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Landing Fees

Paul 5r4 said:
I may be the odd one out here but... I detest landing and tie down fees. Our tax money paid for the ramps. I was at a small airport for a couple hours and never even went into the FBO. My ride brought me back and I got in and fired up. The FBO contacted me on the radio and said I owed them a fee. I shut down and went in and paid. I feel like it would be the same as some small private business owner charging me a fee for driving down a public road which passes their store. I recently saw a YouTuber who I won't mention that landed someplace in north eastern Ohio IIRC and he had to pay $100. Said he was there only 10 minutes.
I am just totally against them and agree with Walt about sharing information boycotting them!
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This is the thing that totally hacks me off

When I starting flying int he 80's pretty much every airport had a municipal ramp where you could park for free for a few hours and overnight for a nominal charge or even free

Then comes in Millionair, Signature, Sheltair etc and signs a contract with the municipality claiming to bring in tax money but shutting down the municipal ramp.

Now I have to pay $75 to park overnight, and a $45+ "handling change" to park for a few hours.

For exactly the same level of service.

I complained about this to Signature recently, the response was "you should have known aviation was an expensive hobby when you got into it"
 
I’m reminded of the phrase "everything in moderation". Our local airport, KTXK, charges a landing fee, only if over 8,000 pounds I think is the weight. Using Vector Airport Systems.

However fbo Signature charges every fee the can sneak on you. Walk through the door from ramp fee, no kidding. No moderation with them.
 
I got a bill from one of those. I was hot. My airplane doesn't even have wings and it's not a Leer. It took weeks for them to clear it up.
Plan on lots of errors.
 
bkc3921 said:
I'm amazed (and frankly, disappointed) about how many posts on this thread are already signaling "defeat", even to the point about whether a certain fee is 'affordable' for some. It's no wonder that the powers-that-be are willing to chance fees that will certainly cripple/kill GA...as it appears many are giving up without a fight. My suggestion: Grow a pair. Protest. Call your Congressperson and file a complaint. Call EAA/AOPA and tell them to fight or you will drop your membership. Call your local newspaper. If necessary, file a court action.........There are many things that can and should be done before everyone reaches in their pockets and hands over their cash. Never forget that airports are built with YOUR tax money, and the FAA is supposed to work for us, not the other way around.
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Quite frankly, and I feel this has been true for a long time, if you're not flying a warbird EAA is useless
 
Amadeus said:
My "defeat" comment was in response to the ski jump on Wide World of Sports comment. I forget that not everyone is as aged as others. Not everyone remembers Jim McKay's opening lines to WWoS on Saturday mornings. The agony of defeat part was spoken as a skier slides off the ski jump out of control.

"The thrill of victory ... and the agony of defeat"​

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Thanks, but I wasn't specifically referring to your comment (I do remember McKay..and I cringe when I see that crash...). Just seems that many are resigned to the fact that the fees are here to stay, expanding to smaller airports, etc. and there is nothing we can do about it. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of taking it in the shorts. Perhaps someone should look into the BILLIONS of dollars and THOUSANDS of jobs (including many in our 'precious' Federal Government) that are a direct result of GA. It just seems every politician in this country should be reminded of the huge impact on the economy the aerospace industry provides....and it all begins with GA. That quote someone made about Signature (you should have known....) really creams my corn. They should be boycotted for having such a pompous attitude. And in case anyone wonders, yes, I'm old and grumpy...and I'm getting more grumpy by the day....
 
My AOPA membership money is now allocated to landing fees. Mark Barker keeps sending me emails try to sell me everything from Insurance to Bitcoin ….he’s missed the ship on this one .
I don’t see the Value in being a member.
 
walkman said:
I complained about this to Signature recently, the response was "you should have known aviation was an expensive hobby when you got into it"
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The difference is that WE do this because of a passion for aviation; THEY do this for profit - nothing else - so they will seek profit anywhere they can filch it.
 
bkc3921 said:
I'm amazed (and frankly, disappointed) about how many posts on this thread are already signaling "defeat", even to the point about whether a certain fee is 'affordable' for some. It's no wonder that the powers-that-be are willing to chance fees that will certainly cripple/kill GA...as it appears many are giving up without a fight. My suggestion: Grow a pair. Protest. Call your Congressperson and file a complaint. Call EAA/AOPA and tell them to fight or you will drop your membership. Call your local newspaper. If necessary, file a court action.........There are many things that can and should be done before everyone reaches in their pockets and hands over their cash. Never forget that airports are built with YOUR tax money, and the FAA is supposed to work for us, not the other way around.
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AOPA is very much involved....https://aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2024/september/04/florida-cities-county-prepare-to-impose-new-fees-on-airport-users

Yes, I work for AOPA. I'm also a long-time VAF supporter and a lifetime EAA member.

The landing fee issue is quietly spreading across the nation. We are working to address it at that scale, but in the meantime, pilots need to stay alert to airports/municipalities pursuing landing fees, and when they hear about it, alert AOPA and work with us to engage locally. One of the big challenges at this point is that most airports proposing landing fees are exempting their based aircraft, thereby cutting down on the local opposition. Obviously, if this trend were to spread unchecked, one day, your local airport would be the only one where you wouldn't pay fees (even those exemptions would probably go away eventually).

AOPA is not letting this go unchecked, but we can't do it alone. We are strong because of our members (Yes, that's a not-so-subtle suggestion to join, if you haven't already....no other organization is fighting landing fees and many other battles like AOPA is).
 
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