Wait until you hear about this government program.....

[MissMillie]

Hopefully you'll be writing your congressmen.

Someone I know just went out west for a memorial service for someone near and dear to them. Another guest at this event arrived in the area by flying.... his own personal private plane.

Apparently when someone flies their own plane into an airport, there is a program, paid for by Joe and Jane Q. Taxpayer, where these pilot/owners are given a rental car to use once they arrive at their destination.

That's right folks.... there are 45 million uninsured people in this country, but we can afford to give the uber-wealthy a free rental car when they pilot their own plane somewhere.


:banghead:

[ret5hd]

1. uhh...i dunno...

i know a few pilots (4 or 5) and none have ever mentioned this to me.

[MissMillie]

2. not only did the pilot confirm this program to my sister

but he also defended it (and yes, said pilot is a fan of shrubbie.)

[MadHound]

3. I would have to call BS on this one

I know a fair number of private pilots, and they've never mentioned anything about a free rental car:shrug: Perhaps snopes or some other like site can set the matter straight.

[elehhhhna]

4. MissMil, you may want to google that. Sounds fishy

and my hubs is a private pilot.

What airport did this person fly into?

[MissMillie]

6. I'm not sure

My sister said the pilot in question defended the program by saying of course the wealthy should get this kind of a break because, after all, it's the wealthy that make everything run in this country.

[LSK]

5. i seriously doubt this

There has to be some details missing from this case.

[eyesroll]

7. A few airports do have "free" rental cars...but they're not at taxpayer

expense.

My SO's best friend is a private pilot (and no, he's not rich -- he drives a truck for a living and has no kids, no spouse, minimal rent, etc., so he can afford to rent a plane every now and again) and he mentioned that one airport in particular (forgot which one) provided a car (not a rental -- it belonged to the airport -- so if it was in use already, the pilot was out of luck) for pilots to use while they were in town.

Yeah, flying is an expensive hobby, but you don't need to be super-rich or even a little rich to do it -- just frugal with your discretionary funds and lucky with your mandatory expenses.

[3waygeek]

8. Back in the 70s, my Dad

had a small plane -- at many of the smaller Midwestern airports we flew into, the FBO (fixed-base operator, i.e. the guy who provides fuel/hangar/repair service) would have a car (usually an old beater) available for visiting pilots to use for short trips. Usually it was on the honor system -- after all, they would have custody of your plane, which was worth much more than the car.

[Solo_in_MD]

9. Somebody is pulling your sister's chain on this

It does not exist.

Some FBOs at some airports have cars they loan to visiting pilots, but thats about it. Those that do have them for the private jet guys, and not the scruffy crowd in small Cessnas.