Outrageous Charge
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Outrageous Charge
Outrageous Charge
The combined experience of ppruners is vast. Perhaps one or more of the readers of this site may be able to help with this problem. One Sunday last year I visited the lovely YKOW on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula flying a 6 seat aircraft with 2 POB. The town is thoughtfully located so that it has no access by boat, and for 6 months or more of the year no road access. During the wet season flying is the only option for visiting or leaving the town. It has a bitumen strip built with Federal Government funds (your taxes). The community manages the airport. In due course after my visit I received an account - $52.50 landing fee PLUS $50.00 to open the gate (it is padlocked, not coded) PLUS $10.25 GST, totalling $112.75. It makes YAYE and YTNK look positively magnanimous with their charges.
Why the gate opening fee? Because not only do they lock the terrorists out, they lock the legitimate users in, using a padlock and chain.
My question is: Can they legally do this:- prevent a user from leaving the airport? If so what can be done to stop this nonsense? Is there any authority that has any powers to force a council to install a coded lock, so that legitimate users can immediately leave the airport on arrival, for an urgent pit stop or an emergency or for any other reason? I don’t know which (if any) of the following may be able to help: ACCC, CASA, DOTARS, Workplace Health and Safety, Chopper Reid. Perhaps a ppruner has dealt with a similar problem and has some advice. I contacted the council but the CEO said she acted on the advice of the airport caretaker, who presumably has a nice little earner going with this. $57.75 to land is bad enough. A gate opening fee of $55.00 is insult added to injury.
Cheers, RA
The combined experience of ppruners is vast. Perhaps one or more of the readers of this site may be able to help with this problem. One Sunday last year I visited the lovely YKOW on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula flying a 6 seat aircraft with 2 POB. The town is thoughtfully located so that it has no access by boat, and for 6 months or more of the year no road access. During the wet season flying is the only option for visiting or leaving the town. It has a bitumen strip built with Federal Government funds (your taxes). The community manages the airport. In due course after my visit I received an account - $52.50 landing fee PLUS $50.00 to open the gate (it is padlocked, not coded) PLUS $10.25 GST, totalling $112.75. It makes YAYE and YTNK look positively magnanimous with their charges.
Why the gate opening fee? Because not only do they lock the terrorists out, they lock the legitimate users in, using a padlock and chain.
My question is: Can they legally do this:- prevent a user from leaving the airport? If so what can be done to stop this nonsense? Is there any authority that has any powers to force a council to install a coded lock, so that legitimate users can immediately leave the airport on arrival, for an urgent pit stop or an emergency or for any other reason? I don’t know which (if any) of the following may be able to help: ACCC, CASA, DOTARS, Workplace Health and Safety, Chopper Reid. Perhaps a ppruner has dealt with a similar problem and has some advice. I contacted the council but the CEO said she acted on the advice of the airport caretaker, who presumably has a nice little earner going with this. $57.75 to land is bad enough. A gate opening fee of $55.00 is insult added to injury.
Cheers, RA
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It so happens the aerodrome operator is Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council. It is also a security controlled airport. I don't think anyone could do anything about this. Too sensitive.
DO you know if they have an RPT service going into this place because what annoys me is security controlled aerodromes that do not have an RPT service and have not for some time.
DO you know if they have an RPT service going into this place because what annoys me is security controlled aerodromes that do not have an RPT service and have not for some time.
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Dash8 goes in there a few times a week. Just carry a set of Bolt cutters in your plane, that way they can put your $55.75 landing fee towards a new lock. If they have to replace it enough times they might have the foresight to put in a code lock. 
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I would draw your attention to subsection (1) (h) and (2). If you do cut the padlock, and, claim a protest, and, nobody enters the airport through the gate containing the lock you have disabled and does any of the points noted in (1)(a) to (h) then I think you would have reasonable grounds to do so.
Next time, get dropped off then claim false imprisonment if they don't let you out 
Division 5—Unlawful interference with aviation
10 Meaning of unlawful interference with aviation
(1) Any of the following done, or attempted to be done, without lawful
authority is an unlawful interference with aviation:
lawful advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action that does not
result in, or contribute to, an action of a kind mentioned in
paragraphs (1)(a) to (h).
10 Meaning of unlawful interference with aviation
(1) Any of the following done, or attempted to be done, without lawful
authority is an unlawful interference with aviation:
(a) taking control of an aircraft by force, or threat of force, or any other form of intimidation or by any trick or false pretence;
(b) destroying an aircraft that is in service;
(c) causing damage to an aircraft that is in service that puts the safety of the aircraft, or any person on board or outside theaircraft, at risk;
(d) doing anything on board an aircraft that is in service that putsthe safety of the aircraft, or any person on board or outsidethe aircraft, at risk;
(e) placing, or causing to be placed, on board an aircraft that is inservice anything that puts the safety of the aircraft, or any person on board or outside the aircraft, at risk;
(f) putting the safety of aircraft at risk by interfering with, damaging or destroying air navigation facilities;
(g) putting the safety of an aircraft at risk by communicating false or misleading information;
(h) committing an act at an airport, or causing any interference or damage, that puts the safe operation of the airport, or the safety of any person at the airport, at risk.
(2) However, unlawful interference with aviation does not include lawful advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action that does not
result in, or contribute to, an action of a kind mentioned in
paragraphs (1)(a) to (h).
I would send a cheque for the landing charge and a nicely worded letter stating the landing charge is for use of the facilities.
If they wish to charge a gate unlocking fee, it can be bundled into the landing fee. You will not be paying for someone to give you access to your own aeroplane on federal property.
I'd suspect this little scam will stop and the airport worker will no longer be pocketing his little bonus.
If they wish to charge a gate unlocking fee, it can be bundled into the landing fee. You will not be paying for someone to give you access to your own aeroplane on federal property.
I'd suspect this little scam will stop and the airport worker will no longer be pocketing his little bonus.
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Two minute Araldite comes to mind. Doesn't solve your problem, but makes a fashion statement.
I'd pay the landing charge, but deduct the gate fee saying it is unconstitutional. Free trade was guaranteed in the constitution to prevent toll gates and the likes on the River Murray. I doubt any amendments have repealed that guarantee.
They'll probably have a constitutional challenge in The High Court within 24 hours though.
I'd pay the landing charge, but deduct the gate fee saying it is unconstitutional. Free trade was guaranteed in the constitution to prevent toll gates and the likes on the River Murray. I doubt any amendments have repealed that guarantee.
They'll probably have a constitutional challenge in The High Court within 24 hours though.
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Nagambie
$55 landing charge (your not told of this fluctuating fee until you land)
Group of 10 went up for a dive, took a baron and a bonanza. $5000 worth of business wasn't enough for them... clearly
Slapped us with $55 each plane, and the owner/manager/d!ick arugued the charge until the cows came home, was going to lock the wheels until we paid.
what's this insatiable urge to charge everyone for anything... charge charge charge, money money money
rant over
$55 landing charge (your not told of this fluctuating fee until you land)
Group of 10 went up for a dive, took a baron and a bonanza. $5000 worth of business wasn't enough for them... clearly
Slapped us with $55 each plane, and the owner/manager/d!ick arugued the charge until the cows came home, was going to lock the wheels until we paid.
what's this insatiable urge to charge everyone for anything... charge charge charge, money money money
rant over
Tell the w@anker to go ahead and clamp it, then under the already mentioned Federal law
use the previously recomended boltcutters to cut said lock off. Pretty sure he'll run outa locks before you tire of cutting them off.
(e) placing, or causing to be placed, on board an aircraft that is inservice anything that puts the safety of the aircraft, or any person on board or outside the aircraft, at risk;
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Re the YKOW fees, if the fees are detailed in ERSA, that is that. If not, pay the landing fee and tell 'em to jam the other where the sun don't shine. FWIW, last time I was there the pedestrian gate to the left side of the terminal was not padlocked.... but that was 2 years ago. You could also walk through the shed door.
Slightly off topic, but the worst fee issue I have run into was during a trans-Oz trip. On a Saturday arvo, the Geralton (?spl) WA refueller had a queue of aircraft waiting, I was number 3 or 4. He fuelled the a/c for me, then charged a call-out fee on top. Despite already being there, he charged each aircraft a $50 call-out fee. Cash only.
Slightly off topic, but the worst fee issue I have run into was during a trans-Oz trip. On a Saturday arvo, the Geralton (?spl) WA refueller had a queue of aircraft waiting, I was number 3 or 4. He fuelled the a/c for me, then charged a call-out fee on top. Despite already being there, he charged each aircraft a $50 call-out fee. Cash only.
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Broken Hill was bad for multiple call out fees and sour service some years back. Left a lasting impression with me and haven't been back since. Lost business to the town is a lost brain fart to some of these guys.
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Try ceduna, town is what? 2km away... If you ever decide to venture there with a turbine they will charge you $150 for the privilege to unlock the boswer and watch you top your plane up with some expensive fuel. Good Onya! 
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Blueyonder, YKOW Aboriginal Council should recognise that most aircraft visiting Kowanyama are commercial and that they simply add the landing fee and gate opening fee on to their fare cost plus a healthy margin to cover the time waiting for the gate opener. This has numerous undesirable effects. It increases the price of food and other goods flown in. It decreases the services available such as medical and educational. There’s only so much money in the funding bucket and it gets whittled away at $100.00+ per landing. It discourages people working there because it’s too expensive to get to Cairns for a bit of R&R. In short they are only hurting their own people as they are the ones who eventually pay.
Green Goblin: I have paid the landing fee but not the unlock fee. Perhaps I should sent Av Data a letter asking if it’s in their charter to collect gate fees. After all they do not collect call-out fees for fuel.
Jamair: The side gate and main gate were both padlocked. The low-life that ran the airport must have needed more money to buy more cigarettes for the local girls for who knows what reason.
Brian Abraham: This is what happens when government hands out monopolies with no checks and balances. Imagine what would happen if councils were given monopoly ownership of roads. Based on airport charges you would be charged $100 per kilometre. Our governments are so clever.
Cheers, RA
Green Goblin: I have paid the landing fee but not the unlock fee. Perhaps I should sent Av Data a letter asking if it’s in their charter to collect gate fees. After all they do not collect call-out fees for fuel.
Jamair: The side gate and main gate were both padlocked. The low-life that ran the airport must have needed more money to buy more cigarettes for the local girls for who knows what reason.
Brian Abraham: This is what happens when government hands out monopolies with no checks and balances. Imagine what would happen if councils were given monopoly ownership of roads. Based on airport charges you would be charged $100 per kilometre. Our governments are so clever.
Cheers, RA
$100 - $150 seems to be a standard callout fee for A/H fuel. In a way I sympathise with the refuellers for this. Usually they are one man shows who are on call 24 / 7 with little or no time off. Self serve options are certainly the way to go though.
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I don't think anybody is going crook at call out fees being a fact of life. The problem arises when there are 3 aircraft on the airport and the fuel bloke charges 3 call out fees and wants to punch your lights out for disputing the practice. As I said, I don't need to get into a brawl every time I need fuel and the matter left such a bad taste in my mouth I haven't been back since. I admit it was a while ago and things may have changed.
But I'll never know will I?
But I'll never know will I?
Frank - My personal favourite is pre-arranging an A/H refuel as per the ERSA. Turning up for fuel and then said refueler demand more than twice the ERSA stipulated A/H callout fee.
Said refueler then tries to refuse to give you a reciept on the fuel docket for said doubled callout fee.. Small argument ensues because without a reciept, the pilot will not be reimbursed by company.
Shows what the world is coming to WRT customer service these days. I fully understand that most refuellers are on call essentially 24/7, but bailing up pilots for cash that is more than double what is stated in the ERSA is a bit much.
Funnily enough we now operate a large turbine chopper not far from there, and I now go out of my way to not stop in there for fuel. They're now missing out on thousands of litres of JET being bought from them out of principle.
Said refueler then tries to refuse to give you a reciept on the fuel docket for said doubled callout fee.. Small argument ensues because without a reciept, the pilot will not be reimbursed by company.
Shows what the world is coming to WRT customer service these days. I fully understand that most refuellers are on call essentially 24/7, but bailing up pilots for cash that is more than double what is stated in the ERSA is a bit much.
Funnily enough we now operate a large turbine chopper not far from there, and I now go out of my way to not stop in there for fuel. They're now missing out on thousands of litres of JET being bought from them out of principle.
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Self serve options are certainly the way to go though.
Frank,
Yup that is just being a greedy swine.
I'm pretty sure Newman has Jet-A1 self serve. Not sure if underwing though. I think that has to be pumped by a qualified refueler.
Havic, never take what ERSA has for gospel. Amendments can take six months from the time of the change to reach publication stage. Fine if it's an operational matter as it can be put out as a permanent NOTAM. Fuel though will generally not be touched by the AsA NOTAM system.
The problem arises when there are 3 aircraft on the airport and the fuel bloke charges 3 call out fees and wants to punch your lights out for disputing the practice
I'm pretty sure Newman has Jet-A1 self serve. Not sure if underwing though. I think that has to be pumped by a qualified refueler.
Havic, never take what ERSA has for gospel. Amendments can take six months from the time of the change to reach publication stage. Fine if it's an operational matter as it can be put out as a permanent NOTAM. Fuel though will generally not be touched by the AsA NOTAM system.