GA into PHL

[ntbjounin]

Ok, so I've done big airports plenty of times, but I haven't been the one paying the bill.

What's the cheapest way to drop someone off at PHL and leave again so they can get to the airline terminal?

Is there a landing fee? I'm sure there are ramp fees for a light twin if I don't get gas... I'm not familiar with PHL, is the terminal anywhere near (walking distance) the GA area? If not, which FBO can drive my pax over to the terminal? yes I'll be airnaving all of this, and making phone calls, but I figured... why start there when Im sure you all can tell me better info than some fbo girl...

the cheaper the better... thanks!

 

[AdamZ]

You only have one choice at PHL thats Atlanic. I think they have a ramp fee as well as a landing fee that might approach or just pass $100. Ted Dupuis from this board has dropped and picked Pax off there a couple of times. If he does not respond send him a PM.

The Atlantic is pretty far from the Commercial terminals but IIRC they have a shuttle that will take the pax over there. Expect RWY 8/26. If you have time and want to grab a soda or bite when your in send me a pm and a few of us POAers can meet you up at KLOM about 10 min flight from PHL. The fuel at LOM will obviously be WAY less than at PHL.

 

[sba55]

I know it was $10 for a landing fee in 2005 and Atlantic waived their fee with a fuel purchase. Not at all a bad airport for GA; nice controllers, too.

-Felix

 

[Rob Schaffer]

Ted may chime in, but he is on his way to Mexico today IIRC. He has done the arrival / departure into PHL many times to pick up and drop off passengers.

 

[Ted]

Did it the other day, in fact. It was a $50 fee in the Aztec. They'll waive it with some fuel purchase that is actually pretty reasonable as I recall, but I just pay the fee when I go.

It's not difficult, you just have to be on the ball and do what they say. Be prepared to get "Maximum forward speed as long as practical." On Wednesday when I went in, I was doing about 190 KIAS on a 4 mile final (after "Maximum forward speed as long as practical"), got told to slow down for jet traffic ahead, and then got it slowed and down on the numbers.

As to cheapest way? I think that by the time you go someplace else and get a taxi to PHL, the cost savings is about a wash, and the extra time spent eats up whatever cost savings you might have had. I'd just fly into PHL.

Have fun.

 

[Everskyward]

You only have one choice at PHL thats Atlanic. I think they have a ramp fee as well as a landing fee that might approach or just pass $100.

I know it was $10 for a landing fee in 2005 and Atlantic waived their fee with a fuel purchase.

Did it the other day, in fact. It was a $50 fee in the Aztec. They'll waive it with some fuel purchase that is actually pretty reasonable as I recall, but I just pay the fee when I go.

Ramp fees at FBOs are often based on the size or weight of the the aircraft. That is why you see such a disparity. I would think that the fee for the Aztec would be the closest to Allen's "light twin" that he was asking about.

 

[Ted]

Ramp fees at FBOs are often based on the size or weight of the the aircraft. That is why you see such a disparity. I would think that the fee for the Aztec would be the closest to Allen's "light twin" that he was asking about.

My thought as well.

 

[Aztec Driver]

Early this year in the Twinkie it was somewhere around $50 total. The shuttle will take them to the terminal and drop them at the appropriate place for "free." They will loan you a crew car if you want to get lunch. They have a reasonable pilot lounge, in case you want to stay and relax a little. Nice folks, just not cheap. As said before, you might want to be ready for fast and furious, depending on what time of day you arrive. Not unusual for "maximum forward speed." At least you usually don't have to mix it up with the big iron on their runways too often. I don't believe they will ever land you on 8, though.

 

[gprellwitz]

Early this year in the Twinkie it was somewhere around $50 total. The shuttle will take them to the terminal and drop them at the appropriate place for "free." They will loan you a crew car if you want to get lunch. They have a reasonable pilot lounge, in case you want to stay and relax a little. Nice folks, just not cheap. As said before, you might want to be ready for fast and furious, depending on what time of day you arrive. Not unusual for "maximum forward speed." At least you usually don't have to mix it up with the big iron on their runways too often. I don't believe they will ever land you on 8, though.

Why not? It certainly looks as if it is most convenient to the GA ops and would therefore avoid runway crossings. Do they just not use that runway due to operational considerations?

 

[Ted]

Why not? It certainly looks as if it is most convenient to the GA ops and would therefore avoid runway crossings. Do they just not use that runway due to operational considerations?

Pretty much. The preferred landing runway is 26, which doesn't get in the way of any of the 17/35 traffic. Typically I'll land on 26 and depart 35 intersection kilo. Although the other day the winds were favoring the 8/9LR runways, so they landed me on 35, and had me take off on 8.

 

[AcroBoy]

I went there in my Baron- it looked like a kid's toy on the ramp compared to the heavy iron. Still got the same level of service, which was courteous and businesslike. My plane was the cheapest out there by a factor of 20. Controllers were great and did not treat me like an annoyance- was not a problem at all, even when departing and arriving with a lot of vectors and an approach.