Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1747739
Over 3 tons you are suddenly unble to avail yourself of things like talking to the firecrew to order fuel and walking out through the terminal (where you would have gone anyway to pay your landing fee).


Well those bigger aeroplanes have pilots with bigger wallets who can afford bigger bills. So why not fleece them with mandatory handling charges and see what you can get away with. The chances are they won't notice.. :lol: :lol:

That's how it works in the UK isn't it?
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#1747772
Not for me or my clients, it doesn’t. I’ve often not used an airport because I don’t like their fleecing attitude. If I turn up in Ye Olde Comanche, it’s tuppence to land and I can look after myself; if I turn up in a ‘Van, suddenly I’m rich and deserve to be soaked. Since I often stay in hotels and frequent eating establishments, it’s not just the airports who lose custom.
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#1748254
A few years back I was doing Project Propeller and my task was to collect three veterans from Bournemouth and take them to Wickenby and back.

Pretty much all airfields were waiving landing fees, but Bournemouth were still making a charge for handling. This charge turned out to be a ‘misunderstanding' only after a friend of mine threatened to go to the local press to discuss their lack of support for our WW2 veterans...
Stu B, Jonzarno, akg1486 and 1 others liked this
#1748461
NDB_hold wrote:This charge turned out to be a ‘misunderstanding' only after a friend of mine threatened to go to the local press to discuss their lack of support for our WW2 veterans...


Misunderstanding

noun

The difference between a commercial decision one makes in an essentially private setting and that same decision when made public.
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User avatar
By SteveC
#1748530
It is actually an interesting question around handling. An international airport is required to have handling for arrivals from uncontrolled airports legally. We encounter it al the time in Spain and have been given chapter and verse by then Civil Guarda on the law which is international.
#1748531
SteveC wrote:It is actually an interesting question around handling. An international airport is required to have handling for arrivals from uncontrolled airports legally. We encounter it al the time in Spain and have been given chapter and verse by then Civil Guarda on the law which is international.


Few things to define there. What formally do you mean by 'international airport' and 'uncontrolled airport', and when you say arrivals are you referring to international or domestic arrivals (or both)?

I've certainly arrived at an international airport (my definition - one that has international commercial flights) from an uncontrolled airfield (my definition - one without ATC) in another country without being handled.
User avatar
By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1748536
SteveC wrote:An international airport is required to have handling for arrivals from uncontrolled airports legally. We encounter it al the time in Spain and have been given chapter and verse by then Civil Guarda on the law which is international.


Are you sure you have that the right way about? I know you operate in Spain, but that isnt how their rules were explained to me, it was about commercial ops at an airport. Eg: San Sebastian has domestic commercial traffic and so insists upon "handling" any international flight that has not come from an uncontrolled airport...they have a list of airports that they call "controlled", which are basicly airports that handle commercial flights. You can fly into San Sebastian from any Spanish aerodrome and do not need handling, you can leave to any aerodrome without handling.

And it must be just a spanish thing, because I have definitely used many airports that have international commercial flights without handling in France and Germany flying GA on domestic and international flights.

Regards, SD..
User avatar
By kanga
#1748540
defcribed wrote:..

I've certainly arrived at an international airport (my definition - one that has international commercial flights) from an uncontrolled airfield (my definition - one without ATC) in another country without being handled.


Staverton would qualify! And when there were scheduled flights to Jersey and IoM, even more obviously so. So flight to Staverton from Croft Farm would require 'groping' .. :)
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By SteveC
#1748686
skydriller wrote:
SteveC wrote:An international airport is required to have handling for arrivals from uncontrolled airports legally. We encounter it al the time in Spain and have been given chapter and verse by then Civil Guarda on the law which is international.


Are you sure you have that the right way about? I know you operate in Spain, but that isnt how their rules were explained to me, it was about commercial ops at an airport. Eg: San Sebastian has domestic commercial traffic and so insists upon "handling" any international flight that has not come from an uncontrolled airport...they have a list of airports that they call "controlled", which are basicly airports that handle commercial flights. You can fly into San Sebastian from any Spanish aerodrome and do not need handling, you can leave to any aerodrome without handling.

And it must be just a spanish thing, because I have definitely used many airports that have international commercial flights without handling in France and Germany flying GA on domestic and international flights.

Regards, SD..


You won’t be able to soon. It’s being enforced on all Spanish commercial airports by the Civi Guarda. I have been tied up in meetings for over a month now on trying to find a solution. Apparently international requirements so I suspect we are going to see a lot of changes to the way things have been done in the past. But also how handling is interpreted is up for discussion. If there is a dedicated GA exit that has no access to the commercial apron with a monitored short transit to the gate for example they can get away with sending a handling person to escort the crew from airside. Here in Jerez our security gate is on the main apron and then we walk all the way round to the GA apron. From April we are going to have send either the handling agent or one of our staff to escort students arriving from uncontrolled airfield. That will impact where we can use for training or an increase in costs for extra staff to do the handling.

It’s all a bit of a pain in the ass to be honest.
By patowalker
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1749841
skydriller wrote:
SteveC wrote:An international airport is required to have handling for arrivals from uncontrolled airports legally. We encounter it al the time in Spain and have been given chapter and verse by then Civil Guarda on the law which is international.


Are you sure you have that the right way about? I know you operate in Spain, but that isnt how their rules were explained to me, it was about commercial ops at an airport. Eg: San Sebastian has domestic commercial traffic and so insists upon "handling" any international flight that has not come from an uncontrolled airport...they have a list of airports that they call "controlled", which are basicly airports that handle commercial flights. You can fly into San Sebastian from any Spanish aerodrome and do not need handling, you can leave to any aerodrome without handling.

And it must be just a spanish thing, because I have definitely used many airports that have international commercial flights without handling in France and Germany flying GA on domestic and international flights.

Regards, SD..


It is a Spanish thing. Although 'airports that handle commercial flights' almost always means the same thing, the trigger for handling at San Sebastian is arrival from a foreign airfield that is not 'controlled' by customs/police.
User avatar
By mmcp42
#1749917
not even a Spanish thing
I have flown into (the old) Murcia San Xavier without handling
a) arriving from France
b) local flight within Spain
c) departing to France
User avatar
By SteveC
#1749933
What happened in the past is unfortunately not the future. As I said earlier, this is currently being pushed onto us by the Civil Guarda under the claim that it is an aviation security requirement. I have been sat in meetings in the last week arguing against it.
User avatar
By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1749994
@SteveC Understood, its what is planned to happen in April, but not right now.
(I missed that somehow, sorry :oops: )
I wish you luck with getting them to see sense, it will affect many visitors.
Is there anything any of us can do in support (email/letter etc)?

Regards, SD..