Aerodrome Charges
 

Has anyone else happened to keept a record of thier aircraft operating costs?
I've put on about 150hrs on a C172 thus far this year, predomenantly in SEQ (nice short sectors). Turns out I've spent less in fuel, with airservices and aerodrome charges for vfr landings making up nearly 40% of total expenses. $20-$30 a pop seems to be adding up to an excessive amount over a year. Has anyone else noticed figures like this?

You fly out of YBAF don't you :-) Or YBCG maybe. That would explain it.

Did you sign the agreement for Airservices charges or did you go over the threshold?

NIK,

my own investigation of a small charter operator puts compliance, ANC,s Tax,
landing fees etc now amount to well over 60% of operating costs.
I'd dearly like to see your figures. Any chance of PM'ing me?

If you regularly fly out of YBAF, your landings will easily exceed the $500 Airservices threshold.

One of the excessive charges at YBAF this year is the increase of bitumen tie-down charges by 11.7%, while the grass tie-downs just increased by the standard CPI 1.7%.

AAC has been doing this for two years now. This year it was 10% + CPI for bitumen tie-downs; Last year, it was 5% + CPI. Previously all tie-downs just increased by CPI regardless of where they were located.

Musn't be the only one then..
I am indeed occupying some expensive grass at AF.

I might have the wrong end of the stick, isnt the airservices threshold for IFR charges? Didnt realise you could cover thier half of the landing costs with it. Thanks for the tip

The Airservices agreement does cover the landing fee from Airservices eg $9 for a 172 at Morabbin or whatever they charge these days.

But as noted above it doesn't go far as that's only one landing per week for the year, not including any IFR charges.

Lockyer GA airfield will be a goer with new investment.

Helipad in already. Fuel and runway plus hangars next. No parking or landing charges for aircraft based there. Only 45 minutes by car from Brisbane near Gatton Uni.

Get out now before they send you broke. AAC does not want you there so they can build more industrial on your so called expensive grass.
Go to Cabbo or Redcliffe as soon as possible - or Kilcoy or Watts if you don't mind driving that far to fly. maybe TBM also has the answer.

Gatton Ag College use to have a grass strip, as I recall. Or maybe it was someone else's strip and just happened to be near Gatton College. Is it still open? Or is that now the Lockyer GA field?

Qld Uni closed the strip with one months notice to the Lockyer Valley Flying Group. Had to dismantle their hangar etc and POQ...

Approved Lockyer Valley Airport is near Lake Clarendon VFR reporting point - freehold subdivsion planned with 4000' sealed strip.

$9 landing fee at Moorabbin? It was more than that for my first ever landing there ....

Yes, but was that Avdata or Airservices?

It costs me $12-$13 for 760kg's Avdata at Moorabbin at present and if I only go once a month it costs circa $20 due to the "make-up" charge.

Airservices doesn't hit me at present.