Comments 851 to 900 of 5,167
Fees
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).
Curfew
The airport authority is proposing a 10pm-6:59am curfew on most take-offs and landings at Bob Hope Airport:
One Six Right
The popular general aviation documentary "One Six Right" was shot at Van Nuys in 2005:
re: Attempt to ban large aircraft
The FAA has issued a cease-and-desist order to prevent the large-jet ban:
Schedule to close in May 2008
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.
Red Bull air race 2008
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.
Red Bull air race 2008
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.
re: Landing at EGXC
Jean-Paul:
You can find contact info for RAF Coningsby at their official web site:
Reopened in 2006
Mogadishu's airport has been closed periodically because of fighting around the city. It last reopened in August 2006, and is still operational.
re: Is this plane stranded?
According to Wikipedia, the plane is a DC-8 that has been stranded since the eruption.
All the best,
David
Runway shortened by Lava
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.
April 15 market crash
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:
Norway's oldest airport
Kjeller opened in 1912. It's mostly military, with a large maintenance facility, but is also open to general aviation.
London Ashford Airport
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.
re: Don't depart IFR on a VFR day!
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?
Petition to save Lindsay Airport
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.
re: Tom Price Airport
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.
Closed in 2004
This airport closed in 2004, and its name and airport codes transfered to the new airport 12 nm to the north: CAN ZGGG
Fees and customs info (March 2008)
I called Signature in late March 2008, and had the following fees quoted for a single-engine piston (PA-28):
$8 landing fee
$18.19/night parking
$28 handling fee, waived with purchase of 7 gal fuel
Customs will meet Canadian planes at the Signature FBO, and there is no extra charge. Their number is (703) 661-7100.
Finally, Signature's radio frequency (for when you're taxiing in) is 131.87 MHz.
Bangalore's new main airport
On May 11, 2008, this airport is scheduled to open and take over airline service from the older HAL Airport (VOBG).
Airline traffic leaving
On May 11 2008, most of Bangalore's airline traffic is scheduled to shift to the new Bengaluru International Airport (VOBL), which will take over the IATA code "BLR". This airport will continue in use by Hindustan Aeronautics and others for aircraft testing, etc.
Under construction
Dong Hoi is a former small military airbase, being rebuild as a civilian airport.
Invasion of Anjouan
Comoros and the African Union invaded Anjouan on 25 March 2008 and retook possession of Ouani Airport. Details here:
Hyderabad's new airport
This airport opened on 23 March 2008, replacing Hyderabad's old Begumpet airport VOHY (which is still open for military and some private aviation), and taking over the HYD IATA identifier.
No more scheduled airline service
On March 23, scheduled airline service to Begumpet stopped and switch to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (VOHS), which also took over the "HYD" IATA identifier. Begumpet is still used for some private aviation and as a military air base.
Only controlled airport
This is the only controlled airport in East Timor, and the only one with scheduled airline service (to Darwin, Australia, and Denpasar, Indonesia.
The Australian Defence Force took control of the airport during the international Operation Astute peacekeeping mission, which began in May 2006 during the riots in Dili between government supporters and disaffected troops.
New York City's first airport
Located in Brooklyn, this was the first municipal airport serving NYC. During World War II, it was Naval Air Station New York. According to Wikipedia, the runways are still usable, and the airport is occasionally reopened for air shows. The NYPD still has a heliport on site, and there is a display of historical aircraft.
Gas station across street
There's a gas station across the street that you can use to refill the tank when you're returning a rental car.
High security
This is a high-security airport, with no carry-on baggage allowed.
Second runway planned
This airport is running at 8 times planned capacity because of the oil boom. There's a new terminal and new runway planned, among other changes:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2008/03/11/fortmac-airport.html
On the Canada-US border
This airport touches the Canadian border and is also listed in the Canadian CFS (airport directory) using its US identifier. Just past the northwest end of the runway is a north-south road border crossing point with US and Canadian customs.
"MBS" = Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw
This was originally called the Tri Cities Airport, but, unusually, it has taken its FAA and IATA code "MBS" (the first letter of each of the cities) right into its official name.
re: Wrong id
I've changed the GPS id to D38, and the site ident to US-D38. Thanks for spotting that, Paul.
New terminal for Olympics
Terminal 3 at PEK will open on a trial basis on 29 February 2008, then go into full operations in late March. The terminal will include 64 restaurants and 84 retail shops, together with a high-speed commuter train connecting to the city:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_re_as/beijing_new_airport
B-2 stealth bomber crash
On Saturday 23 February 2008, one the 21 stealth bombers in the USAF, visiting from Whiteman AFB in Missouri (SZL), crashed at Andersen AFB in Guam. Fortunately, both pilots ejected safely:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080223/wl_afp/usmilitarybomber
Ground transportation
A taxi into DC should cost around $55-60. Here's a web site to estimate fares for specific destinations from DC to Dulles (the other way around you have to use Washington Flyer, which may charge differently):
http://citizenatlas.dc.gov/atlasapps/taxifare.aspx
A town car is probably about $10 more, but I haven't checked. The SuperShuttle costs around $27, with lots of extra stops -- it doesn't seem worth it (I remember being stuck on a SuperShuttle at LAX once, as it circled round and round for 15 minutes trying to get enough customers before it left: that's no fun after a long flight).
The cheapest option is take the WMATA 5A express bus from the airport to the L'Enfant or Rosslyn Metro stops. From what I've found online, it's $3.10 for the bus, and around $3 for the Metro. Here's the bus timetable:
http://www.wmata.com/timetables/dc/5a.pdf
And here's the trip planner on the WMATA site:
Under construction
There is a lot of construction underway at Sheremetyevo, including a new terminal and a new runway:
Access severely restricted by ADIZ
This airport is one of the "DC-3", along with Hyde Field [W32] and Hyde Field [W32]. It lies inside the inner Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) of the Washington DC ADIZ, and access is allowed only to pilots who have been pre-screened and obtained a special Personal Identification Number (PIN). This is in addition to the normal ADIZ procedures. As a result, it won't usually make sense for non-local pilots to try to use this airport.
Access severely restricted by ADIZ
This airport is one of the "DC-3", along with College Park [CGS] and Potomac Airpark [VKX]. It lies inside the inner Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) of the Washington DC ADIZ, and access is allowed only to pilots who have been pre-screened and obtained a special Personal Identification Number (PIN). This is in addition to the normal ADIZ procedures. As a result, it won't usually make sense for non-local pilots to try to use this airport.
Access severely restricted by ADIZ
This airport is one of the "DC-3", along with Hyde Field [W32] and Potomac Airpark [VKX]. It lies inside the inner Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) of the Washington DC ADIZ, and access is allowed only to pilots who have been pre-screened and obtained a special Personal Identification Number (PIN). This is in addition to the normal ADIZ procedures. As a result, it won't usually make sense for non-local pilots to try to use this airport.
re: Landing Fee ($8.67)
Lommer: thanks for the comment on YHU -- I haven't been there since they brought in the landing fee. How are Mascouche and Ceders for getting into downtown Montreal compared to St-Hubert? It would be pretty easy to burn more than $8.67 in extra round-trip transportation costs.
Living in the South Terminal
An unemployed chef managed to live in Gatwick's South Terminal for almost four years before he was finally arrested:
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/open_thread/2008/02/grounded_at_gatwick.html
History
This field opened for military use in 1914, and received its first airline flights in 1924. It was a major US airbase during the Vietnam war, as well as Bangkok's main civilian airport until the new Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) opened in 2006. It's currently a joint-use military civilian airport, hosting the Royal Thai Air Force's 1st Air Division.
Not open for long
This airport opened in 1998 in the wake of the Oslo Peace Accords, but Israel shut it down by bombing the control tower and radar in 2001, then bulldozing the runway in 2002. The Palestinian Authority continued to staff the airport, including ticket counters, until 2006, though it was not operational. It had been the home base for Palestinian Airlines, which moved across the border to Egypt after the airport closed.
Probably closed
This airport was adjacent to the Israeli Gush Katif settlements in the Gaza Strip, which were evacuated in 2005 as part of the handover to the Palestinian authority. You can still see the runway in the satellite shot, though there is a building now right near one of the runway thresholds.
Administered by Israel
Fiq airport is under Israeli civilian control and has an Israeli ICAO identifier, but is located in the Golan Heights area, which is disputed with Syria.
Baseball Hall of Fame
I'm hoping to bring my daughter to the Baseball Hall of Fame some time in 2008, and K23 looks like the closest airport (ALB is the closest with airline service). If anyone has any suggestions or comments about the airport before then, please leave them here.
Contact info
The phone number for the Esso at Timmins is 705-268-7212 ext. 3157.
Fuel and parking
I called on 18 February 2008, and the Esso was selling 100LL for CAD 1.52/litre + GST. Plug-in posts are available at the visitor parking along the fence.
Fees
🔗 Sun, 11 May 2008
— @david at Greater Binghamton/Edwin A Link field, United States
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.