Peter wrote:
That is however not comparing like for like.
Maybe, but it matches the question "How many people choose an airport by landing fee or fuel price? "
Thanks highflyer for these real life numbers.
My perspective is very different as a renter in a club :
So, apart from say LEIB, I tend to go anywhere who accepts VFR GA 
Edit : I tend to favour stops that are known to be GA friendly or provide good service, even if more expensive, as a way to thank them.
Jujupilote wrote:
I tend to favour stops that are known to be GA friendly or provide good service, even if more expensive, as a way to thank them.
I`m quite sure, Gatwick provides good service.
I wrote above : "anywhere who accepts VFR GA "
Peter wrote:
Most pilots will not go to LEMH because of the cost and hassle, but it is an outstanding destination and that’s why we went there.
Arriving from Schengen LESL San Luis could’ve been used but with arrangement we made it wasn’t worth of refueling/immigration stop for me.
Jujupilote wrote:
I wrote above : "anywhere who accepts VFR GA "
EGKK – Gatwick accepts VFR – see AIP:
EGKK — LONDON GATWICKUNITED KINGDOM AIPAD 2.EGKK-1CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITYEGKK AD 2.1 AERODROME LOCATION INDICATOR AND NAMEEGKK — LONDON GATWICKEGKK AD 2.2 AERODROME GEOGRAPHICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DATAEGKK AD 2.3 OPERATIONAL HOURSEGKK AD 2.4 HANDLING SERVICES AND FACILITIESEGKK AD 2.5 PASSENGER FACILITIES1ARP coordinates and site at ADLat: 510853N Long: 0001125WMid point of Runway 08R/26L.2Direction and distance from city2.7 NM N of Crawley. 24.7 NM S of London.3Elevation / Reference temperature / Mean Low Temperature 203 FT / 20 °C / -4Geoid undulation at AD ELEV PSN149 FT5Magnetic Variation / Annual Change0.53°E (2022) / 0.19°E6AD AdministrationGATWICK AIRPORT LIMITED.AddressLondon (Gatwick) Airport, West Sussex RH6 0NP Telephone0844-892 0322 (Gatwick Airport Ltd)01293-601031 (ATC)Telefax01293-503203 (Gatwick Airport Ltd)7Type of Traffic permitted (IFR/VFR)IFR/VFR8RemarksTelephone calls to ATC operational areas may be recorded
Gatwick does – here. In the UK, only Heathrow and London City explicitly do not.
But this is not the point, which is that there are plenty of crazy landing/parking fees around: Gatwick, Frankfurt, Munich, you name it.
There is a difference between
), taking the additional risk of 1 or 2 approaches, landings and departures (the riskiest parts of flying by a big factor), arriving at the intended destination 1-2 hours later (if you are lucky; could be 3-4 hours if the fuel stop is [insert your favourite place which is disorganised / nobody speaks English / those that do pretend not to / the pump is broken / has a hidden switch inside and ATC refuse to send somebody along / all pump menus are in local language / fuel has run out / etc, like Albenga, Salamanca, Cannes, Carcassonne, Bastia, Burgos, Trieste, Bergerac… loads of other fun places among the ~200 airports I have landed in]Of course the subtext to all this is the discussion here – example – and elsewhere about yet another airport fuel price database, which is a fun IT project for some keen volunteers and sure will attract some audience, and participation from a few airports, in the country where it is set up, but apart from the people who are flying around “in circles” (until they get fed up and chuck it all in) instead of flying to nice destinations, is really pointless, because nobody will trust it to be fully up to date. The “volunteers” will soon get fed up with complaints that somebody paid €1.90 when their database said €1.70. And most airports will not participate – just like EGKA which the aforementioned link shows as participating but it actually just remembers having been asked to
Doing a fuel stop just to save some money is ok if you have loads of time and the wx is perfect, there are loads of alternates, and you are not trying to meet anyone somewhere… It is really like the permanent UK debate about boycotting every place with a landing fee over £10 (which thankfully we don’t have to suffer here on EuroGA) and the place with the cheapest all day breakfast.
highflyer wrote:
If you add say 300 Euro for landing and parking four days at LEMH on top of the fuel bill you have to pay 1075 Euro. For that reason we decided to land at San Louis, fees where 30 Euro. Total savings is nearly 600 Euro, which was the price for the hotel room. This is worth the additional landing for us.
Is San Louis open to traffic without restriction? I just had a look at their website, which is in Spanish only so it suggests they are not really interested in international customers and it looks like it is kind of PPR or you have to reserve ahead of time? Otherwise i agree if you don’t need fuel, it is a no brainer. Even though I am almost sure they must have fuel there with all the aeroclub planes based there, I can’t imagine they fly over to LEMH to fuel…. maybe one of those inofficial pumps which appear to exist in Italy a lot?
Peter wrote:
Most pilots will not go to LEMH because of the cost and hassle, but it is an outstanding destination and that’s why we went there. We could have had a fly-in to LFMT instead In Sep 2021 we will have a fly-in to Sicily and for sure that won’t be simple or cheap, I am sure, but it is a lovely place to visit.
Actually, LFMT is a pretty neat destination: Cheap fuel and taxes, nice city, great beaches very close by and the full infrastructure of a large airport. Quite a few very scenic places like Aigues Mortes are within easy range of it. I’d love to go back there one day, it’s a mere 3 hours flying time from LSZH.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Is San Louis open to traffic without restriction?
In 2019 we send an e-mail to the Aeroclub to announce our arrival. There was no PPR-regulation, they told us to come here whenever we like. Restrictions where not mentioned. And yes, they have fuel in their hangar for members of the aeroclub only. Not much traffic there. We saw one other plane from Germany parked next to us.
San Luis now has a procedure to announce your arrival and pay your landing fees on-line. Instructions also in English, see below. Like highflyer says, no fuel for planes other than those of the club, no exceptions. Also factor in some time for a police check of your aircraft papers and your license/medical. Seems like they are picking that up again. Went there twice last week, got checked both times.
