View Full Version : Cranfield Landing Fees
never assume
25th Jul 2003, 16:22
HOW MUCH! :eek:
Is it just me or do Cranfields landing fees seem a bit excessive?!
It is cheeper for me to land my TWIN at EGHH with radar than it is to land a SINGLE at EGTC non radar!
Always pay in cash never pay by an invoice as I found out OUCH!
There is nothing there when you land, good flight briefing maybe but what else?
Is it just me?? :confused:
FlyingForFun
25th Jul 2003, 16:46
Nope, not just you. And they charge extra for a practice instrument approach, too.
A couple of months ago, I decided to do some IMC stuff to try to stay current. Flew into Cranfield VFR in a C172 to pick my safety pilot up coz that's where she lived at the time. Went flying, then did an ILS and dropped her off. Total cost for two landings and one instrument approach? £50!!!! I can spend nearly 2 hours flying my Europa for that price! :eek:
FFF
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Flyin'Dutch'
26th Jul 2003, 04:25
They could be getting too busy and may be they need to charge that much to defer traffic..........
But was under the impression that they are now a lot less busy than in the days that you paid a tenner.
FD
Speedbird252
26th Jul 2003, 04:52
I flew into Bournemouth a couple of weeks ago in a PA28, got charged a total of 28 quid for the pleasure. I think it was 18 quid for the landing fee, a fiver for handling and vat on top of that.
Dunno if thats good or bad as it was a dual Navex...
Evo did the same trip and managed to sneak in front of a Ryanair 737 during taxi to the 26 hold, now that would have been worth 28 quid anyday.......:)
Speedy
;)
vintage ATCO
26th Jul 2003, 05:12
Would be interested to hear what people would consider a reasonable landing fee to be at an airfield with, say, full ATC, radar, ILS, etc. Airfields are a commercial operation and have to make a living.
What would YOU charge at YOUR airfield?
vintage ATCO
www.stevelevien.com
Speedbird252
26th Jul 2003, 06:25
interesting point vintage ATCO,
Gotta be honest, im more than happy to pay what I did to fly into Bournemouth, I did remark on it, but bearing in mind the typically proffesional service I received from the initial call, and the fact that im inbound between commercial aircraft seemed a priviledge.
It was a brilliant experience and I was happy to pay the the money, if in future I have to pay that to get into an airfield that had full Radar, ILS, etc, bearing in mind as you say, they are operating as a business, then thats fair enough.
Speedy
:ok:
That's the point, isn't it! For Southend, with radar, ILS, NDB, 24 hour ops, extremely helpful FBO, and more, I'm very happy to pay what I do (just under £15).
And when I want to do a load of circuits (not a very regular feature), I go to one of the local grass fields, have a bacon sarnie, and do them on the cheap.
What does rile me is the places with NO facilities that charge as if they had the lot. We all know some of those!
What delights me is places like Oban, where the price is reasonable and the welcome a joy.
Evo did the same trip and managed to sneak in front of a Ryanair 737 during taxi to the 26 hold, now that would have been worth 28 quid anyday.......
Managed to sneak in front...? Ryanair xxxx was told to hold for the PA-28..!
Didn't know where I was going either :O They had renamed some of the holding points, but nobody had updated the map on the AIS website. I had to taxi very slowly while the long-suffering ATCO said things like "no, the other left, dumb@ss" and Ryanair swore at me. Was kind of glad that I was in a PA-28 - couldn't see much out of the back... :)
...and I hadn't done my power checks either... :O :O
Now why can I never keep a thread on topic :rolleyes:
got a trip round the tower and an air display from the Red Arrows while I was there, so the experience was well worth my £20something :)
Flyin'Dutch'
26th Jul 2003, 15:44
VA,
Horses for courses.
Happy to pay a reasonable rate.
I.e. £14 for Duxford is a bargain as you can nearly always see some interesting stuff when out there and the cafe does reasonable food.
£12 for Sywell is OK as again facilities are good and there are 3 RWYs.
If we compare like for like I can not see why Oxford can charge £5 for a similar service to Cranfield @ nearly £30.
And while on the subject of reasonable charges, what really gets my goat are the 'compulsory handling charges' for airports where the usually exorbitant fees charged then qualify you to walk from the handlers' door to your aeroplane.
FD
vintage ATCO
26th Jul 2003, 17:45
'Compulsory handling' came in at those airports designated under the Aviation and Martime Act 19-and-something-or-other where aprons became Restricted Zones and everyone must be possession of a pass or escorted by someone who has.
Of course, 'compulsory handling' may be introduced at airfields not designated under the act. . . . .
Don't shoot the messenger. :D
VA
down&out
28th Jul 2003, 08:11
I have to agree landing fees are getting out of hand. I was charged £35 to land a single & park over night in Blackpool this weekend and <£10 for the same in a similar sized (TWR/ APP/ ILS equipped) regional airport in France - & they had to have customs for me as well.
Cheaper landing fees are the norm in France, so how come they can do it so cheap?
vintage ATCO
28th Jul 2003, 14:50
Others will be more knowledgeable than I but I think you will find that most/many (?) airfields in France are operated by the local Chambre of Commerce and are seen as a public service.
In the UK all airfields are privately owned or leased, even municipal airfields had to be sold off, or at least run as a commercial concern, back in the early 90s. They therefore have to earn a crust.
VA
FlyingForFun
28th Jul 2003, 15:45
Vintage ATCO - there is a big difference, in my mind, between "an airfield with, say, full ATC, radar, ILS, etc" and a General Aviation airfield.
Yes, I know Cranfield has ATC, and an ILS. But it's still a GA field. There is no passenger terminal there, and I'm not going to be able to "sneak in front of a 737" (Ryanair or anyone else) there. To a VFR pilot, it offers no more than an airfield with just an A/G frequency.
To an IFR pilot, it's nice because it has an ILS (as long as the wind is from the right direction, of course) - but they charge me extra if I want to use it! Compared to, say, Bournemouth - where, because they don't charge me to use their ILS, an instrument approach in something like a PA28 or C172 will cost less than at Cranfield!
FFF
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eagerbeaver
28th Jul 2003, 17:33
you should not moan to loudly guys, my basset cost me £100 t jersey £48.50 landing fee and £50 handling. All the did was throw some chocks on the nosewheel!
bournmouth was similar too i think £75 and they would only take cash - (wanted to slap the spotty 'erbet behind the desk for being so smug)
cranfield is expensive but a good aerodrome - you kinda have to think what ou are getting but dont really see - at least thtas wha i think
coincidentally calais costs me 10 euros !!!! but its closing
Zlin526
28th Jul 2003, 17:55
There are surely lots of airfields that offer the same service as Cranfield at a cheaper rate. I've never rated it that much anyway, and only ever frequent airfields like this when somebody else is paying the bills!
All the time pilots insist on paying it, the greedy operators will keep rubbing their sticky mitts together and keep charging it.
Now, give me a Piper Cub, no radio, and lots and lots of grass airstrips around the South East.........Cant remember the last time I paid a landing fee at a farmers strip.
paulo
29th Jul 2003, 05:09
How does it work in the US? I'm guessing they are pretty much all municipally funded, hence free.
CSX001
29th Jul 2003, 05:14
Cranfield is expensive, but doesn't get a subsidy from anybody. Oxford is currently trying to win back customers and therefore charges a commercially unviable fee, and in America, airfields are subsidised from a variety of directions. As others have written, many French airfields are subsidised by local chambers of commerce.
Given them a break at Cranfield. With the general decline in training revenue, I would guess that they are in a tight corner at the moment. Halve the landing fee and they would not double the fee-paying movements.
Charlie.
Bouncy Landing
29th Jul 2003, 07:45
A few weeks ago Norwich (a regional "international") charged me £28 for landing & overnight parking, including marshaller, chocks & minibus to / from plane. I don't think thats too unreasonable given they have full instrument & radar facilities etc.
kokpit
6th Aug 2003, 08:55
How does it work in the US? I'm guessing they are pretty much all municipally funded, hence free.
Was just reading this post and almost hyperventilating :ugh:
I knew there were landing / handling fees in the UK, but that's almost taking the :mad:
As a Brit in the US with an FAA PPL, I knew it was bad, but not quite that bad. Not sure how many different fields I have been to (guess I could look it up) over here, but they range from Class E up to Class B and never have I had to pay any fees. Irrespective of whether it's been touch and goes, full stops, ILS or PAR, all have been free. The closest I have come was once where a small handling fee was waived if you fuelled up.
There are more fields here than you can shake a stick at, certainly in the Atlanta area where I fly. I think the majority are partially funded by local taxes, on site businesses and fuel sales.
Quite a refreshing thought, it shows that it can be done, but then I guess that the US is the land of aviation.
Safe skies.......
bluskis
6th Aug 2003, 13:55
The answer has to be spend ten minutes crossing the channel.
Examples.
Major airports £18 including three days parking
Minor airports with ILS £6 includes use of the ILS
Tiny airfields usually gratis.
Thats pricing for a twin.
OK there are different systems in the UK than in France, so use the one that suits you best.