david's airport comments

I was back and Hanscom yesterday, and was charged the $14 ramp fee for a 4-hour stay as well -- it doesn't have to be overnight. Gas was a bit over $7.00/gallon.

Thanks for the link -- I've updated the heliport using the information in it.

The airport that used to be located here was Charles Lindbergh's departure point for his transatlantic flight. It closed in 1951, and is now the Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall.

According to Wikipedia, Air Philippines, Cebu Pacific, and Philippine Airlines offer flights between Bacolod City and Manila, while Cebu Pacific and PAL Express offer flights between Bacolod City and Cebu.

This air base closed after World War II, and the grounds eventually became the Ontario Police College. The old BCATP triangular runway pattern is still clearly visible.

I was at the highland games in Maxville a few years ago, when I suddenly saw a Mooney take off from behind the trees on the north side of the fair grounds. When I peeked, I found a private, unlisted grass strip with a few airplanes. I don't know if the field is still operational.

China operates this airport to try to assert a claim over the disputed Paracel Islands.

At an elevation of 14,219 feet AMSL, this is the world's highest airport with scheduled airline service, nearly 1,000 feet higher than El Alto Airport (SLLP) in Bolivia.

Thanks for checking, Blake -- I'm glad that my fears were unfounded. Maybe the PPR is just an insurance thing, in case someone lands without checking runway conditions and tears off a strut.

Blake: that might be bad news about the change in ownership. I wonder if they're planning to close the airport and build a development.

Thanks for the info, Blake. Until recently, at least, there was an active flying school here:

http://www.fnti.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=0&page_id=1

I visited Schiphol for the second time in 2006. It was simple, fast, and well-organized, with virtually no waiting time for customs. Easy and inexpensive to get into Amsterdam (or to other parts of Holland) by rail. Coming from North America, you're far better connecting here than Heathrow for visiting the continent.

This airport opened in 1999, taking over scheduled passenger service (and the IATA identifier COK) from Willingdon Island (VOCC).

This airport also served as Cochin's main civil airport until Cochin International (VOCI) took over in the mid 1990s, and also took over the COK IATA code.

This airport closed January 2008, replaced by the new Bacolod-Silay City International Airport, which took over its IATA and ICAO airport codes.

This airport opened in January 2008, replacing the old Bacolod Domestic Airport, which had the same ICAO and IATA identifiers.

For the identifier, I'm sticking with Wikipedia and using LEPA as the primary one. The Wikipedia article also mentions that Son San Joan Airport is the previous name. I have the other code and the older name in keywords, so that they'll still show up for searches.

Thanks for the corrections, bru25l. We actually had two copies of this airport in the database, one under LESJ and one under LEPA. I removed the old copy and updated the proper one to show that it's a major airport.

An anonymous OurAirports visitor who wanted to book a sightseeing flight from Bex airport sent in this information:

"Just in case you ever want to know the number for Bex Airport, it's 024 463 24 40, and when you call that, they give another number: 078 607 97 22 and when you ring that, there's a message that he's flying and he'll get back to me ..."

The Clark Regional Airport's board has voted to levy a landing fee on all transient aircraft -- the story says it will be about $25 (!!), but does not mention if different fees will apply to different sizes of planes:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/NEWS02/805230474

A cargo Boeing 727 overran the runway on Friday 16 May 2008 and ended up with its nose in a Lagoon. The airport -- the only one serving the island -- was still closed as of Thursday 22 May 2008.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/travel/t080521.html

This is a newly-built airport which opened in 2007, to replace nearby Tappahannock Municipal Airport (W79).

This airport closed in 2007, when it was replaced by newly-built Tappahannock-Essex County Airport (KXSA).

Plattsburgh is uncontrolled, but for an IFR clearance before taking offyou can call Burlington Clearance Delivery on 121.7 MHz.

I came into the airport on a diversion to get out of icing. For a piston single, Sheltair collects a $7.50 landing fee and a $4.50 parking fee on behalf of Clinton County (the airport owner), and they can't be waived (the parking fee was for a one-hour stop). On the bright side, they gave me a fuel discount that amounted to over $12, which is pretty-much the same as waiving the fee.

The FBO staff is extremely friendly -- asked if I needed a ride into town, drove me to and from my plane, and had free bakery-quality chocolate cookies ready and waiting. If you don't object to the fees (which aren't the FBO's fault), it's a nice place to stop.

The cost for a cab into Boston (Back Bay) was $55 + tolls (none on our route); however, we had to wait about 40 minutes for the cab after North Atlantic called it, so it would be a good idea to radio them before you land (123.3 MHz) and ask them to order it for you. Make sure you have the street address of your destination, because the cabbies may be relying on their GPS to navigate.

Another alternative is to take a short cab ride to Beverly Depot and catch an MBTA train into Boston, for about $8-10.

There is free parking here by the control tower. Alternatively, you can park on the other side of the field at North Atlantic for $5/day (piston single).

North Atlantic makes three trips a day with their truck to fuel planes in this area, so you can still get fuel without taxiing across, as long as you plane is there long enough.

For a piston single, quoted over the phone 2008-05-16:

Landing fee: none

Handling fee: $10 (waived with fuel purchase)

Parking: $5/night

Note that there is also free parking under the control tower on the east side of the field, if you prefer.

The airport currently pays the government $1,000 per visit for customs services. It owes $95,000 to the federal government in back fees and is unable or unwilling to pay:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/05/15/qc-tremblantairport0515.html

I think this is the only FBO at Capital City Airport. They've blocked comments on AirNav, but here's what I got from a phone call today for a light piston aircraft:

Facility fee: $25.00 (waived with 5 gallon fuel purchase).

Ramp fee: $15.00

Landing fee: $8.00 (she wasn't sure about the exact amount)

It doesn't make sense for a quick fuel or lunch stop. Nearby Harrisburg International (KMDT) also has the landing fee, but not the ramp fee at the FBO.

The airport has an $8 landing fee for light piston aircraft, but the FBO has reasonably good gas prices ($5.20/gallon on 12 May 2008).

I came to Dulles for the first time as pilot yesterday. The ADIZ was a total non-issue when I was IFR (just like any IFR flight). Potomoc approach and Dulles tower were friendly and co-operative, fitting me into the jet traffic in bad weather without any delays and giving me the runway I asked for. It was about a 3-minute taxi to Signature. They had a follow-me van waiting on their apron, and then a shuttle to take me about 50 meters to the FBO (in the rain). I waited 8 minutes for a Washington Flyer taxi to arrive from the terminal. All prices as quoted in a previous message -- cheap for a big airport (except for the fuel, of course).

Fees and costs from Atlantic Aviation (phone 607-644-1062) for a single-engine piston aircraft, 2008-05-11:

Landing fee: $0

Ramp fee: $10 (waived with fuel purchase)

Parking: $10/night

Hangar: $75/night

100LL: $6.12/gallon

Binghamton is a Customs User Fee airport. I haven't called to find out what the fee is, but you can clear in Syracuse, Watertown, or Alexandria Bay for free coming from Canada.

I believe that this is the only FBO left at Logan, an airport that hates GA more than any other public North American airport (thanks to Massport). I called Signature just to see how bad the fees are, and here's what I got for a two-night stay in a Piper Cherokee (note that not all of them are under Signature's control):

$33.00 landing fee

$166.60 parking (2 nights)

$48.40 GA fee (!!)

$56.00 security fee

$28.00 handling fee (waived with 7 gallons fuel purchase)

I didn't ask about a customs fee, but there's a steep one at Bedford/Hanscom (also run by Massport), so I expect there's one here as well. I think the security fee is for being poked, prodded, and metal-detected by the TSA, just like if you were flying on the airlines.

By comparison, if I flew my Cherokee into Washington/Dulles (another large airport affected by 9/11) and parked at the Signature there, I'd pay an $8.00 landing fee, $18.19/night parking, no customs fee, no security fee, no GA fee, and the same $28.00 handling fee (waived with 7 gallon fuel purchase).

The airport authority is proposing a 10pm-6:59am curfew on most take-offs and landings at Bob Hope Airport:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2008/080508ca.html

The popular general aviation documentary "One Six Right" was shot at Van Nuys in 2005:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Six_Right

The FAA has issued a cease-and-desist order to prevent the large-jet ban:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2008/080424ca.html

The Royal Navy has abandoned this field, and it is scheduled to close on 14 May 2008; however, the Lee Flying Association is challenging the closure.

From 31 May to 1 June, the Red Bull Air Race is coming to Windsor and Detroit. It will take place along the Detroit River between the two cities, and there will be viewing stands on both the Canadian and U.S. sides of the river.

http://www.redbullairrace.com/

From 31 May to 1 June, the Red Bull Air Race is coming to Windsor and Detroit. It will take place along the Detroit River between the two cities, and there will be viewing stands on both the Canadian and U.S. sides of the river.

http://www.redbullairrace.com/

Jean-Paul:

You can find contact info for RAF Coningsby at their official web site:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafconingsby/

Mogadishu's airport has been closed periodically because of fighting around the city. It last reopened in August 2006, and is still operational.

According to Wikipedia, the plane is a DC-8 that has been stranded since the eruption.

All the best,

David

A 2002 volcanic eruption nearby sent a lava stream over the north portion of the runway. The south portion of 18/26 is still operational.

On 15 April 2008, a Hew Bora Airways DC-9 lost power to an engine during its takeoff roll, attempted to abort, and overran the end of the runway into a crowded market immediately to the south of the airport:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Hewa_Bora_Airways_crash

Kjeller opened in 1912. It's mostly military, with a large maintenance facility, but is also open to general aviation.

This airport has been officially renamed to "London Ashford", which is a bit of a stretch, since it's 60 miles from Charing Cross. There are plans to expand it and bring in airline service, with lots of local opposition.

I had exactly the same experience at Republic in spring 2004, right down to sitting on the runway (as instructed by tower) and holding everyone else up. Same lesson -- if you can take a VFR departure out of a NY-area airport, do. It's the controller's error putting you on the runway before your clearance is ready, but why invite trouble in the first place?

Local government is considering whether to keep Lindsay Airport open or sell off the land to developers. Here's the online petition to keep the airport open:

http://lindsay.epetitions.net/

As you can see from the other comments, this is a popular airport with transient pilots.

Thanks for the correction. It's hard to find AU airport info, and a lot of what I have is inaccurate -- I've fixed the lat/lon as you suggested.