Live Flight Tracking

One of these days - not in my lifetime or any descendents' lifetimes - the government will learn that just because the war is over that is NOT reason to reduce the military.

WWI - military reduced after win; had to play catch up when WWII happened
WWII - military reduced after win; had to play catch up when Korean war happened.
etc
etc
etc
etc

And, one of these days - again, not in my lifetime - the federal government will learn that the military is one of the only 3 things it is permitted to do per the Constitution. (The other two are interstate commerce and foreign relations. EVERYTHING else is to be done by the states)

If I have to tell you "How cool" I am, I'm not that cool!

That's it Jason, mock the afflicted.....

CFI and Charter Pilot 1990-1993

Had to get a real job due to economy

Now, Own a property & casualty insurance agency.

2004-2009 Self-Employed Structural Engineer...
2010-Present Self-Unemployed Structural Engineer

Retired Workers Compensation insurance adjuster. At age 73 found retirement stifling, so returned to work for a law firm.
Was a FAR-135 commercial pilot based in West Coast and in New England way back in the late '70's-'80's

20 year old Full time college student; Adjunct faculty in the Air Traffic Control Tower Simulator; Part 135 Pilot (PIC Part 91/SIC Part 135) presently. A.A.S Aviation Management, Concentration Air Traffic Control. Working on Bachelor in Business Management Finance Concentration.

I buy and sell things. All day. Everyday.

Mathematically, that would total 50 SAA (State Aviation Administration) offices with 50 SAA Part designations, including 50 SAA Certification Parts for New Aircraft, as well as 50 SAA Part designations for STCs. It would entail 50 SAA ATC central hubs and a minimum of 50 independent radar service regions with a minimum of 50 different SAA ATC Rules & Procedures.

In short, it would require 50 Nexium Tables per night for the poor foolish pilot who contemplates a cross-country flight across the United States of America. That is.... if said pilot was fortunate enough to be able to afford the cost of the 50 Written Exams, 50 Oral Exams and the 50 Flight Exams necessary to be "certified" as PIC, while traversing the independent States below.

Instead of reducing the "size" of government - that would single handily blow a hole through the roof of the size of government, all by itself - just that one move.

Mathematically, speaking, of course. I could be wrong. Maybe you could take the nation's air traffic control facility and re-write the Constitution to place it under the "commerce clause," since there would be no more Department of Transportation.

We can also allow the States to adopt their own superseding Auto Mobile Safety Standards, Food & Beverage Safety Standards, Air & Water Quality Safety Standards, Telecommunications Laws & Infrastructure, etc.

But, of course, this is the Internet - whose existence was predicated on the existence of the Federal Government. So, we should probably go ahead and create 50 new ICANNs and 50 new IANAs, while we are reshaping the future of our nation, such that the management and distribution of IPv4 and IPv6 numbers can be more 'efficiently' handled at 50 different levels of bureaucracy.

And, this ain't even the tip of the ole proverbial iceberg of trouble just waiting for those States who can't wait to take-over the job of Big Government Dog on the Block.

I can hear those famous words now: "Houston... We've got 50 problems."

You're either be being facetious or you're a "government is the only solution" liberal. Air transportation, car manufacturing, etc., falls under interstate commerce.

That's Funny. I always thought that State Legislatures were "Governments," too.

The implication that somehow the States are not Governments, sounds like one of those conundrums that the "let's deregulate everything until it all collapses like a house of cards" conservatives typically offers as a solution to "government is the only answer" which liberals tend to put forth. It would seem that both Houses have a problem in the logical arrangement of their solutions as well as the practical considerations for governance. I am not cut from either piece of cloth.

To answer your question forthrightly, I'm an Independent's Independent. Which means, I walk the narrow (and often less traveled) road of common sense and better judgment, on purpose and without reservation. I see national problems as needing intelligent solutions, as opposed to the often irrational, dogmatic, dangerous and ideological proposals that only dig a deeper hole for the country, by not being solution oriented.

And, yes. The Commerce Clause would give the Congress, Constitutional powers to regulate interstate transportation. However, that only creates more conflict for the "States are the only solution" conservatives, as that would (by definition) facilitate the need to create not one, but 50 fully integrated amendments to every State Constitution in the union, for the purpose of interfacing both people and trade with a regulatory framework that provides a level interstate commerce playing field for each of the country's 300 million Citizens. Once again, growing the size of government, which is antithetical to the common desires of most "States are the only answer" conservatives.

If this were a game of chess, you'd be down at least two pawns right now, which would leave you with only six remaining.

We don't need bigger government, or less government. We need Smart Governance and zero tolerance for pure ideological dogma from our elected officials. We also need a permanent ban on corporate money in national governance (lobbyists) and in national elections.

I've got a thread on "User Fees" on this forum that can be used to extend such discussions, if you like. This one was about our respective chosen profession.

As a Medical Data Analyst, I track the multiple minutia of heart and lung surgeries (coronary artery bypasses, valve replacements, transplants, cancer surgeries) for a university medical center.

Mechanical Engineer. (aerospace degree, working for an aerospace company)

Before that, I was a Line Service Tech.

CEO/Owner of corporate facility service companies in Western US, franchisor of several international business to business concepts, real estate developer. Several days per month I'm the fuel boy, first officer & baggage handler for a small corporate flight department with dreams of becoming a part time captain.

Professional lurker... no really... California State licensed private investigator.

Under-employed, of course, so also an intermittent Forex trader on the spot-market, Information Operations Professional, general Research Professional, former Adult Ed. Instructor.

Intend to change professions to fulfill life-long dream of aviation career. Willing to relocate.

I am currently unemployed...but make my living as a Cisco Certified Network Engineer. This unemployment thing is very recent...so anyone out there need a CCNE? ; ') Will work for right-seat time!

Ron

Corporate Captain BE350ER

accounts manager at improvement authority

I'm a monetary funds and petroleum conversion specialists, generating large volumes of heat, noise and carbon particulates from larger volumes of petrol and currency.

Isn't that what we used to call a noise converter?

Clean air and silence converter!

Nope.. I use noise converters but I'm a conversion specialist.

I own a deli (KDH Deli) in Kill Devil Hills, NC.

Pilot.

Postmaster, US Postal Service