I don’t particularly agree that “light GA” pilots should have such submisssive attitude.
Most airfields in the UK (and I suspect, Europe) are privately owned and operated and their availability for our use is a privilege and not a right, even when we are paying to do so.
Again, the UK regulation on airports is a bit special, but believe me: elsewhere, it is a right and not a privilege to use public airports, as much as you want and whenever you want. Calling these beforehand on a routine flight is not regarded a courtesy by their operators.
Look at Germany, France, USA, etc. No pointless PPR whatsoever.
Yes, while we have the stupid system of “Flugleiters” (Flight Controllers) at every small airport – at least we enjoy the freedom to fly to any of these airports in Germany whenever we want. I would hate to have to call an airport before i can fly there … and to an American this idea must sound completely strange.
I’d like to have the British IFR system (to a point), the german freedom to fly whereever you want – and the American IFR approaches …
Flyer59 wrote:
to an American this idea must sound completely strange
I’ll be flying today and I don’t even know where I’m going yet, and when I’ve finished flying I don’t suppose anybody at any of the (as yet undecided) airports will know I’ve been there.
to an American this idea must sound completely strange
As I peruse the www, it has become clear to me that to most US’ans anything sounds completely strange, or even incomprehensible or even unacceptable, if it is different from what they are used to at home. So yes, that may be true, but no, it is nothing to worry about.
I think the reality is that many airfields do make a distinction between light GA and “business traffic”.
They have to… you cannot put a bizjet in a hold while a number of light GA planes are flying circuits, etc. Something has to give.
ATC could give people orbits on downwind but I think that nowadays they are a bit hesitant about that unless they know the pilot can actually fly – unlike the poor student (can’t find the report now) who IMHO his instructor should not have sent solo and who crashed and killed himself when doing a requested orbit.
I too usually phone airports before going there (especially if the wx is crap) but I am not generally in favour of PPR, not because it is especially inconvenient but because it creates an opportunity for opportunistic pompous job-creating self-promoters with big egos (of whom there is no shortage in aviation) who try to turn it around into a system where they issue a “PPR number” (like the UK police do, for Ireland, IOM, etc) and then the next step is “mandatory handling” where you have to visit the twat in his portacabin and give him 20 quid or whatever, which is money that should have all gone towards the airport’s fixed costs but instead this “business” has parked itself on the money stream and is skimming a large % off it.
The airport will eventually realise they have been conned but by then this guy has “connected up” with all the other assorted jobsworths and they can’t shift him. I am not mentioning names of airports here but it’s all rather close to home… as well as being a common British problem.
Otherwise, Biggin is a really nice airport. Last time I was there was yet another diversion from Shoreham (fogged in as so often) and half the world was diverting there too. They were really nice, and even refuelled the plane a few hours before I arrived there (a week later) to collect it. Almost no airport would have done the last bit. All for a small fraction of parking my VW in Brighton for a week.
Again, the UK regulation on airports is a bit special, but believe me: elsewhere, it is a right and not a privilege to use public airports, as much as you want and whenever you want.
I am not sure the UK has any airports which are “public use” in the US terminology i.e. obliged to accept traffic. In the US this is connected up with accepting FAA funding. It’s a great system but we don’t have that in Europe… Biggin is privately run, AFAIK.
In say France there are countless local authority / chamber of commerce operated airports which are perhaps “public” but are they unable to deny you a landing? I reckon they can. In practice they don’t. But then so many of the larger provincial French airports are dead most of the time anyway, so there is no issue. You could fly into say Bergerac and out again 100x and provided you picked the right hours they would never notice you never paid. Try getting into CDG or Orly and see how far you get at those “public” airports 
I’d rather have a Flugleiter telling me, which RWY is in use, than calling in advance, if I’m allowed to land. Best is the american model without any doubt.
Some years ago (before they finally got a tower because of too much traffic) i spent a week flying in San Augustine, Florida. Three runways crossing each other, the National Guard with their F-16s, bizjets, aerobatics, helicopters … and it worked. Now they have ATC, but there’s still many similar airports in the US without a TWR, and i have never experienced a problem. And with a TWR and radar … well you newd good controllers, and it will work.
Why did i not have to call the D/FW airport before i landed my 152 there? Too little traffic? ;-)
The USA:
Back to Biggin – it could be this is just a silly policy, or more likely something happened recently which made them do this.
By the way: many of the german fields are in fact “public airports” (Verkehrslandeplatz) and those never have PPR, only the very small private ones can have PPR, but most don’t, they just have opening hours.
sure the UK has any airports which are “public use” in the US terminology i.e. obliged to accept traffic. In the US this is connected up with accepting FAA funding. It’s a great system but we don’t have that in Europe
Peter, what do you know about airport regulation in say France or Germany? I guess nothing. In both cases, the majority of airports are exactly that – public – and you can use it at your liking, as much as you want, and nobody can say “I don’t like you, stay off” – fortunately!! Same for Scandinavia and I am sure most other countries. Accept it that – as usual – it’s the UK which is weird in this regard.
