Question on estimating average cost of landing charges at UK airfields?

[esvdx]

Hi

First post to Private Flying - so 'hello' and thanks for such interesting threads I've been reading for a few months.

Now on to my question - I am planning to hours build in the UK after converting my Australian PPL to a JAA PPL over the summer. One part of my costing to see how hours building in the UK compares to abroad needs me to cost in landing charges for the 80 odd hours that I'll be undertaking.

Has anyone got any advice on a sensible figure that might cover this off. I know it might vary by a lot but I've a good grasp of the average cost in Australia and based on my guess at how many landings I'll do as part of my cross country flying I was able to come up with an amount.

Anyone, who has either had a guess, or has completed hours building (primarily designed to get to the CPL requirement), I'd be grateful for advise.

Thanks,

esvdx

[S-Works]

well being a bit of an obsessive I actually record all of my landing fees in a spreadsheet.... :O

I have averaged the last 12 months for you and the landings over the period were 140 chargeable landing out of a total of 382 flights and the average price works out at £11 and some change!

I can even tell you how many litres of Avgas I used, the milage and the average fuel consumption. :D

[Flyin'Dutch']

e,

Landing fees in the UK for a 'typical' hourbuilding machine 152/172/PA28 are around a tenner. Some are cheaper especially if you buy some fuel, but it is not difficult to find a fair few which are a lot more expensive.

Take it you have considered to go to the States and do the hourbuilding bit (although you can train for JAA licences over there too)

FD

[Genghis the Engineer]

I assume that you're trying to do it as cheaply as possible.

Flyer, which is one of the better British flying magazines offers free landing fee vouchers each month - if you get it right, a £3 magazine and a bit of judicious route planning could save you about £40. There's a different set of four vouchers each month.

I *don't think* anybody else does the same, but am willing to be corrected.

Also, if you look in the magazines you'll see a lot of fly-ins. Not all, but many airfields waive landing fees for these (and you'll have fun and get to meet lots of people and their aeroplanes).

Finally, if you're new to flying in the UK, get hold of either a Pooleys or AFE "VFR Flight guide" as soon as you can - that'll cover landing fees, accomodation, etc. across the UK. Preference is personal - but they are both very good and about the same price (I'm a Pooleys fan myself).

Apart from that, I agree that about £10/landing is about right - try and plan your overnight parking to smaller airfields though because it'll often be free, compared to an often stiff charge at larger airports.

G

[QNH 1013]

"Pilot" magazine now does free landing vouchers every month as well, typically six airfields per month. So someone buying both mags can get up to ten free landings each month.

To answer your question re UK landing fees, these have increased way beyond inflation over the past ten years, but now vary from free at a few fields, £3-£8 at many, £10-£15 at the G.A. airfields that don't really want visitors, and around £20 at the bigger airfields like East Midlands and Birmingham, but at these bigger airfields you will probably have to pay for compulsary handling, which can be another £20 to £40 extra.

Some clubs have reciprocal arrangements with other airfields so that they don't charge landing fees on each other's aircraft. One club I know has reciprocal arrangements with about twenty other airfields, but four or five is more usual.

Hope you enjoy it.

[smarthawke]

Don't forget to read the small print regarding landing fees.

For instance, Peterborough Sibson, charge £10 for a single but if you don't have PPR (and it's stated as PPR by telephone) then according to the flight guides you get a bill for £50!!

Shame that a once friendly grass field decides to turn to money grabbing at every corner - perhaps that's why they don't get many visitors these days...

[jayteeto]

Not quite private flying, but our 4 seat EC135 helicopter had a birdstrike last month and diverted to liverpool airport. MAUW 2835kg and parked for 2 hours. Cost:

£50 landing fee
£12 parking
£25 handling
£120 for 4 passes to let our engineers on to the apron!!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Oh, have Liverpool not signed up to the "free landing in case of emergency diversion" initiative then? - I though more or less everyone had by now?

[jayteeto]

Probably for private aircraft, the security passes were the shocker for us...

[QDMQDMQDM]

Oh, have Liverpool not signed up to the "free landing in case of emergency diversion" initiative then? - I though more or less everyone had by now?

Joke. I tried to get back to Eggesford a few weeks ago in poor weather. I phoned Exeter to ask what would happen if I had to make a weather diversion to them after they had closed? The answer: they would all still be there until late waiting for the mail flights or something, but after closing time it would still be an extra £100. What is wrong with these people?

You should write of your Liverpool experience in one of the mags. They should be named and shamed: £120 for four security passes for your engineers is shameless extortion in my book. Shocking.

QDM

[FougaMagister]

Landing charges at UK airfields: TOO HIGH by far!

As those of you (us) who have flown elsewhere (USA, France, South Africa, Germany, etc) will know... :(

[foxmoth]

As said, average Landing fees around £10, I would suggest both using the Magazine vouchers and planning your xcountries using Pooleys to fly mainly to the cheaper fields will keep this down to a fiver with a bit of research.
Another way of keeping down the cost of flying is to look at a share in a PFA machine, flying can be under £30/hr and you recoup the cost of the share at the end by selling it.:ok:

[benhurr]

I have been flying for the last 3 days in my Cessna 421 and was quite shocked at the range of landing fees I was charged.

Caernarfon - £15 inc VAT

Shoreham - £45 inc VAT

Exeter - £71 + VAT

the aircraft weighs about 3.5 tonnes fully loaded but it it still only a light twin - Leicester charge me £20.

Guess which one I will avoid going back to...

[Chilli Monster]

Caernarvon - A/G operation, no instrument approach, small fire rescue operation, minimal lighting

Leicester - likewise

Shoreham - ATC, instrument approaches, no radar, lighting commensurate with size

Exeter - ATC plus radar, international airport fire category, full airport lighting

Surely if you drive a 421 you can't be that naive. Ever thought that might be why the cost? ;)

[benhurr]

Chilli

Not really a question of naivete.

Biggin Hill - Landing fee £50 inc VAT, lights, ATC, Instrument Approaches.

East Midlands - Departure Fee £20, no landing fee, loads of lights, Instrument Approaches and ATC. (Ok I am cheating as I am based there) 24 hour operations so can land after 1800z.

Coventry - Full ATC, instrument approach, full lighting, etc. - Landing fee half that of Exeter.

If I had made an instrument approach to Exeter the landing fee would probably have increased to reflect that and if I had landed when I needed the lights I would have had to pay loads more for keeping the airport open.

Maybe I am just experiencing the "North/South divide." Or maybe not as I have just remembered Leeds... ;)

[squibbler]

Gertrude

Oh, have Liverpool not signed up to the "free landing in case of emergency diversion" initiative then? - I though more or less everyone had by now?

To be honest I not sure whether we have or not. However the charges jayteeto's outfit picked up suggest he turned up without PPR. Also, you pay a lot more if you park on the main apron as opposed to the GA apron.

Birdstrike - precautionary diversion? Sorry, no emergency (ie PAN or MAYDAY) with flashing blue lights everywhere then no waived fees.

I'm not a beancounter & I don't make the rules - sorry kids!!

With regard to the security passes @ £30 each. Probably a set admin fee. I think that applies to all non members of LPL staff who require airside access (unless on "airport business" ie contractors etc).

However it may interest you to know that if I lose my pass to the ATC car park I have to pay £30 for a new one :eek: . Now I'd call that shameless extortion; wouldn't you QDM? :}