Newcastle airport becomes more g/a friendly!

[10 DME ARC]

Newcastle airport has scrapped peak period landing charges for based light aircraft.

They are also willing to consider new based light aircraft again.
:)

[BigSteve81]

That's good to hear, I once got caught out doing circuits during peak time and it cost me £120 in landing fees alone.

[nouseforaname]

they would want to make it more GA friendly because I went there last year and was handled by Samson Aviation. They are sharks, peak charges finished at 8am in the morning, I arrived at 7.55am and they charged me an extra 60 pounds!!!!

I did not actually get out to the aircraft until 8.15!

When I rang them they were very rude on the phone and said they would refund by sending a cheque which they did not do.

Watch out for them.

[gcolyer]

They should become more friendly!!! especialy Newcastle radar. Last year I could have got killed because of them.

I got caught in a snow storm over the pennines and had instrument failure. I asked for vectors to Necastle and they refused as I was not in their airspace.

I dumped them and got vectors from Teeside to Teeside instead.

[Life's a Beech]

Samson are great. I have arrived their right at the end of their normal day, they have not charged late fees even though they had to stay a little over. They helped me out even on the next job when we had a different handling agent. Have been with them very late at night, and they are unfailingly good-humoured. Highly recommended handlers, and I've seen a few.

[BigStu]

Is this anything to do with the recent suspension of the CEO?

[skydriller]

They should become more friendly!!! especialy Newcastle radar. Last year I could have got killed because of them. I got caught in a snow storm over the pennines and had instrument failure. I asked for vectors to Necastle and they refused as I was not in their airspace.

Strewth!! If this is exactly what happened, I hope you filed something officially about the incident, an MOR?

[nouseforaname]

LifesAbeach.....were you the one that paid the bill for Samson?

The reason that I ask this is I wasn't, I honestly think that the Samson people knew they were pulling a swift one on my bill and knew the guy paying the bill didn't really know what he was paying for.

I know you can say it's my (the pilot's) responsibility to check the bill but should they really have been trying it on that badly? Really bad form I thought. They will get a piece of my mind next time i'm up there.