MOD landing fees

[nigelisom]

Does anyone know the landing fees for a PA28 at Cranwell EGYD and/or can a private ppl flight land at Coningsby EGXC and if so how much?
This is to be a Saturday flight and I will not need fuel but will need a few hours parking and a taxi ride.
Any help much appreciated.

Nigel

[distaff_beancounter]

Most MOD airfields are strictly PPR by telephone. So its usually easiest to call first to see if they will let you land and then ask about the fees.

Also some MOD airfields are only available Monday to Friday, so may not give permission for a Saturday visit.

[tmmorris]

Around £30 if you need the insurance cover, about £20 if not, I seem to recall. If you already have £7.5m 3rd party then tell them when you phone and you won't have to pay the extra (but they will probably need you to fax the certificate).

Make sure you really, really know your military RT and circuit procedure (there's a basic guide in CAP413), especially if you go to Cranwell where (a) it's busy and (b) they have student ATCOs...

Tim

[Flik Roll]

And you need Crown Indemnity to land on any MOD airfield.

[nigelisom]

Thanks all for the info, much appreciated

Nigel

[TC_LTN]

Suggest you take a look at Safety Sense Leaflet 26 - Visiting Military Aerodromes (http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?categoryid=33&pagetype=65&applicationid=11&mode=detail&id=1476). It contains a lot of useful information for the first time civil visitor to a MoD establishment.

[nigelisom]

TC_LTN

That is the benefit of these forums, there is always someone with the answers.

Thanks SSL-26 very useful.

Nigel

[NavEx]

MOD insurance rules have changed. As far a I understand Crown Indemnity on your insurance now means nothing. Unless you have a waiver certificate you will be charged £20 per visit. The waiver certificates cost around £150, irrespective of your own insurance and is valid at all MOD sites. Any old waivers (issued on proof of Crown indemnity) are valid until they expire, replacements will be as above.
Landing Fees are separate payable in addition to insurance fees.

[Legalapproach]

You need to check with Ops as to their operating hours. Unless they are an MDA most military airfields are closed over the weekend. Cranwell North - grass area to the North of Cranwell used to be operational at weekends as the flying club flew from there.
From my recollection Conningsby would be closed to light aircraft at the weekend although it's nearly 25 years since I was last there and, to coin a phrase from the Fast Show, - I was verrr, verrr drunk.

[nigelisom]

Thanks to you all but this is all getting too complicated/expensive so I think it will have to be Wickenby and a longer taxi ride!
Still, good idea while it lasted and I have at least learned a lot so thanks again.

Nigel

[windy1]

I think NavEx may be right. Cosford told me the standard rate per half tonne plus vat and then the £20 even though our PA28 carries the new EU insurance levels. The total was c£50 which to my mind is OTT, even though the museum is free and well worth a visit.

This begs the question as to what logic lies behind this charging regime. Most MOD airfields are equipped and staffed at the taxpayers expense, so the charges should reflect the marginal costs of one GA movement - surely a modest amount.

Or maybe the pricing philosophy is "what the market will bear" so pitch it near the regionals,

....or sufficiently high to discourage amateurs from disturbing the military precision of service operations.

I think we should be told!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Having failed to land at Culdrose today as planned (forecast didn't look good so I came by car yesterday instead) I'm not in the position to comment on such matters that I hoped to be in. However we're planning to do the grockle tour of the base so maybe I'll get a chance to ask!

[Croqueteer]

Try Temple Bruer (PPR)

[Pierre Argh]

The rules are complicated... largely due to recently re-issued JSP360 regulations. I think I am right in saying the £150 ('ish) quoted above is a flat fee for regular users If you plan on less than a dozen movements a year, the insurance fee is much less... (but of course, every landing, take-off or approach counts as a movement... so don't plan to pound the visual circuit!).

Best advise, before giving up the ghost, is as many have said above is speak to Ops at the base you intend visiting... they should be a. able to sort out the necessary PPR and b. advise on cost

[Pie Man]

This begs the question as to what logic lies behind this charging regime
The controllers may be in place but MOD policy says the fees cannot undercut the local airfields that have similar facilities (ie in most cases regional airports). Cannot be seen to be tasking trade away.

Pie

[Pierre Argh]

I was once involved in a conversation where a GA pilot was complaining about the high cost of flying into an MOD airfield against landing at a flying club a few miles to the east, which was available for a fraction of the price... He said the fees at the MOD base were akin to landing at Liverpool (why JLI was chosen I don't know?).

Point is, facilities... at said flying club you have a grass strip, no lighting, an AGS only and no instrument aids. The MOD base has full IFR facilities, a massive runway, comprehensive crash & medical cover etc... i.e. much like a regional airport (but without any car parking scams). Yes these facilites are provided by the taxpayer, but the Government is encouraging all across the public sector to minimise the cost to the treasury (and thereby the taxpayers) by selling out spare capacity. So, in addition to Pieman's comments about under-cutting, these are the reasons why there are no cut-price deals at MOD bases.

As I said above, I believe the major cost lies in the insurance cover required by the MOD, which is not that high for the infrequent/ocassional user.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Just returned from Helston (by car, due to unflyable weather) to find the quote from Culdrose ... £45.97 for one landing and three nights' parking. They'd seen a fax of a scan of the insurance certificate, no MOD-issued waiver document (is this a piece of paper that says the MOD have actually checked and believe the insurance certificate? - makes sense, but I didn't have one).