Southend is to my knowledge the only one that takes you by train only. Not too expensive for small planes, and there is a 50min-1h train leaving from across the street of the airport to London (Liverpool street) every 10 min.
I mostly fly from north weald, from my house (close to liverpool street), it’s about 40-45 GBP uber (50min-1h). Getting a cab from there (especially on weekends) is sometimes a bit of a task – I take uber back to London.
Stapleford also takes you to the city. They have slightly better hours but you’ll mostly likely have to park on mud grass
If you want a really lovely airfield, you have white waltham. Nothing reaches the atmosphere there on a sunny evening, with people drinking outside (and then back inside), next to the planes, and guarantee of a beautful sunset!. Transport from there is ~8 GBP taxi to train station, then a 35-45 min train into Paddington (Notting Hill)
Don’t forget to fill out the GAR declaration, it can be done online or via Skydemon, four hours before departure to the UK, with all the passport details. With GAR you can fly into any airfield in the UK as far as immigration is concerned (for the time being).
I really don’t think Biggin or Southend landing and parking fees are significant on the scale of fuel and other direct costs – unless one is staying for a week or more. I am acutely aware of the “UK £5=max psyche” but most of the proponents of that almost never fly 
I think fees can be significantly higher for Twins or heavier aircraft: While I remember paying fairly low fees at Southend on a DA40, the other day I paid 48 pounds in a DA42 (didn’t stay so no parking).
Last time at Biggin in a DA42, 90 GBP for landing and one night parking. This is the cost to ~50nm (of direct cost) which is not nothing (especially given I was just parking as arrived too late for North Weald).
But yes, I’d pick any day the convenience of a late arrival into a place you are reasonably sure to get into over saving 30 GBP on a few. Having to rearrange things (hotel / car rental) can be a big hassle.
dirkdj wrote:
four hours before departure to the UK
I thought four hours before arrival in the UK, is that wrong?
Sorry I forgot White Waltham. Yes, it is one of the best GA airfields anywhere (if you don’t need a smooth surface) but it’s a hassle from Belgium.
As this comes up so often, I just did a quick Google Maps to Charing Cross in each case, first train, then cab/Uber:
Biggin Hill 56min, 1h06
Southend 1h20, 1h14
Redhill 1h19, 1h17
Elstree 1h19, 1h03
Fairoaks 1h30, 65min
Denham 1h35, 60min
Rochester 1h48, 1h03
Stapleford 1h18, 55min
North Weald 1h25, 58min
White Waltham 1h46, 1h08
Wycombe 1h45, 1h10
Sorry I don’t know how to do a table.
So the quickest is Biggin Hill, cab to Orpington, train into town.
Damyn’s Hall and Uber is 48 mins if you can live with the runway length.
By the way, from Belgium I would expect you to get SUMUM JACKO1B followed by a OSVEV 1J Transition (entered in Garmin as JACKO transition.)
The way to deal with it is, a while before SASKI, or when you are first handed to London, ask for a transfer to Thames and a direct to RAVSA. You will be descended to FL90 then handed to Thames 132.7, they will clear you OSVEV 1J direct to RAVSA. You therefore need to load the ILS 21 JACKO transition but route to RAVSA as an intermediate. In the event, you will be given vectors from about RAVSA, which roughly follow the transition and you will be descended in steps to remain just inside controlled airspace.
Peter wrote:
I really don’t think Biggin or Southend landing and parking fees are significant on the scale of fuel and other direct costs
I requested the landing fees for Southend via Stobart Jet Center:
C172 landing fee is £24.00 with VAT £28.80. Parking fee £15.00 with VAT £18.00 PER 24HR.
Assuming all on board are EU passport holders, and you are landing at a proper airfield, the GAR has to be sent to HMRC at least 4 hours before landing. For arrival at a “farm strip” the period is IIRC 24hrs, and there is a departure GAR requirement too. It’s a great system…
If you end up in Shoreham, London is easy via a train which goes from Shoreham train station to London (various stations) but which (stupidly) goes to London only in the morning commute time slot, and comes back from London via Shoreham only in the evening commute time slot. During the rest of the day you get a train from Shoreham to Brighton and another one from there to London.
There are almost no hotels in Shoreham; most people go to Brighton anyway. It’s a ~£30 taxi.
I plan to fly to Biggin Hill next weekend in a Mooney from Dusseldorf.
First time for me as well and wanted to ask about parking.
What is the most likely place they will assign for overnight parking (when no handling is requested)? Is it a walk across the apron or will a pickup be provided to get from the plane to the gate (or a building?) to pass from airside to streetside?
I will have several pieces of luggage.
Thanks.
