Originally Posted by Chilli Monster
ALL IFR flight's further than 50km, landing at an airfield other than point of departure, for aircraft 2000kg or more are subject to route charges, whether you fly airways or not. It doesn't matter if you conduct the entire flight in Class 'G' and talk to no-one, you still get charged.
Interesting - how do they know? I could fly out of an airfield with A/G or AFIS VFR, fly the rest IFR not telling anyone, then make a visual approach to land. OK so I am 1999 kg, so it makes no odds to me, but what about when I start on the Navajo?
Originally Posted by ukatco_535
I am off the opinion that they should be charged - the amount of hassle a slow overflight in mid TMA levels causes is almost always much greater than the airlines
But it is the airlines that require the controlled airspace. Most of the light users (including me on most flights) would be perfectly happy if it wasn't there, in fact their flying would be easier. The airline operations, and occasionally the operations of small commercial flights like mine, make the airway system a necessity. Therefore they pay for it.