Reasonable Handling Charges
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Reasonable Handling Charges
Anyone have any good suggestions for reasonably priced handling facilities in Luxor, Djibouti, and Khartoum. and also reasonably priced Avgas. I recently paid $20 per gallon? And I thought Narsarsuaq was expensive.
Wow, that's a really tough question. What makes it tough is trying to determine what "handling" involves at each of the destinations.
If your flight is recreational (rather than a ferry flight of someone's aircraft), you might be able to get some good assistance at little or no cost by contacting Flying Clubs or ab initio training facilities at the airports you plan to visit.
I've been through Luxor and Djibouti doing ferry flights with turboprops. Handling in Luxor was quite expensive (I realized that as soon as I saw the huge 100 passenger bus coming to carry me the 50 yards from my park-place to the terminal), on the other hand, Djibouti was pretty simple, inexpensive, and trouble-free.
Avgas in Africa is either readily available and not particularly expensive (this assumes you land at an airport with a fair amount of GA activity and a flight training facility), or, as you have discovered, horribly expensive (if you land at a place with no GA or training activity).
Good luck with your trip.
Michael
PS: Let us know your origin and destination, rather than your planned stops - that might result in some better suggestions from folks who know the airfields with GA activities between your origin and destination.
If your flight is recreational (rather than a ferry flight of someone's aircraft), you might be able to get some good assistance at little or no cost by contacting Flying Clubs or ab initio training facilities at the airports you plan to visit.
I've been through Luxor and Djibouti doing ferry flights with turboprops. Handling in Luxor was quite expensive (I realized that as soon as I saw the huge 100 passenger bus coming to carry me the 50 yards from my park-place to the terminal), on the other hand, Djibouti was pretty simple, inexpensive, and trouble-free.
Avgas in Africa is either readily available and not particularly expensive (this assumes you land at an airport with a fair amount of GA activity and a flight training facility), or, as you have discovered, horribly expensive (if you land at a place with no GA or training activity).
Good luck with your trip.
Michael
PS: Let us know your origin and destination, rather than your planned stops - that might result in some better suggestions from folks who know the airfields with GA activities between your origin and destination.
I've done that route a few times, but in a turboprop. Here are my 'general' recollections about places to stop enroute:
Luxor - it's expensive, but the folks at the airport (customs, fuel, weather, etc.) were all very pleasant. Lots of good hotels nearby. Low stress on everything except the wallet.
Djibouti - easy in and out, kind of a hot and dusty place, unremarkable hotels.
Addis Ababa - another place with pleasant staff and services.
Asmara - I have overflown this place a few times, never landed there but the city looks interesting.
Lokichokio, Kenya (way up in the Northwest corner of Kenya) - an 'aviation town' if there ever was one, the main base of operations for all the relief organizations serving South Sudan during the conflict there from 1980 - 2005. Not sure if they have AVGAS (I kind of doubt it), but a good 'pocket alternate' for you. Lots of hotels (base camps for the expats).
The big issue for you is going to be finding places that have AVGAS. Personally, I think you might need to consider flying down the Western side of the Red Sea and then turning West at Djibouti, rather than trying to do a straight-line trip through Sudan. This is because I don't think you are going to be able to find the AVGAS you need along a route through Sudan.
Maybe some of the pilots who are flying in Sudan today can share their knowledge - guys, gals, do you know if AVGAS is available along this new forum member's route?
Luxor - it's expensive, but the folks at the airport (customs, fuel, weather, etc.) were all very pleasant. Lots of good hotels nearby. Low stress on everything except the wallet.
Djibouti - easy in and out, kind of a hot and dusty place, unremarkable hotels.
Addis Ababa - another place with pleasant staff and services.
Asmara - I have overflown this place a few times, never landed there but the city looks interesting.
Lokichokio, Kenya (way up in the Northwest corner of Kenya) - an 'aviation town' if there ever was one, the main base of operations for all the relief organizations serving South Sudan during the conflict there from 1980 - 2005. Not sure if they have AVGAS (I kind of doubt it), but a good 'pocket alternate' for you. Lots of hotels (base camps for the expats).
The big issue for you is going to be finding places that have AVGAS. Personally, I think you might need to consider flying down the Western side of the Red Sea and then turning West at Djibouti, rather than trying to do a straight-line trip through Sudan. This is because I don't think you are going to be able to find the AVGAS you need along a route through Sudan.
Maybe some of the pilots who are flying in Sudan today can share their knowledge - guys, gals, do you know if AVGAS is available along this new forum member's route?
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Reasonable Handling Charges
Much appreciated V1. Luxor staff are professional at AN but as you say it hits the wallet a bit. It was also funny to see notes changing hands in the reception hall from our agent to a uniformed police officer and then have him run down the stairs after us waving the money requesting more?
