Sandown - Motor Gliders no longer welcome?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 168
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From: N/W London
Sandown - Motor Gliders no longer welcome?
Hi All,
On a recent visit to the usual delightful airfield that is Sandown on the Isle of Wight, I was disappointed to find that the landing fee for a motor-glider has now been increased to a level greater than that for a single engine GA aircraft.
This is a surprising decision at a time when I'd have thought airfields would want to encourage visitors? As a matter of principle, my syndicate will unfortunately now be landing elsewhere when visiting the island.
Regards
FA
On a recent visit to the usual delightful airfield that is Sandown on the Isle of Wight, I was disappointed to find that the landing fee for a motor-glider has now been increased to a level greater than that for a single engine GA aircraft.
This is a surprising decision at a time when I'd have thought airfields would want to encourage visitors? As a matter of principle, my syndicate will unfortunately now be landing elsewhere when visiting the island.
Regards
FA
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 896
Likes: 0
From: Strathaven Airfield
The rates on Sandown website are:
Microlight £7.00
Gyrocopter £7.00
Single Engine (up to 1200kgs MTOW) £12.00
Single Engine (up to 2000kgs MTOW) £18.00
Twin Engine £25.00
Helicopter £20.00
Motor Glider £20.00
Touch & Go 50% of applicable landing fee
Touch & Go Hourly (or part thereof) £25.00
Have you asked them why the motorglider rate is such?
(I can see that some C42 pilots might, for instance, wonder why a light aircraft one is £12 whereas a microlight one is £7, and so on, but price lists are ever thus.)
Our overnight hangarage rate - for instance - probably doesn't cover our costs, since we have to insure for the maximum value in the hangars on any one night for the whole year. In other words, if we have #1 million of aircraft based here and someone wants to park a Spitfire indoors for just one night, we have to pay an annual premium based on £2 million!
But we have chosen to absorb some of this. (Although you might still be asked to park outside if visiting!)
There may be some hidden costs for motorgliders that we don't know, or they may just be a pain due to their wingspan!
And do you really feel £8 is worth rejecting the pleasure of flying to a nice airfield?
Try parking a car at Glasgow or Edinburgh airports!
Microlight £7.00
Gyrocopter £7.00
Single Engine (up to 1200kgs MTOW) £12.00
Single Engine (up to 2000kgs MTOW) £18.00
Twin Engine £25.00
Helicopter £20.00
Motor Glider £20.00
Touch & Go 50% of applicable landing fee
Touch & Go Hourly (or part thereof) £25.00
Have you asked them why the motorglider rate is such?
(I can see that some C42 pilots might, for instance, wonder why a light aircraft one is £12 whereas a microlight one is £7, and so on, but price lists are ever thus.)
Our overnight hangarage rate - for instance - probably doesn't cover our costs, since we have to insure for the maximum value in the hangars on any one night for the whole year. In other words, if we have #1 million of aircraft based here and someone wants to park a Spitfire indoors for just one night, we have to pay an annual premium based on £2 million!
But we have chosen to absorb some of this. (Although you might still be asked to park outside if visiting!)
There may be some hidden costs for motorgliders that we don't know, or they may just be a pain due to their wingspan!
And do you really feel £8 is worth rejecting the pleasure of flying to a nice airfield?
Try parking a car at Glasgow or Edinburgh airports!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 168
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From: N/W London
Maybe they are just jealous that I can cruise along at 90kts sipping a fraction of the fuel that a £12 spam can burns!
While there are other IOW airfields available who do not penalise motor gliders, I know where our custom is going!
Bye Sandown - its been fun!
While there are other IOW airfields available who do not penalise motor gliders, I know where our custom is going!
Bye Sandown - its been fun!
The rates on Sandown website are:
Microlight £7.00
Gyrocopter £7.00
Single Engine (up to 1200kgs MTOW) £12.00
Single Engine (up to 2000kgs MTOW) £18.00
Twin Engine £25.00
Helicopter £20.00
Motor Glider £20.00
Touch & Go 50% of applicable landing fee
Touch & Go Hourly (or part thereof) £25.00
Have you asked them why the motorglider rate is such?
(I can see that some C42 pilots might, for instance, wonder why a light aircraft one is £12 whereas a microlight one is £7, and so on, but price lists are ever thus.)
Our overnight hangarage rate - for instance - probably doesn't cover our costs, since we have to insure for the maximum value in the hangars on any one night for the whole year. In other words, if we have #1 million of aircraft based here and someone wants to park a Spitfire indoors for just one night, we have to pay an annual premium based on £2 million!
But we have chosen to absorb some of this. (Although you might still be asked to park outside if visiting!)
There may be some hidden costs for motorgliders that we don't know, or they may just be a pain due to their wingspan!
And do you really feel £8 is worth rejecting the pleasure of flying to a nice airfield?
Try parking a car at Glasgow or Edinburgh airports!
Microlight £7.00
Gyrocopter £7.00
Single Engine (up to 1200kgs MTOW) £12.00
Single Engine (up to 2000kgs MTOW) £18.00
Twin Engine £25.00
Helicopter £20.00
Motor Glider £20.00
Touch & Go 50% of applicable landing fee
Touch & Go Hourly (or part thereof) £25.00
Have you asked them why the motorglider rate is such?
(I can see that some C42 pilots might, for instance, wonder why a light aircraft one is £12 whereas a microlight one is £7, and so on, but price lists are ever thus.)
Our overnight hangarage rate - for instance - probably doesn't cover our costs, since we have to insure for the maximum value in the hangars on any one night for the whole year. In other words, if we have #1 million of aircraft based here and someone wants to park a Spitfire indoors for just one night, we have to pay an annual premium based on £2 million!
But we have chosen to absorb some of this. (Although you might still be asked to park outside if visiting!)
There may be some hidden costs for motorgliders that we don't know, or they may just be a pain due to their wingspan!
And do you really feel £8 is worth rejecting the pleasure of flying to a nice airfield?
Try parking a car at Glasgow or Edinburgh airports!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,490
Likes: 0
From: Hotel this week, hotel next week, home whenever...
17.4 metres on a Grob 109 as opposed to 11m for a 172... that probably explains the difference....
Do I winge that my 12m wingspan is the same landing fee as yours even though I'm the same size as the 172?
As for an airfield being jealous....ffs.
Do I winge that my 12m wingspan is the same landing fee as yours even though I'm the same size as the 172?
As for an airfield being jealous....ffs.
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 442
Likes: 0
From: London
(I can see that some C42 pilots might, for instance, wonder why a light aircraft one is £12 whereas a microlight one is £7, and so on, but price lists are ever thus.)
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 168
Likes: 0
From: N/W London
The jealousy bit was meant to be humorous Duchess.....
I also use less runway if it comes to that :-)
I also use less runway if it comes to that :-)
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 218
Likes: 4
From: Wandsworth
Disappointing. It's more the principle than anything else. An RF4 Motorglider has a wingspan almost identical to a 172!
Why they couldn't charge in-between the two SEP classes I don't know, £15 would've been fair but this is clearly a cash cow against motorgliders. They may have invested in their facilities but there's no Mogas for us or even a card machine! Ah well, plenty of other places to visit instead....
Why they couldn't charge in-between the two SEP classes I don't know, £15 would've been fair but this is clearly a cash cow against motorgliders. They may have invested in their facilities but there's no Mogas for us or even a card machine! Ah well, plenty of other places to visit instead....
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 896
Likes: 0
From: Strathaven Airfield
Last time I asked, parking a microlight at Glasgow was just 50p for two hours!
(It was during the ash cloud period, and there were no landing fees either!)
Before you get all excited, there were departure fees, navigation fees, handling agent fees and VAT - plus I think another fees just to collect the fees. Came to £140+ if I recall correct!
Maybe Sandown should charge a "handling fee" for motorgliders and the same landing fee as light aircraft ;-)
(It was during the ash cloud period, and there were no landing fees either!)
Before you get all excited, there were departure fees, navigation fees, handling agent fees and VAT - plus I think another fees just to collect the fees. Came to £140+ if I recall correct!
Maybe Sandown should charge a "handling fee" for motorgliders and the same landing fee as light aircraft ;-)
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
From: N/A
If you had your choice of second hand, folding wing, motor gliders.
Which one would you chose?
I'm trying to figure out if I'd use it, if I had to put the wings on every time I wanted to go fly it.
Or would I just grab something else, and go.
But between the Fournier RF-9, Grob 109, Diamond H-36, Valentin Taifun, what would be your choice.
Any others?
The last time I flew into Sandown was in a Cherokee 140 in the 1970s.
The landing fees were 2 quid.
The planes were 25 and hour and the instructor was 3.
If I had to pay what you do for touch and go fees, it'd would cost me more than fuel for my planes.
How can you pay a six Pound 'touch and go' fee, when it's a 'touch and gone'?
140 Pounds to land a Microlight at Glasgow?
Sell up, pack your bags and come to America.
Which one would you chose?
I'm trying to figure out if I'd use it, if I had to put the wings on every time I wanted to go fly it.
Or would I just grab something else, and go.
But between the Fournier RF-9, Grob 109, Diamond H-36, Valentin Taifun, what would be your choice.
Any others?
The last time I flew into Sandown was in a Cherokee 140 in the 1970s.
The landing fees were 2 quid.
The planes were 25 and hour and the instructor was 3.
If I had to pay what you do for touch and go fees, it'd would cost me more than fuel for my planes.
How can you pay a six Pound 'touch and go' fee, when it's a 'touch and gone'?
140 Pounds to land a Microlight at Glasgow?
Sell up, pack your bags and come to America.
Last edited by button push ignored; 21st April 2017 at 18:19.
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 442
Likes: 0
From: London
The landing fees were 2 quid.
The instructor would be: £45.38 (comparable to today)
The plane would be: £378.18 an hour (more than double what we pay today)
Calculations from: (http://bit.ly/2p9BDEK)
Something tells me that we're getting a good deal.....
