, it will be interesting to see what regulatory tax changes, if any, will be introduced in Canada and elsewhere.

I am reminded of what English physicist Michael Faraday once said to British Prime Minister William Gladstone when asked about the usefulness of newly "invented" electricity.

Why, Sir, there is every possibility that you will soon be able to tax it!