Expensive Airport fees around Oz
 

Im curious….
Across your adventures around this great country, who is ripping us off??

Flew into Avalon a few years ago, $100 for an approach and a $50 fee after 9pm.
I heard about some small airports charging for activating airport lighting?

What about boring old everyday rip offs like bankstown?! $33 a day just to cast a shadow on their grass?!

~$70 at Essendon for a full stop during a recent AFR.

YGLB and YKII come to mind.

KII you'd reckon should be paying users to bring in tourists....

Last time I inquired it was around $750 to drop in at Truscott. :hmm:

AAAAAAAAAAAAH!! for the good old days, when it was free, sand strip, there were no permanent residents, actually no residents, a great place to camp for the weekend.
Tootle pip!!

So, are there places around still like that? That would be a slightly more positive thread topic wouldn't it?
Whinging has become a national bloody sport around here.

I'd certainly recommend YLOH for an overnight trip. I did that with Clinton McKenzie and an elderly friend of mine, Sunday 8th March 2015. Louth is a town with about 45 people around 100 Kms downstream the Darling River from Bourke in NSW. Shindy's Inn has two great cabins available for $130 per night. And really cold draught beer for $5 a schooner!


As far as I know, no landing fees there. And the little bit short but in very good condition RWY is well fenced to keep out 'roos etc. It wasn't a problem for a Bo!


Perhaps less whinging and more flying, guys and gals? :)

I have heard from people on the ground at Truscott that the reason for the exorbitant landing fees is that they do not want itinerant GA in any way shape or form. Pity really as there is some interesting WWII history surrounding the field.

Alright for you at the back end of your career to say that to a young bloke. Out of interest, have you paid landing fees right through you career or just in the last 5 to 10 years?

I don't see a thread chronicling 'rip offs' as whinging. It perhaps helps people make decisions on which airfields to support when planning a trip.

Example, I won't land at Goulbourn for $28 when I can land at Wagga Wagga for less, get my SAAA discount on fuel & get a practice ILS for nicks :ok:

I like the thread and don't see it as whinging.

Mitchell Plateau is free
 

I gave Truscott a miss (due to the landings fees) but stayed on the Mitchell Plateau. At great place to visit and no landing fees.

Exactly. And that's what pisses me off. The current lease runs from 2002 to 2022 (IIRC) with an option at the end of that for another twenty years.

So an area of some historical significance, is basically out of bounds and closed to the general public for a period 40 years. That's FORTY years, nearly half a century.

The taxpayer paid for it and it shouldn't have been 'gifted' to the current owners and allowed to operate as they see fit. It needs fixing.

And Ted's right, the Mitchell Plateau is a great strip. Only a short helicopter ride (or used to be, not sure if anyone still does that) to the Mitchell falls.

Simple, just refuse to pay these landing fees. What can they do? Nothing !
Just fly away!

Not if they padlock a chain around your propellor ...

And you certainly wont be going back again! Reminds me of a mate, flew his rv to a grass strip near gatwick, to then fly his 777 on a weeks trip. Couldnt get past weather enroute, landed at farnborough, caught a taxi to work, came back a week later to be awarded aA$1400 for landing fee and parking. Told them to jam it, paid something and never returned. Youve got it cheap down there!

Truscott airfield is owned by the local indigenous community but managed on their behalf by a Darwin Company.

As far as visiting goes, there is no public accommodation or food available. Neither is there any available transport or anyone to drive it, there is avgas, but you have to buy the whole drum. What is there is for the working helo and management crews only, there is no local shop, everything comes by barge from Darwin. That is most probably why it appears to be expensive to visit.

Yes it is a great place to visit, working there though is something else again.

Tipsy

Last time we took an early slot at LHR it cost the aircraft owner £9000.