I am dropping off my sons at the airport to catch a flight on Norwegian Airlines. Can I just drop them off at the ramp somewhere without using the FBOs? I don't need fuel. Seems ridiculous to have to pay $43 for a 5 minute drop off.
How to avoid FBO fees at Stewart KSWF?
- Thread starter Baron62
- Start date
ktup-flyer
En-Route
Atlantic and Signature. I honestly wouldn't feel bad....especially for the latter.
The FBOs don't own the the airport and should not have exclusive right to GA traffic. I don't mind paying airport fees, but why do I need to use their FBO ramp? The FBOs charge $7.50/gal, but I will buy the minimum to reduce their fees.They are also turning a 5 min drop off into a 30 minute process.
jordane93
Touchdown! Greaser!
You can't.
Vance Breese
Cleared for Takeoff
I would call the airport manager to ask how to best manage your desires.
EDMOND J. HARRISON
1180 FIRST ST
NEW WINDSOR, NY 12553
Phone 845-838-8200
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Also called the tuck and roll method.
Some of those fees may be pass through fees, that is the fbo is collecting money for someone else.
Otherwise find the boundaries for the fbo and park outside that area.
I did. I called operations at that number and they told me that I have to use Signature or Atlantic.
LOL, They are young and tough!
Clip4
Final Approach
A ramp fee, in part, is an airport fee. The ramp did not build itself. The airport built the ramp and rents it to the FBO to help fund the airport.
Vance Breese
Cleared for Takeoff
Looks like you are stuck negotiating with Signature or Atlantic. Good luck!
Anymouse
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Total Stud Bush Pilot
The problem with big FBOs like Signature, Atlantic, et al, is that they gouge on their ramp fees. Seriously?? $43 when no services are required or desired?? To top it off, these FBOs typically jack the price up on their fuel. I try to buy fuel at places I stop, but when I do a 30 minute trip in my bug smasher, just to drop someone off, I shouldn't be required to buy 10 gallons of fuel when I only burned 4 to get there. And I shouldn't be required to pay for services I neither need nor want. (I can care less about a stupid piece of carpet next to my plane.)
In the past, before Signature started with their onerous ramp fees, it was customary to pay a landing fee at many fields. Typically this would be anywhere from a couple dollars to no more than ten dollars, depending on the size of the airfield. These were typically waived with fuel or overnight parking at reasonable prices.
So, all that being said, I don't blame Baron one bit for trying to dodge the ridiculously high ramp fee.
Let'sgoflying!
Touchdown! Greaser!
In no other form of transportation in this country have I been extorted to use a fee-based service to allow passengers to load/unload. I am hearing more and more complaints about this and wonder if the AOPA won't soon take a stance on it.
Fair access to a public property might become a new movement; I experienced the best this summer (KMKC Kansas City where you can tie down, self-serve, enter and exit the airport, drop off and pick up pax) and the worst (KELP El Paso where there is no public parking for aircraft, you must pay a fee, no place to enter or exit the airport without that fee, same with pax)
Fair access to a public property might become a new movement; I experienced the best this summer (KMKC Kansas City where you can tie down, self-serve, enter and exit the airport, drop off and pick up pax) and the worst (KELP El Paso where there is no public parking for aircraft, you must pay a fee, no place to enter or exit the airport without that fee, same with pax)
frfly172
Touchdown! Greaser!
Signature and Atlantic don't need your gas business,they cater to jets. The ramp fee is a pta ,to keep you away. Sometimes asking for a top off ,even if under the 10 gallon minimum ,will wave the fee. I try to take gas at all my stops,especially the smaller airports.
ok,land at orange county airport and have uber waiting to drive them over to Stewart should not cost much more than $43.you win! you want conveyance it costs.i always wonder what you complainers do for a living and how much free **** you give away in your business .in the 50 years I lived in NYC I found that the cheap "folks " were the people charging huge amount of coin for there goods and services .just saying.
Plano Pilot
Line Up and Wait
It is not much help but Signature does give 50 cents off a gallon on weekends.
https://www.signatureflight.com/services/general-aviation
https://www.signatureflight.com/services/general-aviation
paflyer
Final Approach
Where's the "dislike button" when I need it?
paflyer
Final Approach
That explains a lot.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
NY Port authority owns the airport. They didn't build it, it was built by the US Military. The high nuisance fees don't pay for the airport, they are profit to the two FBOs and some of it goes into the giant sinkhole that is the rest of the Port Authority. Yes, it's the same group that runs LGA, JFK, EWR, TEB, and Atlantic City.
If you think those fees are bad, look at how much the Port Authority gouges you for if you take one of NYC's bridges or tunnels.....
http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/tolls.html
There are other airports that are not far from SWF that don't charge the same kind of fees - a short Uber or cab ride would solve the issue.
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
I feel your pain. I would happily pay 43 bucks over what some of the airports charge for a 135 operator to land, drop off passengers or patient, then leave. I have had to pay between 75 to 150 bucks at some places for that privilege. That is why suggested to park outside the fbo boundary to avoid ridiculously high fees.
There is also the possibility that the airport or FBO is not charging any fee, but the city or county may be charging the fee. And the poor FBO gets blamed for it.
ifly4fun
Line Up and Wait
I had to pay $50 at orf to do a pnp exchange with another pilot. Won't make that mistake again
Anymouse
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Total Stud Bush Pilot
I'm sure that's some of it. But I'm also sure that in most cases it's a pretty small percentage. Some FBOs will itemize that and it's perfectly clear when they do. In that case, you can't blame the FBO for that at all. It's the extra crap they tack on that most of us have a problem with.
BTW... IIRC, Bedford has a bit of an onerous landing fee that they aggressively pursue. I've heard one story where a guy was transiting the airspace and got a bill in the mail a couple weeks later. From what I remember, that policy was really hurting the FBO(s) there. It's been years since I've heard anything about it though.
ElPaso Pilot
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If you don't want to pay the fee don't go to that airport. It's simple. If you want/need to go to the airport pay the fee. The airport/city takes a pretty big percentage of fees (and fuel taxes) in most cases. Someone needs to upkeep the airport and it is NOT your tax dollars for a majority of it.
paflyer
Final Approach
Most of the gold-plated facilities are there to serve the corp/charter set where the costs are passed on to someone else. Joe pilot with a bugsmasher is forced to pay for golden facilities when all he wants is to drop/pickup a pax, maybe park and exit the airport. There are NO practical options to avoid this in many paces.
I just got back from my flight to KSWF. The total cost was not that bad since I purchased their minimum fuel amout of 7 gallons. Everybody that worked there was very friendly. Below is a breakdown of the fees. It reminds me of my cable TV bill.
Handling Charge $37 (waived due to fuel purchase)
7 Gallons 100LL gas $44.63 (includes 3.63 in tax)
Fed 100LL excise tax $1.36
GRSR-100LL $0.46
Airport fee 100LL $0.49
Infrastructure fee $5.00
Sub total was $51.94 plus $4.23 in sales tax for a total cost of $56.17
After leaving, I proceded over to Sky Acres (44N) which was right along my route and filled up for $4.15/gallon.
Handling Charge $37 (waived due to fuel purchase)
7 Gallons 100LL gas $44.63 (includes 3.63 in tax)
Fed 100LL excise tax $1.36
GRSR-100LL $0.46
Airport fee 100LL $0.49
Infrastructure fee $5.00
Sub total was $51.94 plus $4.23 in sales tax for a total cost of $56.17
After leaving, I proceded over to Sky Acres (44N) which was right along my route and filled up for $4.15/gallon.
WannFly
Final Approach
Clip4
Final Approach
The military has not funded anything at that airport in over 40 years. Do you think that just maybe the ramps needed resurfaced in that time? Generally facilities on airports are leased to the highest bidder. That includes the ramp space.
ElPaso Pilot
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Local FBOs and good municipal facilities I will support to keep alive.
Atlantic / $ignature and their typically exclusive business models I have no sympathy for.
If you want to fund their corporate exec bonuses from a 100LL GA, non-expense report pocket, more power to you.
paflyer
Final Approach
That's what some of the guys here fail to understand.
paflyer
Final Approach
Federal and state grants.
Clip4
Final Approach
There are plenty of pilots who believe the general tax payer should pay for their hobby as an excuse to avoid airport associated charges.
Clark1961
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There are plenty of people who measure the economic impact of infrastructure and understand that taxes should be allocated proportionately.
Clip4
Final Approach
You mean the same grants that require an airport to demonstrate they have a self supporting economic plan to qualify for?
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
And what about all those greedy idiots who think that the taxpayer should support infrastructure for them to drive their cars round on, too? Oh, wait...
Clark1961
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I mean the airports have an economic impact and that impact should be measured and considered when allocating public funds. Do you have some sort of problem with allocating public funding to the economic drivers?
Groundpounder
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Emerson Bigguns
Well, you could always drive.
I flew to BED for work once, and I got hit with a HUUUUUUUGE bill from the airport. It was $10!!!! That is 2 gallons of airplane gas!!! I almost had to quit flying, it put such a burden on my budget for the year.
I flew to BED for work once, and I got hit with a HUUUUUUUGE bill from the airport. It was $10!!!! That is 2 gallons of airplane gas!!! I almost had to quit flying, it put such a burden on my budget for the year.