Guernsey take off charge

[belowradar]

Just flew to Guernsey and noted that there is a "take off charge" as well as a landing fee.

Beware !

[S-Works]

As I recall there has always been one. What was the total figure you paid for the visit, somewhere around a tenner if you lifted fuel?

[belowradar]

More than that Bose but for me it is the principle of a Take Off Fee as well as a landing fee. Ridiculous state of affairs regardless of amount

[md 600 driver]

i landed at manchester intl a few years ago they had a take off only charge , i didnt know that before i landed there . but i was glad afterwards as i arrived on friday peak time and departed sunday off peak and saved a bundle

[Islander2]

but for me it is the principle of a Take Off Fee as well as a landing feeSo, belowradar, on a ridiculous point of principle you tell pilots to beware of going to (what has to be) one of the best value airports of its type in the British Isles. Astonishing!

On my last trip to Guernsey (two weeks ago), I paid £22.40 inclusive of an ILS approach and two days parking. Fabulous value for money. Who cares whether that figures includes an amount for take-off, or not. I find that most times I arrive somewhere, I also need to follow that with a departure. :rolleyes:

In comparison, the last time I went to Leeds (four months ago) in the same aeroplane, I paid £77.39, inclusive of an ILS approach and four hours parking. That sum is much more representative of airports with similar facilities to Guernsey's, and is certainly nowhere near the most expensive I've 'enjoyed' over the past year.

Oh, as a further 'point of principle', belowradar, maybe you also object to paying circa 30% less for your Avgas at Guernsey than you will at any UK airport.

So, to those pilots that have yet to enjoy the inexpensive delight that is Guernsey airport, I would urge you to ignore belowradar's irrelevant observation.

[TheGorrilla]

Bunch of greedy gits.

[scooter boy]

Last month I paid £10 landing (+takeoff) for a day visit.

Just put a bit of fuel in and it keeps the natives happy and the propeller turning.

SB

[belowradar]

ISLANDER 2

I take it that the island you live on is Guernsey then ?

Sorry for your unnecessary personal attack (sore point ?) but I for one will be heading for Jersey or Aldernay next time

[S-Works]

ISLANDER 2

I take it that the island you live on is Guernsey then ?

Sorry for your unnecessary personal attack (sore point ?) but I for one will be heading for Jersey or Aldernay next time

Actually Jersey also makes a departure charge and I believe Alderney may also do so as it the ATC services the charge relates to and they are common for the zone.

I am stunned that you are taking issue with what is a very reasonable fee for the services provided. Full lights, ATC and instrument services, stunning location and dirt cheap fuel.

Perhaps you would have preferred it if they had 'hidden' the departure charge in the 'landing' fee rather than giving you a breakdown?

I am in and out of there all the time both privately and for work when I pass through in the Dorniers and think that the price is amazing for the level of service and welcome that you get. Very few stupid rules and ever smiling people. You pay almost as much at some of the UK ****holes like Blackbushe for zilch service. Think yourself lucky.

[Islander2]

I take it that the island you live on is Guernsey then ?I take it that you have an agenda here that has zero to do with airport charges! It couldn't be that you got a slapped wrist for some indiscretion, could it?

Ludicrously, you have a picked an airport that has dramatically lower charges than virtually all of its equivalents throughout the British Isles ... to slag off for its charges! Sorry to be blunt, belowradar, but that makes you look ridiculous. I imagine you'll be in a camp of one on this argument.

If you get a substantially lower bill than you do from anywhere else equivalent (or, for that matter, almost anywhere else regardless of their lesser facilities), why on earth would you care how the bill is itemized?

But, of course, you're being economical with the actuality, aren't you? The cash receipt you get from the airport (as opposed to an optional handling agent such as Aiglle) has no such itemization. For an SEP where you've uplifted fuel, it merely shows a 'landing fee' of £10 (true this is actually comprised of landing and take-off components that are undisclosed on the receipt), together with a 'parking fee' which is zero for the first day and £6.20 per day thereafter. I'm eager to learn, as I am sure are many, many others on here, where we can go other than to unmanned grass strips in the middle of nowhere for cheaper than that. Do please rebut what you apparently consider to be an unwarranted attack on you by letting us know where those places are.

Your toys-out-the-pram assertion that you will instead head for Jersey or Alderney next time is laughable (although if you do, as bose-x has already observed, it will give you more to rant about on here since both of those airports also charge for take-off as well as landing). Come clean, belowradar, give us the real story.

Oh, and to set you straight, belowradar, whilst I'm a frequent visitor to Guernsey I'm not a resident nor have I any connection with the airport or any of the Island authorities.

[mad_jock]

You probably have half of Gurnsey airport scratching there heads as they didn't know there was a takeoff fee.

The reason for it is probably some admin who was having trouble getting the movement figures from the tower to tally against the parking and landing accounts. Split the landing fee in 2 and any difference compared to the movement records should be made up by a parking fee.

Its just an accounting thing.

[IO540]

Out of interest, how does one pay a takeoff fee?

Doesn't one need a satellite phone, to supply the credit card details?

:)

[Islander2]

You probably have half of Gurnsey airport scratching there heads as they didn't know there was a takeoff fee.That's somewhat unlikely, mad_jock, given they publish their scale of charges as follows (which are subject to discount if you uplift fuel):
Fees for Private Aircraft
(A) Aircraft not exceeding 5 metric ton maximum permissible take off weight
(i) The fee for the arrival or departure of a private aircraft, the last point of departure of which is or the next point of arrival is 55 nautical miles or more from Guernsey Airport.
Rate of Airport Fee per metric ton or part thereof
Current Rate (until 31 Mar 2009) £5.30
New Rate (from 1 Apr 2009) £5.50

[dyslexnick]

One must assume that if you have a mag drop during the power check and return to the apron then you would expect a rebate
Nick

[mad_jock]

I take it all back then.

Still think the split in fees is to make the accounts easier.

[xrayalpha]

Take-off fee might be appropriate if you had trailered in a Kitfox, say?

At the end of the day, one always hopes to have as many landings as take-offs!

So it is all just an "airfield use" fee.

[julian_storey]

I am stunned that you are taking issue with what is a very reasonable fee for the services provided. Full lights, ATC and instrument services, stunning location and dirt cheap fuel.


It's a rare thing when I agree with Bose - but he's spot on here.

Now to be honest, I actually didn't know that my Guernsey bills included a 'take off fee', but I was last there over New Year and my total bill only came to a tenner, so why should I care?

The facilities are excellent, the guys in the tower are friendly and the folk in the GA terminal are really helpful, so I don't think there are many airports in the British Isles that offer better value for money.

[BackPacker]

Still think the split in fees is to make the accounts easier.

It also makes it easier to apply different landing and departure fees depending on the time of day, or day of the week. Now or in the future.

Haven't checked but I would not be surprised if a night/after hours landing or departure would cost more than a daytime one. Or weekends to be more expensive than weekdays.

Out of interest, how does one pay a takeoff fee?

Actually, I wasn't worried about paying: Just fly past the tower and throw your money out the window. More important question is: How I would get my change? Do they throw it up and do I have to intercept it?:}

[belowradar]

Good old PPruners !

Always ready to get heated up and slag off somebody for expressing an opinion. I think that anywhere that charges a take off fee as well as a landing fee is having a laugh. No hidden agenda so hope the conspirator theory gets squashed.

Perhaps if you guy's feel strongly enough about this you could start a campaign to introduce take off fees at all UK airports

I have an opinion - it has been expressed - if you don't like it tough luck !

[S-Works]

I have an opinion - it has been expressed - if you don't like it tough luck !

Quite, and your fellow posters have expressed theirs in return. They have even gone to the effort of expressing the reasons why they do not fin it unreasonable.

It strikes me that it is you, that perhaps need to take your own advice.

[belowradar]

Bose X

As I know that once you make your mind up you never change it I certainly don't expect that you will "turn back" on this point if you get my drift;)

[wsmempson]

I have to say that I'm with the pro-Guernsey camp here. With fuel at £0.836 pl (with an AOPA card) and £10 for a landing fee at a busy well equipped regional airport, it seems like good value to me - however the £10 is apportioned. As Deng Xhio Ping once said of the cultural paradox inherent with Hong Kong, "who cares what colour the cat is, just so long as it catches mice?"

[julian_storey]

Perhaps if you guy's feel strongly enough about this you could start a campaign to introduce take off fees at all UK airports

I wouldn't mind if they did - provided they deducted the cost from the current landing fee.

In fact they can also introduce fees for walking to my aircraft and for talking to the airfield cat - provided that the overall fee is reasonable.

Almost everyone on here will, I should imagine be supremely indifferent as to WHAT they are charged for. They are much more interested in HOW MUCH they are charged in total and I really don't resent the tenner than I paid when I was last there.

[Andy_R]

Always ready to get heated up and slag off somebody for expressing an opinion. I think that anywhere that charges a take off fee as well as a landing fee is having a laugh. No hidden agenda so hope the conspirator theory gets squashed.

So you would prefer to give an airport your custom of they charged you £86 landing fee and NIL take off fee, rather than a combined £10 for both?

Sorry, I don't see your logic or how you think you even have a gripe? Total cost is all that matters, however it is dressed up.

[belowradar]

OK Andy R

If the breakdown of the fees is immaterial then why not add an "I'm a complete idiot so please charge me double" fee ?:confused:

[julian_storey]

If the breakdown of the fees is immaterial then why not add an "I'm a complete idiot so please charge me double" fee ?

Provided that the TOTAL fee is a tenner, then I would be quite happy for a component of that tenner to be a "complete idiot fee". Makes no odds.

[Andy_R]

Answer as post above.

[englishal]

I think the CI are good value so don't have a problem with the fee. I reckon it must be an accounting thing though, and so long as we can work out what our "usage" fee is going to be before we get there then it doesn't really matter what they call it.

Still no problems with the breakdown of my Edinburgh bill...something like £14.00 CAA navigation charge, £30 landing fee, £50 handling fee (see the upward trend :})....but they did gave us free takeoffs ;)

[Barcli]

Bosey...
What do the charge in in Guernsey for your BE 200 ?

[martello]

As you say belowradar "typical PPruners" - these forums are interesting to read but frequently answers contain all the logic of a before closing time discussion in the pub. In this case you started with such nonsense and responded to some decent pragmatic answers with personal responses - I would like to ask what is so abhorrent in a take off charge as opposed to a landing charge - after all take off is optional -
suppose it was custom and practice for all the years of GAflying to make charges for t/O as opposed to landing - where is the great principle? (forget the silly arguments about throwing change out of the window - we live in an economic world unique in history in its ability to remote pay) I'm trying to avoid being pragmatic as many common sense responders have been who say it is the total fee which counts (which is really the bottom line because I''d really like to understand why a take off fee is so iniquitous - do you simply think you're getting charged twice? in which case look at the total fee. final questions- is a take off charge which makes the total charge come to less than many other airfields so bad as to be worth denigrating a very good airfield? and where do you stand on mandatory handling fees ? do they rank lower in the iniquity scale? BTW I love your response 'my opinions are my opinions and everyone else can like it or lump it' (my paraphrase) but surely these forums are about listening to everyone,keeping an open mind and allowing yoursself to be persuaded rather than expecting everyone to fall in line behind your view. that's why I'd like to know why you think t/o fees are so evil
open to any good logic not personal comments:ok:

[RTN11]

Of the 10 airfields I have flown to in the last month, only one has come in at £10, and that was a tiny grass strip. All the others were more, even in a tiny 2 seat tomahawk.

Albeit, I've been to some commercial airports, such as Exeter charging £20, and Manston charging £14, Guernsey still offers the same services for £10

I would love to fly to Guernsey, and on the basis of the thread may do this week if the weather improves. £10 for the sort of service spoken of on this thread sounds a bargain, however it is broken down.

[LateFinals]

What a lot of nonsense here ! It seems to me that the total cost is more important than the actual breakdown components. I fly in and out of guernsey a bit and did some IMC training there. The charges always strike me as very reasonable and fuel is cheap. The guys in ATC are among the most helpful and friendly I've ever met (unlike a certain man at Elstree !!) and they go out of their way to slot approaches with arriving and departing commercial traffic.

LF

[belowradar]

Martello

I believe that we in the UK are programmed to expect to pay for just about everything. This conditioning means that we stop thinking about what we are being charged for and simply hand over the money willingly.

I don't feel that passionately about this subject to spend hours trying to change that national attitude (probably not possible).

My e-mail was to highlight the fact that they charge a take off fee which as I mentioned sounds daft to me. It looks like most Pruners are happy with this so fair enough. Heres hoping it stays at a nominal amount.

[martello]

Ah now the non logic is mroe understandable. Perhaps if you'd started a thread on how UK local/central ov't and agencies are world genii in raising charges you might have a lot of support. (Morrisey the grumpy singer was on a tv interview recently and laconically complained about charges here in uk.. The interviewer took the cliche'd line and asked if like other pop stars he was a tax exile..He rounded on said interviewer and complained that UK was alone in world charging even for dustbin bags - he also implied most people were sheep and didn't notice or care)

However my point is that a take off charge by itself does not constitue a stealth charge. A handling fee is much more of a sneak charge for nothing as most light aircrafgt pilots handle themselves.
Finally you'd have a better chance to argue that a take off charge is a stealth price rise if you'd had an example from an airfield charging already £25 landing which added anothr £10 for take off.- so Guernsey wa a bad target
My final point is that though I agree with Morrisey - we have highest stealth charges inteh world - airport charges apart from handling - are not really such a conspiracy. It's all a matter of supply and demand as airports disaappear charges go up
I recall in my sailing days there was a revolution incharging for marinas in the early eightes. Prior to that like pilots today everyone moaned abou £500 for a30ft boat per year - A particular marina group quadruled charges overnight everyone else followed suit and £500 became £2000 now nearer £3k-$4k in Solent. whereas in France of course its still just a few groats - All the campaigns and magazine articles made no difference - it's supply and demand and a non interventionist politics, I'm afraid. My gut instinct tells me the same is likely to happen to airport fees here so enjoy £10 or even £20 fees while you can

[BigEndBob]

I've just struck off Cardiff as a place to go with my students, quoted £23 landing fee and £60 handling charge for a Cessna 152!!

[belowradar]

Big end bob

thanks for the warning ! I will add it to my list of places to avoid

[Islander2]

I will add it to my list of places to avoid With your list covering destinations that cost as much as ten pounds or more, wouldn't it be simpler to have a list of places not to avoid? :rolleyes: