VFR flying into large terminal airports
 

I've always wondered - could a small aircraft such as a Cessna 152 fly into a major airport like LAX, ORD, DFW, JFK, without an IFR flight plan? If so, how would ATC accomodate a slow moving puddle-jumper amongst the heavy jets in the traffic pattern?

I was between at flight at DFW last week and noticed a 152 on the ramp, and it got me to wondering how something like this works.

Thanks!

Not a problem at all, doing it all the time. Typically you will fly to a VRP and then proceed to base/final after being cleared by ATC. Sometimes been asked to fly an 'offset' approach, in other words parallel to what would be the ILS in order to let some heavy stuff overtake. Just don't get nervous when you're in the flare and the controller calls 'traffic a 737 on 5 mile final, expedite' ;) In other words - don't linger on the runway ! Also, visualize the vortices of any preceding big jet and make sure you stay above its flightpath and land after its touchdown point.

Happy landings!:ok:

Hey, thanks for the info!

Pleasure! Just make sure you are really familiar with the local maps, VRPs and holding areas. Flying spamcans into major airports quite often entails holding, sometimes repeatedly over various VRPs. Also make sure you have the next frequency set on the radio, as you may well be handed off by Approach to Tower at a pretty late stage. Enjoy the ride!

They may well want you to fly at a higher than accustomed speed. So it might be worth practising a flapless 110kt approach just to see what it's like getting the wee bird slowed down from short final.(If you have'nt done that already)

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't flying spam cans into large international airports. I've a mate that was charged nearly €300 for landing handling and parking in DUB.
Regardless of the expense mixing it with the big boys is something I look forward to doing. I'm planning a bit of a trip around Europe this summer, touch wood, and I would love to do a touch and go in Schipol in my 172.
Has anyone flown GA into Schipol?

€300 sounds over the top... I heard Schiphol is over €100 for example (I think?)

And you can apparently get into Manchester for something like £60 - which is nearly €100 :) Still, can be fun - see http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=207945

Andy :ok:

Ronnie,
T&Gs are exactly what these airports are NOT for. In most cases you won't get a clearance for it and if you do, you only further the - already prevalent - notion of 'let's keep GA out'. By all means, fly into big aiports, I do it all the time and it's great. But please do everyone a favour and DO NOT waste the controllers' time !

That said, have a great trip around Europe :ok:

PS: you will find landing fees and handling charges to vary wildly, better to check in advance to avoid melting the plastic :{

Landing charges in DUB are set by the regulator.

They can be as little as €1 or as much as €30 for a spam can, depending on the time of day, and day of the week.

What makes DUB so expensive is the compulsary handling, which is not designed to welcome spam cans.

dp

Thanks for the advice 172Driver, duly noted. I can understand where you're coming from with regards to T&G's at large airports.
I was thinking of only doing a T&G for the sake of avoiding handling fees, but I can see now that the last thing they need is a little 172 pissing about the place. Looks like ill be stopping for a cuppa!
Cheers:ok:

Last time I went into Dublin Int'l a couple of years ago, Weston was closed for runway repairs.
They charged me £85 for 1 landing/ 1 departure & 3 nights parking.
As DP says its the compulsory handling that loads it.

172driver,

How does doing 1 tough+go "waste the controllers' time" any more than stopping for a cup of tea? Both of them involve 1 landing and 1 take-off - but in the case of the cup of tea, there's lots of other stuff in between.

If anything, it takes up less time, ties up the runway for a similar if not slightly less amount of time, and does not tie up the taxyways at all.

I agree that it is not the "done thing", but I can't think of a good reason for that, other than it's simply not something which people do on a regular basis. But I don't think it's a "waste the controllers' time", is it?

FFF
-----------------

FFF
Well, the point here is not so much tying up the runway (or the airspace for that matter), but rather that you do so for what is most definitely a 'jolly'. I've heard from more than one controller that this p:mad:es them off. They feel their time is being wasted (and, IMHO quite rightly so), by someone who didn't need to fly into a busy environment but just wanted a look around. These guys have enough workload as it is and fitting a spam can into the arrivals flow is dispruptive enough.

Btw, markjoy, you're abolutley correct, expect to be asked to go as fast as you can.

ronnie,
I'm sure you'll enjoy the taxi and some Dutch hospitality :ok:

schipol are very GA friendly, euro 80 for landing handling 3 nights parking. Vectored in. Superb service and well worth the visit.

I fail to see how handling GA is a waste of controllers time, we are all users and I expect the same level of service as the 737 or Airbus driver.

Almost every big airfield I have flown into have given me first class treatment. yes it is expensive but the infrastructore costs of a big airport are that much bigger.

rugerdog is in the States where the controllers are very approachable and have a good attitude. I've had an approach controller begging me to shoot a practice spamcan ILS into a busier airport than LHR because he had a bit of a lull in arrivals and he was getting bored.

So rugerdog, next time you are out and about call up approach control on the radio and ask them if they have time to answer a question, then ask them when is a good time to request a T&G or a full stop/taxi back. Or call them up by phone and ask if you can go look around, they are very happy to let you watch them at work.

It's not getting in that's the problem, it's getting out. You can easily end up being "number 21 for departure" and that costs a fair bit of money if you are paying on the Hobbs.

Certainly no problem when I visited Cape Town, sure no where near as busy as a major US or European airport but still impressive viewed from an old PA28-151.

Had to orbit downwind to let an MD80 in then a steeper than normal approach to avoid the wake, landing half way down the runway to clear quickly to let a 747 off. I'm sure his clearance was “after the PA28, line up” I wish I had been on tower freq rather than approach to hear it. :E

>But please do everyone a favour and DO NOT waste the controllers' time !

Quite right! Unless they ask you to.

More than once did a controller ask me "And once you're at it, would you like to do a T&G or low pass?" when I only asked for a clearance for crossing a CTR.

I'm always happy to oblige! :D

Flying in the US
 

I quite often fly into KDAL (Dallas Love) home base of Southwest Airlines. It is busy, and you do have to be on your toes, know where you are going and are generally expected to keep your speed up on final, as others have mentioned. No handling fees at DAL, but I believe DFW is not very GA friendly, and quite honestly it doesn't need to be, there are a ton of airports inside the DFW Bravo arispace, so you have lots of choice.
On the T&G's I once did two T&G's on Austin's 12,500 ft 17R/35L runway both flapless, at the controllers discretion, late at night! I also like to to to Grey AFB and do No-gyro approaches, or PAR approaches. They are very happy to help (they have currency requirements as well), but they won't let your wheels touch the ground, and it is out of the question if GWB is on the ranch!

- Tim

I struggle with the comments about wasting the controllers time, particularly if it is for a jolly

1. The controller is getting paid to do a job, and if you are paying the landing fee you are contributing to his salary. If the airport authority agrees you are paying your way commercially frankly the controllers views are pretty irrelevant.

2. There are an awful lot of passengers flying in and out of commercial airports on "jollies" - if you are going on holiday presumably you are on a jolly.

Evening,
There is a wobbly little video of two British microlight trikes landing at Malaga to be found at;
http://www.aerialadventures.net/
specifically;
http://www.aerialadventures.net/videos/malagacrunch.wmv
(bear with the movie, it takes a couple of minutes to get near the airport).
These guys too say ‘keep your speed up, know where you are and talk sense on the radio’.
Rgds