Visiting new airports: where to park, how to do day/overnight trip?

Park anywhere you want. They will either tell you to move, hand you a bill, or both.
 
Shepherd said:
Park anywhere you want. They will either tell you to move, hand you a bill, or both.
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From someone that has had transients park in my paid tie down spot that is absolutely horrible advice unless you just wanna be "that guy" and don't give a rats ares about anyone else.

DON'T do that. Confirm where you should and should not be.
 
Shepherd said:
Park anywhere you want. They will either tell you to move, hand you a bill, or both.
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Considering there is a small flight school and repair shop right next to the terminal at Watsonville, you will cause some problems if you try that. They are not a 24 hour outfit. It's run by two people, one of whom is the A&P, plus a small gaggle of CFIs.

Don't be a jerk.
 
I just park wherever it is most convenient for me. I then stop into the FBO and ask if my parking spot is okay or where they would prefer me to park. Far more often than not, it is just fine where it is. I also think it is courteous to purchase fuel. I think that makes you more of a welcome guest as opposed to an interloper.
 
Shawn said:
From someone that has had transients park in my paid tie down spot that is absolutely horrible advice unless you just wanna be "that guy" and don't give a rats ares about anyone else.

DON'T do that. Confirm where you should and should not be.
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Stingray Don said:
I just park wherever it is most convenient for me. I then stop into the FBO and ask if my parking spot is okay or where they would prefer me to park. Far more often than not, it is just fine where it is. I also think it is courteous to purchase fuel. I think that makes you more of a welcome guest as opposed to an interloper.
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Proven right again. Someone will tell you what to do.
 
LOL... is this thread still going? One could have flown to about ten airports by now and parked at all of them... :)
 
I wish there were a "Yelp for airports" app/website. Foreflight's comments are a start, but Foreflight isn't free (limiting reviews). This app/website would have to be free.
 
Shepherd said:
Proven right again. Someone will tell you what to do.
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No...not at all.

If you park in the flight school parking at KWVI or in my tie down spot cuz you "park where you want" no one is gonna tell you otherwise unless you confirm that you parked in the right spot. Airport ops does not babysit pilots and the gal at the FBO isn't gonna notice if the mechanics are in another hangar working. You land after hours...there is not a soul to be seen yet a lot of us return in the rentals and to our tie downs at all hours.

"Someone will tell you what to do" is an incredibly irresponsible and irritating statement when we are talking abut someone that is learning proper procedures. Landing and figuring it out is not the issue...putting it on someone else to figure it out and assuming it is not your problem is. I was taught that was part of the flight planning process...if I am parking I know where I am going before I arrive. If a one minute phone call is too much work don't know what to tell ya...
 
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camel said:
I wish there were a "Yelp for airports" app/website. Foreflight's comments are a start, but Foreflight isn't free (limiting reviews). This app/website would have to be free.
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Why? I haven't hit an airport yet that I couldn't tie down the airplane, fill it with fuel, and... yup. That's pretty much the end of the list of "needs".

Anything else is just a "want", and gravy.

Definitely bonus points if there's a non-moron mechanic or two around if the airplane broke, but still not that hard to fix. Fly one in.

And airports are really easy to "thumbs down". If one ever really sucks, there's at least VFR fuel mins in the tanks and while not legal, nor smart, one can usually find fuel somewhere else within that range. If I'm even slightly leery of an airport there'll be much more left in the tanks anyway.

Throttle up, head on down the sky.

No airport that can't provide the basics will last long these days. Don't really need Yelp reviews for word of that to spread like wildfire.

That all said, haven't hit a bad airport yet. A few that were somewhat desolate, but they had self serve pumps. Maybe eyeball the fuel strained a little harder before leaving and don't top off if you think it's been sitting for more than six months, which is also pretty unlikely anyplace where airplanes congregate.
 
Damn. I just land and taxi to parking or fbo. No call necessary. Only been flying three years but i fly alot and have landed at least 100 airports and never had any issues.

90 percent of the time there is someone there to direct. The other 10 percent just use a little common sense.
 
Sometimes I look at the reviews on Airnav.

I used to make a lot of phone calls. Now it's only if I want hangar space.
I was at KSUS a month ago: "Say you're parking", "FBO", "we have thee", "Not Millionaire", "that leaves two", I looked out the window and saw a name, "TacAir", "Taxi to parking"
Perhaps a phone call would have helped, but I was the only plane they were talking to at the time so it was all fine.
 
Shepherd said:
Park anywhere you want. They will either tell you to move, hand you a bill, or both.
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Park on the other side of the red line or next to an F15 and you'll get a lot more than that.
 
Obviously a couple of guys out there who
mark their parking place by ****ing on their tie-down ropes to prevent anyone from touching them. Just for the record, what do you think happens in "your" tiedown when you aren't there? Chances are some transient is using it. And for the record, I'm sitting out the rain in Maine (which was falling on the plane) in someone elses bought and paid for hanger because they are gone for a week, it's empty, and the FBO didn't see any reason the plane I brought in should sit outside all day and night and get wet. It happens a lot.
 
Shepherd said:
Obviously a couple of guys out there who
mark their parking place by ****ing on their tie-down ropes to prevent anyone from touching them. Just for the record, what do you think happens in "your" tiedown when you aren't there? Chances are some transient is using it. And for the record, I'm sitting out the rain in Maine (which was falling on the plane) in someone elses bought and paid for hanger because they are gone for a week, it's empty, and the FBO didn't see any reason the plane I brought in should sit outside all day and night and get wet. It happens a lot.
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When my plane isn't in its tie down spot, the space is empty.

When a transient dude shows up, he parks in the green T's.

Your plane would end up somewhere other than where you parked if you parked it in my tie down spot.

Don't be that guy.
 
Having been to Watsonville and Petaluma in the past three weeks and found them both to have "relatively" clearly marked transient parking areas. FWIW, I like the restaurant at Watsonville.

last time I went to Half Moon Bay, it wasn't as clear or I wasn't paying attention so I just parked far away from everything and everyone. There is no way that I was going to bother anyone. I was also walking into town so the parking area at the far south end was empty and made for a shorter walk.
 
NoBShere said:
Having been to Watsonville and Petaluma in the past three weeks and found them both to have "relatively" clearly marked transient parking areas. FWIW, I like the restaurant at Watsonville.

last time I went to Half Moon Bay, it wasn't as clear or I wasn't paying attention so I just parked far away from everything and everyone. There is no way that I was going to bother anyone. I was also walking into town so the parking area at the far south end was empty and made for a shorter walk.
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Transient for KHAF is right in front of the terminal and 30 Cafe. There is unofficial transient at the South Gate. I don't believe KHAF has paid tie downs, only hangars. Climate is very moist there, and due to unceasing crappy weather, it is not crowded at all.
 
camel said:
I wish there were a "Yelp for airports" app/website. Foreflight's comments are a start, but Foreflight isn't free (limiting reviews). This app/website would have to be free.
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Start reviewing airports and or FBOs on yelp.

If we all do it, there will be a good database.





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I have just parked some place with tie downs. If the airport, fbo, etc al don't like it, they can put up some type of sign, marking etc for transient/temporary tie downs.

If I'm parked in your space, don't yell at me. Yell at the manager or fbo about designating some temp space, and effing mark it.
 
Update after a cross-country flight and TRACON Tour.

Flew from KSQL (San Carlos, CA) to KMHR (Mather, CA). After landing, parking was super easy. The day before I called the airport # in the AF/D, they answered right away and gave me the FBO #. Called the FBO which had a simple policy: buy 10 gallons of fuel or pay a $25 handling fee. We would want 10 gallons anyway, so not bad. On arriving there were two line-guys out already, one who marshaled me into a space (cool!) and another with wheel chocks. The staff at Mather Jet Center were super friendly & helpful, and had us filled-up before we were back. 10/10 would fly and park again :)

Can't wait for the weather to clear for another XC!

As for the TRACON Tour, will try to write something up soon. The summary: impressive facility and the controllers are human, professional, and care greatly about what they do. And get FF -- they really want you on FF.
 
MAKG1 said:
Have you EVER seen ANY permanently installed tiedown where you have any control over where the non-aircraft end is connected?

Jeez, dude. You're really stretching hard here.
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Old post, but KLVK has these.
 
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