BWI or area airports?

flyingcheesehead

flyingcheesehead

Touchdown! Greaser!
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iMooniac
Hey folks,

I'm headed out tomorrow to go to Annapolis, but I'm having to change plans and we're going to be staying at the BWI Airport Mariott, and we'll be going straight there after arrival and leaving straight from there.

Are the landing/ramp/overnight fees ridiculous if I go to BWI? I'll be out there for four nights.

Is Tipton or something else near BWI a better option?

Thanks in advance!
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Hey folks,

I'm headed out tomorrow to go to Annapolis, but I'm having to change plans and we're going to be staying at the BWI Airport Mariott, and we'll be going straight there after arrival and leaving straight from there.

Are the landing/ramp/overnight fees ridiculous if I go to BWI? I'll be out there for four nights.

Is Tipton or something else near BWI a better option?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

BWI is my home airport. They have a Signature which is very good. Wait after you park and call them for pickup from a van. I don't know the rates, because instruction and rental took care of everything.

Tipton is good, and close. Go IFR if you can to avoid extremely tricky airspace.

Welcome to Baltimore!
 
Tipton is a better option. Price better, good folks, self-serve fuel. And rental cars available at the FBO. As Ben says, go IFR. And keep a close eye on how they vector you - one controller almost sent me into the FRZ one day.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Hey folks,

I'm headed out tomorrow to go to Annapolis, but I'm having to change plans and we're going to be staying at the BWI Airport Mariott, and we'll be going straight there after arrival and leaving straight from there.

Are the landing/ramp/overnight fees ridiculous if I go to BWI? I'll be out there for four nights.

Is Tipton or something else near BWI a better option?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I haven't been there in a while, but I use Signature Flight Support and although they are expensive (9.53 per gallon for 100LL :yikes:) Their service is first class. I can't remember the ramp fee or landing fees, but I know they waved something if I got about 7 or 8 gallons of fuel. Maybe I paid somewhere between 12 dollars and 38 dollars in fees, but they gave me a free courteosy car and other times a free van ride to the train station (both ways).

Gene
 
You can call signature and get the fees, they'll be glad to tell you. Other than being a bit pricy, BWI is pretty GA friendly. It's been a few years but if I recall, you owe $12 to the airport for the landing fee, the state collects $40 a day parking (neither of these can be waived), and then you have the option of either buying signature's overpriced fuel or paying their handling fee around $40.
 
If you end up coming in on a day that you NEED an instrument approach, BWI is probably the better option - Tipton has a couple, but BWI has multiple approaches with ILS.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Are the landing/ramp/overnight fees ridiculous if I go to BWI?
Click to expand...
Yes.

I'll be out there for four nights.
Click to expand...
Bring your platinum card for Signature to use.

Is Tipton or something else near BWI a better option?
Click to expand...
Depends on whether or not you plan to rent a car/have someone picking you up, or are relying on public transporation/hotel pickup. If the former, then I think FME is a better GA choice. If the latter, you're pretty much stuck with BWI. Also, they don't stock rental cars at FME, so call today to get your rental car arranged in advance. Finally, if the weather is down, FME has only RNAV (LNAV) approaches, although the weather tomorrow should be pretty good.
 
$ignature BWI: $31 handling, waived w/7 gallons. $41 landing, $13 parking for every 24 hours. Total for the trip: $124, or $93 with the purchase of 7 gallons of 100LL at $9.53/gal :yikes: for a grand total of $159.71. Subtract the $35 or so the fuel would have cost me anyway and they come out about the same.

Tipton: Overnight $10, so $40 for the trip.

Now, the question is, is it worth $84 to have ATC services on the ground in the SFRA? (and to avoid making the future in-laws drive 40 minutes twice to transport us to/from the airport! :redface:)
 
There's public transportation to Baltimore (and BWI) from Martin State (MTN). MARC rail.
 
Ron Levy said:
And they're going to have to drive to BWI to pick you up anyway, right?
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They're staying at the BWI Mariott too. So, it's right-next-door vs. having to drive.

I decided to bite the bullet and filed to BWI. Convenience + ATC for the SFRA + I've never landed at a Class B primary airport before so I can check that box.

Thanks for all the help!
 
No Biggy...are you coming in IFR? Don't forget the SFRA course if you've not already taken it. I was based at Dulles for years, but I've been in and out of BWI a few times as well.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
They're staying at the BWI Mariott too. So, it's right-next-door vs. having to drive.

I decided to bite the bullet and filed to BWI. Convenience + ATC for the SFRA + I've never landed at a Class B primary airport before so I can check that box.

Thanks for all the help!
Click to expand...

You'll most likely be given 33R/15L. That's the GA runway.
 
At one point FME had a RCO/dial-out system to Potomac. Dunno if it's still there.

BWI controllers will treat you well...
 
flyingcheesehead said:
$ignature BWI: $31 handling, waived w/7 gallons. $41 landing, $13 parking for every 24 hours. Total for the trip: $124, or $93 with the purchase of 7 gallons of 100LL at $9.53/gal :yikes: for a grand total of $159.71. Subtract the $35 or so the fuel would have cost me anyway and they come out about the same.

Tipton: Overnight $10, so $40 for the trip.

Now, the question is, is it worth $84 to have ATC services on the ground in the SFRA? (and to avoid making the future in-laws drive 40 minutes twice to transport us to/from the airport! :redface:)
Click to expand...

:confused::confused:

Did I miss a post or a facebook status update somewhere?????

:cheers:
 
flyingcheesehead said:
$ignature BWI: $31 handling, waived w/7 gallons. $41 landing, $13 parking for every 24 hours. Total for the trip: $124, or $93 with the purchase of 7 gallons of 100LL at $9.53/gal :yikes: for a grand total of $159.71. Subtract the $35 or so the fuel would have cost me anyway and they come out about the same.

Tipton: Overnight $10, so $40 for the trip.

Now, the question is, is it worth $84 to have ATC services on the ground in the SFRA? (and to avoid making the future in-laws drive 40 minutes twice to transport us to/from the airport! :redface:)
Click to expand...

Go to BWI, Go IFR and Pay the fees. 1 year from now you'll never miss the money.
 
drgwentzel said:
Go to BWI, Go IFR and Pay the fees. 1 year from now you'll never miss the money.
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That's what I did. It made things very easy and convenient.

spiderweb said:
You'll most likely be given 33R/15L. That's the GA runway.
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Yup - I landed 33R and departed 15L.

The only thing that was "different" from other busy airports I've been to in the past was that it took seemingly forever to get my clearance on the way out. And I don't mean takeoff clearance - I got out in a hurry, no other planes in line. I mean that when I tuned in clearance delivery, I had to wait for a while to make my call because the controller was busy with an airliner who seemed to be having some sort of issue, and then when I asked for my clearance they told me to "stand by" and I had to wait a while longer, and then halfway through reading it he stopped, told me to stand by again, and then changed it. I think the engine was turning for 20 minutes before I was able to call ground for taxi.

jason said:
:confused::confused:

Did I miss a post or a facebook status update somewhere?????

:cheers:
Click to expand...

Nope - It's not "official" yet but that's about all that's left. :)
 
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