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Flying in the Isle of Man (was Isle of Man Recommended)

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 9:34 am
by Chickens
After sky high prices, complications and poor service some years ago, it has been a real pleasure to drop in recently for a lunch stop at Isle of Man. IOM Flight Training, Mark Langley, ensured a hassle free stop including booking cafe, meeting on arrival and the only need was to pay thanks to the magic of SD to sort out GAR/FPs. Lunch at the aptly named Two-Six cafe (couldn't be much closer to the threshold of that runway) was excellent and a 2 minute walk from the plane parking.
£12 handling, £20 Landing Fee plus VAT seemed very reasonable for an excellent day out. ATC were as helpful as ever and outside of TT is pretty quiet - I was number one on first contact 43 miles away.
I would recommend a visit.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:41 am
by Merlin83b
After visiting the island for the first time last week, I can only echo all of the above. Sat outside in the sunshine at Two-Six was a great way to spend Friday lunchtime and the food was fresh and excellent.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:40 pm
by Boxkite
Which airfield? .......

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:43 pm
by Ben K
Ronaldsway, I suspect.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:54 pm
by Merlin83b
Yes, Ronaldsway.

http://letsfly.im/ to book in etc.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:25 pm
by Nick T
Hmm, interesting. I looked at this briefly, earlier.

I see you need to file a GAR form to get in... but my question is, as a vanilla PPL, with an N-reg Archer shareoplane and no 61.75 piggyback... can I legally fly there? I’m guessing ‘no’, and that it’s the same as if I wanted to take my plane to France...

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:45 pm
by B1engineer
Is Andreas airfield still open/ allowing stopovers? Last time I visited the runway was in disrepair.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:59 pm
by The Westmorland Flyer
B1engineer wrote:Is Andreas airfield still open/ allowing stopovers? Last time I visited the runway was in disrepair.

Andreas doesn't seem to accept visiting aircraft any more. To be honest, the last time I went in there, about five years ago, the runway was so full of loose stones that I feared for my propeller. I can't imagine that it has got any better in the meantime.

The only show in town for IOM is Ronaldsway but at least it is now a reasonably priced option. Last year my bill came to nearly £100, nearly twice the fuel cost for the round trip! Good show getting the prices more reasonable and I shall certainly be over soon.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 6:48 pm
by Flyingfemme
Nick T wrote:Hmm, interesting. I looked at this briefly, earlier.

I see you need to file a GAR form to get in... but my question is, as a vanilla PPL, with an N-reg Archer shareoplane and no 61.75 piggyback... can I legally fly there? I’m guessing ‘no’, and that it’s the same as if I wanted to take my plane to France...


As far as I am aware the airspace is IOM CAA but under the UK CAA. Never considered it because I have a real FAA licence....... You could always ask the IOM CAA for a ruling - they are generally very helpful, approachable and available.........

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Tue Jul 03, 2018 7:38 pm
by Nick T
Thanks for taking the time to reply :)

See, now you’ve raised another interesting point. I’ll certainly contact the IOM CAA... but something tells me it’s not actually their decision as to whether they accept it, but the FAA... and therefore I’d actually need to ask someone in America.

Either that, or give the CAA some money to say that I am who I say I am, wait a bit and then get on a flight to America, go visit a friendly FSDO, get a 61.75, enjoy some PPL action in America, come home and try again without worrying about all the bureaucracy :lol:

Or get a share in a G reg :lol:

Shame, it seems such an easy route from Nottingham, too!

Edit: both the FAA and IOM CAA contacted. Let’s see if there’s any reply!

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:45 am
by blueup
If you want a quick reply give the IOM CAA a ring, you will be surprised they are refreshingly unlike the UK CAA and extremely helpful !

https://www.gov.im/categories/business- ... ation-caa/

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:56 am
by RisePilot
Chickens wrote:£12 handling


Curious what you get for your £12 "handling"?

Isn't this just a crafty way of presenting an effective £32 landing fee - which is not a good deal.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:09 am
by PaulB
RisePilot wrote:
Chickens wrote:£12 handling


Curious what you get for your £12 "handling"?

Isn't this just a crafty way of presenting an effective £32 landing fee - which is not a good deal.


+VAT @20%?

??? + parking??


.... but it's significantly cheaper than landing a PA31 at Blackbushe (if Facebook is anything to go by!)

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:21 am
by The Westmorland Flyer
RisePilot wrote:Curious what you get for your £12 "handling"?

I'm no apologist for the idea of handling fees and really do wish there were none but that doesn't seem to be possible at Ronaldsway.

It is the flying school that benefits from the handling fee. In return, they collect landing and parking fees on behalf of the airport authority, arrange fuel, deal with GARs, provide FBO facilities, etc.

It's not ideal but it is certainly a lot better than it was and a lot better than many other places.

Re: Isle of Man Recommended

PostPosted:Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:02 am
by Paul_Sengupta
So what the airport should do then is to reduce the landing fee by that amount. We pay a landing fee to use the airport. If the airport then doesn't want to provide all the facilities to allow us to use the airport, then they should either pay someone who does, out of the landing fee, or reduce the landing fee appropriately.

So say I! :D

(though perhaps they already have done, so....y'know....)