Light single into Gatwick?
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I have been into Gatwick loads of times picking up friends flying into the country from Canada and for meetings at the CAA. Yes you can still get the free bus to the belgrano from the terminal.
Handling is first class, getting a slot is not a problem, they like a couple of days notice ideally. Fees are based on weight and actually quite good.
I am booked in for the 11th to collect a friend inbound from Halifax NS and to return him again a week later.
I have even been in once VFR and the service from zone to ground is always first class. Don't go in anything slow if you want to show respect for the CAT guys on a schedule. I have been asked a couple of times to keep 130kts down the ILS.
Handling is first class, getting a slot is not a problem, they like a couple of days notice ideally. Fees are based on weight and actually quite good.
I am booked in for the 11th to collect a friend inbound from Halifax NS and to return him again a week later.
I have even been in once VFR and the service from zone to ground is always first class. Don't go in anything slow if you want to show respect for the CAT guys on a schedule. I have been asked a couple of times to keep 130kts down the ILS.
Notwithstanding Bose's post (twins are different!) and apart from Polly Vacher's recent rapid visit (
), the last light single I remember hearng about at KK (probably not the last one there, but it might have been) was, I suppose, in the early 90s.
The story, as I heard it, was that a film crew wanted to take footage to commemorate something or other, so organised with a lightie owner to provide an aircraft to do same.
A Jodel was provided, but with pilot, talent, soundman and cameraman on board it came to grief on take-off with a main gear collapse (post groundloop?), Blacking the airport and making GA's name mud there for many a moon.
Is the above as accurate as a Jet Blast post, or is there some truth to it at all?
), the last light single I remember hearng about at KK (probably not the last one there, but it might have been) was, I suppose, in the early 90s.The story, as I heard it, was that a film crew wanted to take footage to commemorate something or other, so organised with a lightie owner to provide an aircraft to do same.
A Jodel was provided, but with pilot, talent, soundman and cameraman on board it came to grief on take-off with a main gear collapse (post groundloop?), Blacking the airport and making GA's name mud there for many a moon.
Is the above as accurate as a Jet Blast post, or is there some truth to it at all?
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I did it a couple of years ago in our Turbo Arrow, VFR. The cost was about £250.
At the time I didn't have an IMC so was quite daunting being radar vectored for the ILS, even though it was CAVOK. I'd never had to report localiser established before. Luckily I had dialled in the ILS frequency before departure as it was on my Jeppesen VFR plate.
At the time I'd done quite a few landings at big airports, Bournemouth, East Mids and Newcastle. However Gatwick is quite special for a boy is short trousers. It was probably the most stressful and enjoyable thing I've ever done though (in a PA28).
It also quite daunting hearing all the big boys being vectored a long way down wind behind you.
After landing we vacated pretty quickly and found ourselves almost immeadiately at Interflight's parking location, in the middle of a huge expanse of apron. Make sure you print off all the aerodrome charts from the AIS website. Also ask Interflight roughly which stands they are using and look them up on the chart before you go. (I can't remember and it may have changed)
Interflight were great.
The most difficult part was finding our way from the stand to the end of the runway. The taxiway signage is aimed at people sitting 50ft up in the air, not a PA28. In the end I admitted defeat to Ground and they helped out a lot with simple instructions.
Due to the single runway ops and wake turbulance issues, getting away is quite exciting. My (male) passenger almost had a baby! We were cleared to line up after a departing heavy, then had to wait. I had been so focussed on not screwing up, I didn't look up finals (I know I should have but I was concentrating very hard.... anyway what was the point, it's Gatwick, there IS going to be an aircraft there!) Anyway he had seen a B747 coming straight at us and knew it was bearing down on us whilst we sat there for apparently no reason!
Anyway, enjoy, its very rewarding!
At the time I didn't have an IMC so was quite daunting being radar vectored for the ILS, even though it was CAVOK. I'd never had to report localiser established before. Luckily I had dialled in the ILS frequency before departure as it was on my Jeppesen VFR plate.
At the time I'd done quite a few landings at big airports, Bournemouth, East Mids and Newcastle. However Gatwick is quite special for a boy is short trousers. It was probably the most stressful and enjoyable thing I've ever done though (in a PA28).
It also quite daunting hearing all the big boys being vectored a long way down wind behind you.
After landing we vacated pretty quickly and found ourselves almost immeadiately at Interflight's parking location, in the middle of a huge expanse of apron. Make sure you print off all the aerodrome charts from the AIS website. Also ask Interflight roughly which stands they are using and look them up on the chart before you go. (I can't remember and it may have changed)
Interflight were great.
The most difficult part was finding our way from the stand to the end of the runway. The taxiway signage is aimed at people sitting 50ft up in the air, not a PA28. In the end I admitted defeat to Ground and they helped out a lot with simple instructions.
Due to the single runway ops and wake turbulance issues, getting away is quite exciting. My (male) passenger almost had a baby! We were cleared to line up after a departing heavy, then had to wait. I had been so focussed on not screwing up, I didn't look up finals (I know I should have but I was concentrating very hard.... anyway what was the point, it's Gatwick, there IS going to be an aircraft there!) Anyway he had seen a B747 coming straight at us and knew it was bearing down on us whilst we sat there for apparently no reason!
Anyway, enjoy, its very rewarding!
Last edited by Three Yellows; 30th Oct 2007 at 20:40.
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Thanks to all for your replies...nice picture btw Three yellows.
I'll be sure to post how I get on and how much it cost.
Not much use to you now, but please, please, let us know how you got on and the cost on your landing there on Thursday. I might try it again just for buzz.
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Bravo 73, I'm totally with you on this one.
Redhill is the destination of choice if I'm flying out of Gatwick.
They even hangared my chopper for a week for £50 a few years ago when I took a flight out to the USA.
SB
Redhill is the destination of choice if I'm flying out of Gatwick.
They even hangared my chopper for a week for £50 a few years ago when I took a flight out to the USA.
SB
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Aw come on. That 333 UKP difference buys you a lot of bragging rights on PPRuNe!
Me, I live about 15 minutes by pushbike from Amsterdam Schiphol International airport. I'm still working up the courage to drive 45 minutes to Rotterdam, where my flying club is based, fly 15 minutes back to Schiphol, have lunch there, fly back to Rotterdam and drive back home. Just to be able to say I did it. Never mind the 350 euros or so that this little adventure will cost, in total.
General Aviation is normally not about the most economical mode of transport. It's to a large extent about having disposable income and doing something with it that we love. If flying straight into Gatwick fits your desire and budget, go for it!
Me, I live about 15 minutes by pushbike from Amsterdam Schiphol International airport. I'm still working up the courage to drive 45 minutes to Rotterdam, where my flying club is based, fly 15 minutes back to Schiphol, have lunch there, fly back to Rotterdam and drive back home. Just to be able to say I did it. Never mind the 350 euros or so that this little adventure will cost, in total.
General Aviation is normally not about the most economical mode of transport. It's to a large extent about having disposable income and doing something with it that we love. If flying straight into Gatwick fits your desire and budget, go for it!
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Creeping the thread here, but isn't Rotterdam even more expensive than Schiphol?
I flew into Schiphol not long after I got my PPL, and was charged 4 Guilders for me and the aircraft plus 4.80 Guilders each for the pax. They even taxied me up to the main building and in the door to the vast briefing room.
Next time I went, it was the KLM Helikopters building and 50 Guilders. The time after that it was about 120 Guilders. I've not been since.
If Rotterdam isn't hundreds of Euros, I wouldn't mind a crack at that!
Gatwick is out of my price band
I've landed at London City, and did a load of ILS approaches at Stansted when doing my IMC rating way back.
I flew into Schiphol not long after I got my PPL, and was charged 4 Guilders for me and the aircraft plus 4.80 Guilders each for the pax. They even taxied me up to the main building and in the door to the vast briefing room.
Next time I went, it was the KLM Helikopters building and 50 Guilders. The time after that it was about 120 Guilders. I've not been since.
If Rotterdam isn't hundreds of Euros, I wouldn't mind a crack at that!
Gatwick is out of my price band
I've landed at London City, and did a load of ILS approaches at Stansted when doing my IMC rating way back.
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Draw a line straight up from the base of the windscreen on that Piper to the thin building and that's my office window! Great view from up there...
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Creeping the thread here, but isn't Rotterdam even more expensive than Schiphol?
Both Schiphol and Rotterdam have mandatory handling. But since we're based at Rotterdam, we do our own handling.
I once worked out the total landing cost at Schiphol would be about 70 euros for the landing, and 130 for the handling. Landing at Rotterdam for me is about 20 euros.
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I also use Redhill a lot and as SB points out the are great if you want to park up and leave. My last trip to the states recently they charged me £25 for landing and a weeks parking. Service is great. I would never consider flying into Gatwick and parking for a week. The parking at £14 per hour alone would be enough to deter me!
But it does have it's merits when collecting or dropping people off for flights as the handling agents have there own security so will check the passengers onto the connecting flight without leaving airside. I was in Canada last month and the Maldives this month and both times the queue to get through security (not check in just security) was FOUR hours....
It also has the advantage that I can go IFR so 95% reliability.
Schiphol is €180 for a weekend, it has it's own GA terminal and the standing joke is that it is cheaper to park your plane than your car! They are a great bunch. I lived in Amsterdam for many years so it is still a second home for me.
But it does have it's merits when collecting or dropping people off for flights as the handling agents have there own security so will check the passengers onto the connecting flight without leaving airside. I was in Canada last month and the Maldives this month and both times the queue to get through security (not check in just security) was FOUR hours....
It also has the advantage that I can go IFR so 95% reliability.
Schiphol is €180 for a weekend, it has it's own GA terminal and the standing joke is that it is cheaper to park your plane than your car! They are a great bunch. I lived in Amsterdam for many years so it is still a second home for me.
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£115 Landing fee
£110 Navigation fee
£155 Handling fee (usually a little flex and a couple of hours parking)
Christ, for that money you could have a stretch limo with a cocktail bar drive you from Gatwick to anywhere in England.
Book one from Southend and you could get a female escort (extra services to be negotiated en route) bundled in the price.
Prices are creeping up everywhere, due to "handling". I think Prague has doubled in the last 2 years, to about £150 including 1 night's parking. The highest I have paid so far was Euro 223 landing at Tirana, Albania, but they are using a western management company so that's no suprise.
£110 Navigation fee
£155 Handling fee (usually a little flex and a couple of hours parking)
Christ, for that money you could have a stretch limo with a cocktail bar drive you from Gatwick to anywhere in England.
Book one from Southend and you could get a female escort (extra services to be negotiated en route) bundled in the price.
Prices are creeping up everywhere, due to "handling". I think Prague has doubled in the last 2 years, to about £150 including 1 night's parking. The highest I have paid so far was Euro 223 landing at Tirana, Albania, but they are using a western management company so that's no suprise.
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Yep, flew in a few years ago in a AA5. landing fees came to just under £250. make sure you book a slot off peak or the cost goes up considerably.
Although cleared in the zone vfr, was vectored onto the ILS. Defintly worth doing to get EGKK in your log book.
Although cleared in the zone vfr, was vectored onto the ILS. Defintly worth doing to get EGKK in your log book.
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I guess rich is relative. I know of people who would think the tenner you think is fine for a landing is a lot of money let alone the cost of the flying you paid for to actually get there...........