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What do you expect of a good airport?

Ron Lee

Well Known Member
This primarily is meant for transient pilots. Example, at my airport, 00V, we don't have courtesy car(s), fuel on weekends, an AWOS, and a clearly identifiable ramp area. Hopefully the AWOS issue will be corrected by next summer.

When you travel, what do you look for or expect at an airport and what missing items will make you go somewhere else?
 
Airport Niceties

OK...I'll offer my thoughts.

Fuel at a low price. This is not the main reason for choosing one airport over another, but it certainly is a significant factor. Doesn't have to be self-serve but the low prices are usually self-serve...except in Alabama, but that's another thread and don't get me started about Alabama's WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OFFICE!!! Nuff said.

Fuel at the ADVERTISED price. I've stopped at a couple of airports where extra taxes and fees were added to the advertised price as listed on Airnav. Not a good thing. I told them what I thought about their practice AND I haven't been back. I also posted my experience on Airnav.com.

Restrooms (men's and ladies'). Clean and everything works, including adequate toilet paper. Nuff said.

Vending machine with fresh snacks and good selections. A nice restaurant is even better. But it depends on the length of my trip. I usually take snacks in my plane, so this is not a biggie.

Adequate runway length and good surface.

No surprises on approach and landing...animals, people crossing runway, vehicles on runway, etc.

Surface in good condition. No potholes, grass in cracks, etc.

AWOS is nice to have but not necessary.

Airnav.com comments that are negative will usually make me choose another nearby airport, everything else being equal.

I don't mind landing at a towered airport, but it seems I can get in and out more quickly at a non-towered field.

It's nice to have a reply on UNICOM frequency to let me know someone is there.

There's no particular order of priority to the above. They're just some thoughts that came to mind.

Don
 
Ron:
Pretty broad question, as it depends on what I'm doing there, how long I intend to stay and whether or not I need mechanical or avionic services.
1. Just passing thru and looking for cheap fuel, I use Airnav as part of my flight planning. If I'll likely need a ride for lunch, I tend toward FBOs at mid size airports that also sell Jet A. Most of these will have a car avail. I don't mind paying a little more for fuel if transportation is available.
2. For overnight or destination airports, I look for something with accommodations nearby within walking distance - just in case a car isn't available when I need it.
3. Fall thru spring, I generally call ahead and ask if a power outlet is within 100 feet of where I'm likely to tie down. This is for my sump heater. Does the airport have tiedowns, preheat, deice, heated or unheated hangar space available.
4. Also depending on weather, I'll look for availability of AWOS or ASOS, as well as a precision approach or an acceptable non-precision. There's nothing worse than being above a solid deck that you can't penetrate due to altitude and knowing that the airport below is VMC.
5. Finally, if it's a downtown airport in a great city, I really could care less about fuel and tiedown costs. My favorite used to be Meigs - museums, aquarium, Soldier Field, downtown. All within walking distance. Current favorite is Albert Whited in St. Petersburg. Check it out.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N332TP
 
From a newb, I like to look for runway size and condition first. Fuel on weekends seems like a must!! The courtesy car sounds like a great thing, but I don't have the ability as a renter to go far from the plane anyway. By the same token, anybody in this day and age that "lends" you a car is going above and beyond, in my mind. I hope to take advantage of this kind of thing in the near future. I've hardly seen an identifiable transient ramp at the 21 or so airports I've flown to. So if I stop, I try to get out of the flow and hope nobody comes running over after I shut down (that is, if I can't get an answer on Unicom after landing). Then, all the other things seem important, like snacks and other facilities. It sure is nice to have a stocked pilot shop in case you need a chart or something (though you should probably have that covered before you leave home). Maybe you just want some local knowledge.

Your airport doesn't seem worse than any I've seen (weekend fuel aside). If you have a good runway and someplace to check weather or get a snack or bathroom break, you are probably right in the mix. AWOS is nice, and itsounds like you have that coming. Just my humble opinion though.:)
 
Value

I'm with Terry on this subject. For me it is about value, not only fuel price. If it is a quick turn fuel stop, a good price and decent restroom wins. For an overnight the issue becomes value. I recently stopped in a medium sized city and parked at a mostly jet FBO. The fuel price was high, but in the final analysis the stop was cheap. A van ride to and from the hotel, a hangar for the night, and great flight planning room all free. I was treated like I had arrived in a Gulfstream. Great value.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
good airport

I look for self service fuel, rest rooms available, and food within walking distance or a loaner car. An airport restaurant is a real plus. I prefer to walk for lunch as someone else may have the loaner car out. If spending the night, I want hotel/motel with pickup service or an airport loaner car or within walking distance. If weather is an issue, I want an IFR approach. I check AIRNAV for comments, but find the FBO can have the negative comments on AIRNAV removed. Another plus when the weather is an issue is an FBO that has wireless internet access open for pilots.

An example of a good stop for me is Kennet, MO, TKX. Self service fuel is available, two loaner vans are available if you can figure out how to get the key out of the lock box, several restaurants are just north of the airport, and if I am spending the night, a motel is very close by, and a weather computer is in the terminal.
 
Cross Country Ammenities

I'm with Don & Terry

Added to which - if the wx is going to be marginal or ptentially marginal enroute, I like destinations with a Twr and an ILS because along with that usually goes;

Approach lighting systems - especially nice at night
A 24 hr FBO or at least 24 fuel
Rental cars and / or a courtesy car
Nearby decent hotels with some choice of price points and sometimes a courtesy van for picking you up
Someplace decent to eat is usually found near the hotels as well
Hanger space too - nice when convective stuff is rolling through just behind your arrival :eek:

I gladly pay more for the fuel as the value for money equation is usually there.

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all.

This primarily is meant for transient pilots. Example, at my airport, 00V, we don't have courtesy car(s), fuel on weekends, an AWOS, and a clearly identifiable ramp area. Hopefully the AWOS issue will be corrected by next summer.

When you travel, what do you look for or expect at an airport and what missing items will make you go somewhere else?
 
free wifi

I agree with the above comments. I'd also like to add that having free wifi available is rather nice.
 
Disclaimer - I'm not a pilot yet.

However...
I can say with 100% certainty that once I am "RV complete" and flying with my wife, a clean, well-stocked FBO restroom will get our return business. I'll gladly pay more for gas if it means my wife won't be disgusted by the conditions in the ladies room.
 
For Cross-Country stops, I want:

1) The cheapest possible Self-Serve gas
2) Clean, unlocked, functional restrooms
3) Cell Phone coverage

Nice to haves

4) free crew car
5) real food available (on airport or via crew car)

Everything else is nice....but not essential!

Paul
 
Hmmm. Depends on whether I'm making a local stop or an overnight.

For either:
* AWOS/ASOS
* Multiple runways to help with windy conditions (crosswind challenged)
* Conveinent gas pumps at a reasonable price (price does not always equal value)
* Restrooms that are reasonably clean

For overnights:
* Courtesy Car
* Decent hotels close
* Hangar available
* Commercial service closeby in case we get weathered in (VFR only)

For example: Scottsbluff, NE (BFF) and Alliance, NE (AIA) are two of our overnight stops when we make the Texas to Montana migration in the spring and the return in the fall. Nice folks, choice of runways to handle the strong plains winds, commercial service (B1900s to DEN) if we get stuck or can only make it part way, clunker but free crew cars and hotels in town and plenty of hangar space. We had to leave the airplane at AIA for three weeks one year due to weather and work schedules; they hangared it for about $100.

GLE remains one my of favorite fuel stops north of the DFW area because of good runways, AWOS, good fuel price and nice bathrooms.

TODR
 
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