I was browsing through Pooleys today looking for an establishment to go to for a chat about the required hour with an instructor.
Panshanger £10, OK methinks, lets try friendly Fowlmere ah, that'll be a tenner guv.
So I'll drive to Panshanger to do my hour. I don't blame the airfields for these charges by the way. The little strip I fly from pays over £7,000 per annum in rates alone. Oh it's extra for the monthly rubbish skip and the water supply.
All this at a strip which is run by a man as something to do in his retirement and cos he loves old aeroplanes. God knows what a licensed airfield has to pay plus the salaries for the fire crew, ATC, kitchen staff etc. They don't turn up for the fun of it chaps and chappesses.
But of course we pilots are all idle rich gits who can afford whatever levies the local politicos decide are valid. Ho hum.