Adam Howarth Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hi, So in real world aviation, lets say you had to divert and land at an airport you dont know and your say an IFR pilot flying your private plane, say a turboprop Q1: Where do you park? Q2: Can you leave your aircraft alone at the airport to see the area your in? Q3: How precisely do you fillup with jet fuel and pay for it? Q4: Can you fillup 24/7? What happens if theyre closed for say a public holiday and you must fill up? What happens after hours at night? Q5: if its say a domestic flight, how do you get out of the tarmac? is their security with walk through metal detectors and what not? Q6: Lets say its again a domestic flight, but this time your in say Australia going from Melbourne to Tasmania over the bass straight. Are the rules different now your flying over the ocean? What about state based quarintine where you can bring stuff like fruit into Tassie? Do you get inspected by customs for fruit? Q7: Can you land at any airport? Like in a small plane and land at Kingsford Smith international in Sydney? Q8: Does it cost money to land at the airport? Thanks, just curious and my mind is wondering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobnobs Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 I will try and answer them according to my experience in the UK only. So with that caveat out of the way: 1: Most airports have a General Aviation parking area. Once landed you'll usually be given taxi instructions to the GA parking area or "apron". All registered airports in the UK have a diagram of the airport layout. These are published in the UK AIP. 2: Yes. But parking charges will apply. Each airport is free to determine its own charges. 3: Depends on the airport. Some like my home airfield have a self service facility for AVGAS. All Jet A1 fuel is done either from a mobile truck or from underground facilities. Since my self service facilities were struck by lightning I have to call the fuel guy and get him to rock up with his truck. I don't see the fuel bill since I pay my flying club directly on an hourly rate called a "wet" rate. 4. Depends on the airport. Mine is 24 hours but smaller airports will have published hours. Again this information is all in the UK AIP so you can check before you get stuck somewhere. 5: Security is dubious sometimes. But typically you have to sign in and out at my club so they know who exactly goes airside. There is no access to the general public except when escorted by a pilot in command. 6: Yes, there are certain safety precautions for flying over water and all international flights must have filed a flight plan so the arrival airport knows you are coming and subject you to a customs inspection if they see fit. 7: Depends on the pilots rating rather than the aircraft. If I wanted to land at Heathrow I would need a full instrument rating (IR). Since I don't have one I can't even enter the Class A London TMA which is the airspace zone around Heathrow. 8: Yes, my airport charges a £20 landing fee. If I want to practice circuits around the airfield it becomes an expensive hobby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VH-KDK Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Interesting set of questions and answers. I only knew the answer to the last one though. With all of Hobnob's answers I will definitley be sticking to FS for my flying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobnobs Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 The UK AIP can be found at: http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php.html Lots of interesting stuff and charts to download if you are bored this Sunday like these for every airfield: http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-14691EC545FDD011B2124F580D538E34/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/Charts/AD/NON_AIRAC/EG_AD_2_EGMC_2-1_en_2015-09-17.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voyager Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 If you have been pilot, being a simmer as a hobby is a good bargain, is not it? LoL Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griphos Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Most of Hob's answers hold for the US as well. Q2, however, varies a lot. Each airport determines if there will be parking fees. Lots of smaller to medium airports have none. Q8 is different: I know of no airports in the US that have landing fees. At most airports, access to the private plane areas isn't really secure and there aren't standard procedures or checkpoints, but at larger airports, those areas are separated from commercial traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdguy Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Years ago when I was still flying in Colorado I would land at Denver's old Stapleton Airport and go to the Beech facility to refuel after hours when my home airport's fuel facility (Sky Ranch) was closed. It never cost me anything to land and I was working with only a commercial rating and not instrument rated. Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy H Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 I worked for KBWI (Baltimore) for 9 years. There is no landing fee for Commercial traffic but there is one for GA and Private Charter. It's based on the size of the landing A/C and if they are based with us or one of the affiliates or are they just transient. The prices vary quite a bit for instance a PA-46 may pay 40$ landing fee but a G-V will pay 800$ landing fee, basically the bigger the bird the more you pay. This is based on a unique situation of Baltimore in that KBWI is owned and operated by the state of Maryland. Most airports are not owned by there state so the income in a little different. There are also overnight fee's, fee's if you want your A/C in a hangar, fuel prices vary all time etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awreaper Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Here is my .02. Q1: Where do you park? Most airports have GA parking with tie downs, etc. Q2: Can you leave your aircraft alone at the airport to see the area your in? Sure. Most smaller airports around here have courtesy cars that you can jump in and drive to town. Q3: How precisely do you fillup with jet fuel and pay for it? Depends on where you are going. Q4: Can you fillup 24/7? What happens if theyre closed for say a public holiday and you must fill up? What happens after hours at night? Most smaller airports around here have pumps similar to a gas station that you can use a credit card so it is 24/7 unless the pump is down for maintenance. Q5: if its say a domestic flight, how do you get out of the tarmac? is their security with walk through metal detectors and what not? Most small airports around here you can simply walk out on the flight line. Q6: Lets say its again a domestic flight, but this time your in say Australia going from Melbourne to Tasmania over the bass straight. Are the rules different now your flying over the ocean? Never flown over the ocean so not sure about that. Q7: Can you land at any airport? Like in a small plane and land at Kingsford Smith international in Sydney? Yes as long as it is civilian and you obtain the proper clearance (if needed). Of course I suspect they frown on a little C150 coming in to O'hare during busy hours. LOL Q8: Does it cost money to land at the airport? None around here that I know of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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