X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:36:25 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imo-m24.mx.aol.com ([64.12.137.5] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.1.11) with ESMTP id 2269154 for lml@lancaironline.net; Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:24:47 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=64.12.137.5; envelope-from=VTAILJEFF@aol.com Received: from VTAILJEFF@aol.com by imo-m24.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v38_r9.2.) id x.c14.1f48a2ef (39954); Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:23:41 -0400 (EDT) From: VTAILJEFF@aol.com X-Original-Message-ID: X-Original-Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:23:41 EDT Subject: Straight Shot article in SWA Spirit Magazine X-Original-To: gary.kelly@wnco.com X-Original-CC: epilot@aopa.org, lml@lancaironline.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1187375021" X-Mailer: AOL 9.0 VR sub 165 X-Spam-Flag: NO -------------------------------1187375021 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear Mr. Kelly, As SWA Frequent Traveler and a General Aviation aircraft owner/ pilot and a retired military aircrew I take great exception to SWA's recent editorial printed in SWA Spirit Magazine. _http://spiritmag.com/2007_08/clickthis/08spolight.php_ (http://spiritmag.com/2007_08/clickthis/08spolight.php) The editorial is filled with many misrepresentations. Please set the record straight. Point #1: Airway congestion is a myth. The skies are not crowded. A few big airports that serve the major airlines are overcrowded with airline traffic. Hub congestion is a fact and is the airline industry's making. Point to point navigation that frees aircraft from using ground based navigation aids and its attendant airways has been around for a long time. GPS has been around for over ten years. I file and fly GPS direct almost every flight I make and I know your crews often ask for "direct to destination" to cut flight times. General aviation got onboard with GPS long before the airlines did. Delays experienced by airlines are their own making. Hub and spoke operations constrict the NAS system into a few major bottlenecks like O'Hare, Atlanta and New York. These airports are generally avoided by general aviation users who prefer smaller closer relievers. You can only fit so many airplanes onto the same piece of concrete. Southwest knows that better than any other airline. New airport construction is sadly lacking in this country. All aviation users need to get onboard together and demand new airport construction-- and not just at a few major hubs. Pont #2: The ATC system served all segments of aviation in 1970 as it does today. Point #3: The general aviation body is adamantly opposed to user fees. User fees have all but killed GA in other parts of the world. User fees are an invitation by one body to tax another into extinction. Be careful what you wish for because when GA is dead, Southwest and the other airlines will be training its own future pilots at a huge expense that they currently do not fund. Point #4: The airline industry as a whole should not be making recommendations to Congress on how to fund the FAA until they as a whole can put their own financial house in order. The taxpayer has been underwriting the industry for years-- most recently with PBGC pension fund bailouts, bankruptcy proceedings and 9/11 handouts. The industry as a whole is the most poorly managed industry in America. Southwest Airlines stands apart and above much of the problems generated by the poorly led airlines and I am dismayed your good company would join ranks with the rest. Please set the record straight in Spirit magazine or I will take my business elsewhere. Regards, William J. "Jeff" Edwards Chesterfield, Missouri ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour -------------------------------1187375021 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Dear Mr. Kelly,
 
As SWA Frequent Traveler and a General Aviation aircraft owner/ pilot a= nd a=20 retired military aircrew I take great exception to SWA's recent editorial=20 printed in SWA Spirit Magazine. http://spirit= mag.com/2007_08/clickthis/08spolight.php
 
The editorial is filled with many misrepresentations. Please set the re= cord=20 straight.
 
Point #1: Airway congestion is a myth. The skies are not crowded. = A=20 few big airports that serve the major airlines are overcrowded with airline=20 traffic. Hub congestion is a fact and is the airline industry's=20 making.  Point to point navigation that frees aircraft from using groun= d=20 based navigation aids and its attendant airways has been around for a long t= ime.=20 GPS has been around for over ten years. I file and fly GPS direct almost eve= ry=20 flight I make and I know your crews often ask for "direct to destinatio= n"=20 to cut flight times. General aviation got onboard with GPS long before=20= the=20 airlines did. Delays experienced by airlines are their own making. Hub and s= poke=20 operations constrict the NAS system into a few major bottlenecks like O'Hare= ,=20 Atlanta and New York. These airports are generally avoided by general aviati= on=20 users who prefer smaller closer relievers. You can only fit so many airplane= s=20 onto the same piece of concrete. Southwest knows that better than any other=20 airline. New airport construction is sadly lacking in this country. All avia= tion=20 users need to get onboard together and demand new airport construction-- and= not=20 just at a few major hubs.
 
Pont #2: The ATC system served all segments of aviation in 1970 as it d= oes=20 today.
 
Point #3: The general aviation body is adamantly opposed to user fees.=20= User=20 fees have all but killed GA in other parts of the world. User fees are an=20 invitation by one body to tax another into extinction. Be careful what you w= ish=20 for because when GA is dead,  Southwest and the other airlines will be=20 training its own future pilots at a huge expense that they currently do not=20 fund.
 
Point #4: The airline industry as a whole should not be making=20 recommendations to Congress on how to fund the FAA until they as a whol= e=20  can put their own financial house in order. The taxpayer has been=20 underwriting the industry for years-- most recently with PBGC pension fund=20 bailouts, bankruptcy proceedings and 9/11 handouts. The industry as a whole=20= is=20 the most poorly managed industry in America. Southwest Airlines stands apart= and=20 above much of the problems generated by the poorly led airlines and I a= m=20 dismayed your good company would join ranks with the rest.
 
Please set the record straight in Spirit magazine or I will take my=20 business elsewhere.
 
Regards,
 
William J. "Jeff" Edwards
Chesterfield, Missouri



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