Military airfield landing fees
 

I was helping out (volunteering) instructing young soldiers on an ab initio course recently and wanted to fly into the airfield to save time commuting. The airfield has no facilities, no hard runway and is occasionally used for exercises. Previously it has been no problem if coming in for a valid reason, particularly if giving services to the military.

I was shocked that now I would be charged £30 landing fee, £20 parking fee (over 2 hours), £12 insurance plus VAT, so £75 for a PA28 landing on a grass field.

Naturally I drove instead but really p****d off that somebody has decided to make a profit centre using military assets. I bet the services don't see a penny of it.

Grumble over.

Defence Estates (DIO) for you!

Did you ask the course organisers to sort it out for you? I'd be surprised if they couldn't have.

Not so much Defence Estates as the 'Wider Markets Initiative' :yuk: , at a guess..........

Are you being paid for your instruction?

I'm not being paid as it is a gliding club although I am unsure whether to charge for NPPL skills tests (or encourage a donation to club). A number of years ago it was very straightforward, but now there is a new post of airfield manager so even course organisers have no power.

I see 75 for a PA28 on a military field as darn cheap. Last time I flew a 172 into a military airfield to pick up two students, they charged me 130 landing fee, 60 parking three hours, 180 insurance, 120 night, 450 PPR = 940 plus VAT ... cash ... we did the night circuits at another airport, to not go to wellfare right away. I have to admit, I knew before and already had my heart attack before, but the students insisted (and did pay for it).

Seems a bit odd. RAFFCA clubs don't get charged for landing at MOD airfields. I can only speak for my particular club but all of the a/c we have are private and have crown indemnity insurance. Being as I'm not a wheel in that particular area I don't know how it works exactly. If I flew from my other civvy club into a MOD airfield I would get stiffed. There must be a register somewhere of aircraft that belong to a RAFFCA club.

I flew into R.A.F. Mona last year and it was only a tenner, they took a photocopy of insurance cert for the records.