Those fears were heightened by a 1986 crash of a private plane and a Mexican airliner over Los Angeles. Experts say the situation is better today. Fewer private planes use the big airports, and the ones that do now have equipment that allows controllers to follow them, creating less congestion and less risk of fatal mishaps. The thorniest issue, over the years, has been who should pay the cost of maintaining the airways. Critics complain that the private pilots, although wealthy enough to buy their airplanes, are getting what amounts to a nearly free ride.
Private pilots like to evoke the romance and adventure of flying.
But it's worth remembering that some private planes are corporate jets, with a standard of luxury well beyond first class. These fancy jets also are being subsidized by commercial travelers, although estimates vary about the gap between what business planes pay into the system and the value of the services they receive. When a tragedy such as the Kennedy-Bessette crash strikes, it's wrong to try to score political points. It would be reassuring to know that the private pilots' lobby will be using its muscle to support such efforts rather than resisting them.