Departure fee from KBED

[RV Wannabe]

We should be able to bill them for our time to fight eroneous bills.

Mark

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Mitch757

A couple of my neighbors here in Mass have received the same bills by just flying near the airport. Both had mode S transponders.

A phone call solved the situation for both of them.

Mitch

RV4 flying

Interesting. I have been predicting the use of mode S and ADS-B for user fees for a while but as others have mentioned I didn't think of private companies doing it. None of it is encrypted and your mode s code is broadcast in the clear. Any competent EE would be able to build a receiver to log all mode s capable aircraft flying overhead (assuming the xpdr is configured with the proper mode S code).

[n816kc]

I suspect this will follow the path of what's happened with EMS services in many municipalities.

A few enterprising 'billing services' went town to town selling a new revenue stream. Basically, they monitor police scanners/911 and roll EMS to the scene of every accident - without regard to whether there are any injuries or need for their services - and then bill all involved (even if no services were requested, required or rendered!).

Now, I've no problem with billing people for needed, and requested, services. But this is, at least in my mind, and for lack of a better word, a scam. Even though the services are already taxpayer funded, to the municipality it is just another source of revenue.

It will be (has been?) even easier to adopt to aviation - all you need is a datalink and billing software.

I'm hoping, and will be encouraging, the alphabet groups to get ahead of the curve on this one - it's coming.

[N8RV]

Originally Posted by Jamie

... Any competent EE would be able to build a receiver to log all mode s capable aircraft flying overhead (assuming the xpdr is configured with the proper n-number).

That does it. If I ever install a Mode S transponder, I'm setting it up with DR's N-number. If we ALL did that, imagine the fun we could have, to say nothing of the notariety VAF would receive!


[Gulp! ;^) dr]

[Sam Buchanan]

Originally Posted by N8RV

That does it. If I ever install a Mode S transponder, I'm setting it up with DR's N-number. If we ALL did that, imagine the fun we could have, to say nothing of the notariety VAF would receive!

I think...correction wanted if necessary.....that the Mode-S signature is frozen when the aircraft is registered. Check your FAA data here to see your Mode-S number:

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...m_Inquiry.aspx

You will find a box with your Mode-S. I assume this is locked in for the particular aircraft and can't be modified by the user. If our mailing address is changed via the recurrent three-year registration cycle, the Mode-S billers will still be able to find us. What I'm not sure about is who configures a Mode-S transponder for a particular aircraft.....must be done by an avionics shop??

Doug is most likely safe from the rest of us.

[mikerkba]

Scott:

Normally, I recommend you, or any mis-billed pilot, send the bill back to MASSPORT with a note to cancel the bill. "Please cancel this bill. The registration number in question is held by me for an airplane that has never flown. It is reserved for a aircraft that is under construction and, obviously, has never flown into KBED." That will be the end of it.

I know the Vector company of Virginia pretty well. They are a contractor to MASSPORT, not an agency. I can tell you that their system is state of the art and has a low error rate -- their continued growth depends on a higher accuracy that the traditional, manual systems. Errors do happen though, and Vector's customer service is super! I understand that their accurate services and cost savings to airport authorities/operators across the county, in fact serve to keep user costs low in those places that would charge them.

I forwarded this info to Vector late last night and got a note back that morning instructing their billing folks to fix this. The actual plane was one digit off, 89-E, where the dash was read as your letter, in error.

So, in this case, I don't think you have to send a note, but it would not hurt. (FYI: I have no stake in this, they are not a client.)

[SHIPCHIEF]

Mike Coster and All;
Thanks for your input, disscussion, and Mike, a solution.
I recieved a call this 6:07 AM, a voice mail from Sedrick (?) @ Massport.
He confirmed Mike's point that the N number was mistaken and released the bill.
Thanks for the response and support.
It's also an interesting discussion of where our airspace is going as the gov't gets more over-extended and broke.
This forum is GREAT (the Tony Tiger of aviation forums!!)

[yooper]

As I understood it, they had a camera-based system that reads N-numbers off aircraft near the runway thresholds . . .

[RVbySDI]

Originally Posted by yooper

As I understood it, they had a camera-based system that reads N-numbers off aircraft near the runway thresholds . . .

Regardless of whether there was some camera taking pictures or systems monitoring transponder blips this is not OK!!!!

What happened to the American belief in LIBERTY?

Everyone preaches we must maintain our freedom but has everyone forgotten what the word LIBERTY means?

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

lib·er·ty
noun \ˈli-bər-tē\
plural lib·er·ties
Definition of LIBERTY
1
: the quality or state of being free: a : the power to do as one pleases b : freedom from physical restraint c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e : the power of choice
2
a : a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant : privilege b : permission especially to go freely within specified limits

Without LIBERTY there is no freedom. Why is the populous of Massachusetts allowing this breach of liberty at a public airport? Of course, I can answer my own question, MONEY!

Ok, before the moderator hounds come along and delete my post for being too political I will stop. However, though flying is mostly conceived as a privilege, we still must protect our abilities to exercise that privilege when it is threatened.

[Rivethead]

Also from Websters...well not exactly.

Fee: Hidden Tax