Lancaster PA FBO Recommendations

[Dan Smith]

If the weather stays reasonable we may fly to LNS on Thursday instead of our usual destination of THV. The AOPA aircraft directory lists three FBOs at LNS: Airways, Aero-Tech, and Tower Aviation. Any recommendations? We'll be getting a rental car, and are looking for the best convenience / cost balance.

Dan

 

[Ed Guthrie]

If the weather stays reasonable we may fly to LNS on Thursday instead of our usual destination of THV. The AOPA aircraft directory lists three FBOs at LNS: Airways, Aero-Tech, and Tower Aviation. Any recommendations? We'll be getting a rental car, and are looking for the best convenience / cost balance.

I haven't experienced Tower so I have no comparison between Tower and Airways. I will tell you that Airways has a great, and I mean truly great, pilot shop.

Aerotech isn't an FBO, it's a pilot training center and charter operation.

 

[AdamZ]

Dan, What are you going for? Just to fly somewhere? If so go to the west ramp and eat at the restaurant and get fuel from Airways and visit its awesome pilot shop. If you comming in for some other reason I second Eds comments.

 

[Dan Smith]

Dan, What are you going for? Just to fly somewhere? If so go to the west ramp and eat at the restaurant and get fuel from Airways and visit its awesome pilot shop. If you comming in for some other reason I second Eds comments.

We're going down to York for Thanksgiving to visit the inlaws. We'll probably arrive Thursday am and return Saturday, and are just looking for parking with rental car availability.

(Edited: well, it looks like we'll be going to THV (Thomasville/York) after all, since Airways says they're closed on Thanksgiving. York Aviation at THV is also closed, but will leave a rental car for us on the ramp. Thanks for the advice anyway!)

Dan

 

[AdamZ]

Hmmm well Dan can't tell ya anything more than Airways has an awesome pilot shop and the folks are generlly friendly. I'd check AirNav for prices.
But out of curiosity if your going to York why not fly into York?

 

[Dan Smith]

Hmmm well Dan can't tell ya anything more than Airways has an awesome pilot shop and the folks are generlly friendly. I'd check AirNav for prices.
But out of curiosity if your going to York why not fly into York?

We're actually going to Red Lion, PA, which is about the same from either. Also, LNS has an ILS, while THV doesn't. However, we're going to THV anyway now since we can't get a car at LNS on Thanksgiving.

Dan

 

[Ed Guthrie]

However, we're going to THV anyway now since we can't get a car at LNS on Thanksgiving.

Dan

I might be mistaken, but I believe you can rent Avis or Hertz at the main terminal building at LNS. IOW, Airways isn't the only rental car option at LNS, there are rental car counters in the airline terminal building. Aircraft parking is just outside the terminal building.

Whether those counters are open or not on Thanksgiving Day is yet another question. I suspect they are, atleast to meet the US Airways commuter flights. Here are the contact #'s and info if you want to confirm whether or not you could get a car at LNS:

Hertz -

Lancaster Airport 500 East Airport Road
Suite G Lancaster(Lititz), Pennsylvania 17543
United States Phone: 717-569-2331

Fax: 717-394-6937 Location Type: Independent LicenseeHours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0800-2000, Sa 0900-1700, Su 1200-2000

Avis -

Lancaster Municipal Airport - LNS
500 Airport Rd, Suite K, Lititz, Lancaster, PA 17543 , U S A
(1) 717-569-3185
Sun 12:00PM-08:00PM
10:00PM-10:30PM; Mon-Fri 08:00AM-08:00PM
10:00PM-10:30PM; Sat 09:00AM-05:15PM

If you need fuel on Thanksgiving Day it is available 24/7 6 nm SE of LNS at Smoketown (S37) via credit card access.

 

[Dan Smith]

I might be mistaken, but I believe you can rent Avis or Hertz at the main terminal building at LNS.

Thanks Ed, I'll look into this.

Dan

 

[Anthony]

I might be mistaken, but I believe you can rent Avis or Hertz at the main terminal building at LNS. IOW, Airways isn't the only rental car option at LNS, there are rental car counters in the airline terminal building. Aircraft parking is just outside the terminal building.

I think you can also. If not, Enterprise will leave a car at most small airports. I use them when I fly into N47 or N99 to visit our property in Chester County. Just recently the FBO at N47 gave me a courtesy car instead.

BTW, I learned to fly at Airways when they used to have a flight school, but that was a looong time ago. Their pilot shop is the best I've seen.

 

[RotaryWingBob]

I might be mistaken, but I believe you can rent Avis or Hertz at the main terminal building at LNS.

You're right, Ed. My wife and I were there Sunday, and at least one of the rental companies (I didn't pay attention to which one it was) had their counter manned (or actually, womanned).

 

[grattonja]

If you do elect to come into LNS on TG day, and need fuel, Tower has self serve 100LL. Tower Aviation is just east of the terminal building. Basically, you taxi Eastbound past the terminal (or westbound to just before the terminal) and turn down towards the fence, past some parked airplanes. The self serve pump is down on the fence at the end of the row of parked planes. I second Ed's observation that there are rental cars in the terminal, but also don't know if they will be open on TG.

Jim G

 

[Dan Smith]

Thanks all (particularly Ed). I called Hertz at the number they gave me, and while they will be closed Thanksgiving day they said that they'd be more than happy to leave a car either in their lot or at Airways. They also said I could notify them up to the last minute on Wednesday and they'd get one for me. Nice folks!

Fuel won't be an issue since we're flying out again on Saturday, and everyone is open then.

Now we just have to keep an eye on the weather. The general holiday tradition is for icing conditions at Burlington on the day we want to return, potentially trapping us indefinitely with the in-laws. In those cases we drive down!

Dan

 

[grattonja]

Sounds like you do the opposite trip to me. I live down here and the folks live in the flight pattern for Rutland. I've experienced escaping from icing on a couple of occasions up there. Swore off winter IMC around those hills. Haven't been up to BTV yet...

Jim G

 

[Dan Smith]

Sounds like you do the opposite trip to me. I live down here and the folks live in the flight pattern for Rutland. I've experienced escaping from icing on a couple of occasions up there. Swore off winter IMC around those hills. Haven't been up to BTV yet...

Jim G

It would probably be easier for all of us if we just swapped relatives.

Dan

 

[Ed Guthrie]

It would probably be easier for all of us if we just swapped relatives.

Dan

I would feel that I took advantage of someone, but I could get over it.