This is killing me!!!

Sorry for the rant.
I just flew into Reno tonight.
As it turns out, Sierra Air Center, the only GA facility on the ramp that
doesn't charge a ramp fee, now charges a $15 parking fee.
Yup, as of Jan 1 there's no more free landing at Reno.
What makes it worse is they said, "There's no fee if you get 15 gallons of
fuel".
That sounded OK to me. I was almost full anyway.
18 gallons of fuel at $3.73 a gallon!
It would have been cheaper if I filled up in Minden and paid the $15 parking
fee.
It's only $2.80/gal in Minden!
I felt violated!

Man, I'm bummed.
I liked to fly into Reno, get some lunch/dinner, practice in class C, etc.
No more.

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

So.. how do you propose these FBO's stay in business, pay for the
lights, the lease, the staff if you don't purchase their service or
products?

Flying is not cheap.. and neither is fuel.. nor is the infrastructure.

I routinely fly other places and not buy fuel. And pretty much without
fail I ask at the desk if there is a fee of some sort for the use of
their facilities... and am grateful that they are in business providing
those facilities.

Dave

mindenpilot wrote:

Sorry for the rant.
I just flew into Reno tonight.
As it turns out, Sierra Air Center, the only GA facility on the ramp that
doesn't charge a ramp fee, now charges a $15 parking fee.
Yup, as of Jan 1 there's no more free landing at Reno.
What makes it worse is they said, "There's no fee if you get 15 gallons of
fuel".
That sounded OK to me. I was almost full anyway.
18 gallons of fuel at $3.73 a gallon!
It would have been cheaper if I filled up in Minden and paid the $15 parking
fee.
It's only $2.80/gal in Minden!
I felt violated!

Man, I'm bummed.
I liked to fly into Reno, get some lunch/dinner, practice in class C, etc.
No more.

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

"Dave S" wrote in message
ink.net...
So.. how do you propose these FBO's stay in business, pay for the lights,
the lease, the staff if you don't purchase their service or products?

Flying is not cheap.. and neither is fuel.. nor is the infrastructure.

I routinely fly other places and not buy fuel. And pretty much without
fail I ask at the desk if there is a fee of some sort for the use of their
facilities... and am grateful that they are in business providing those
facilities.

Dave


I wouldn't mind paying for something that I actually use.
I parked myself.
Tied myself down in an out-of-the-way little corner of asphalt, and was
there for about an hour and half.
$15 would buy me a week of tie-down at Minden.
Besides, as others will verify, they make their money from hangar rentals
and the biz jets.

Actually, I don't even really mind the fee, it was just surprising.
What really gets me is the $3.73/gal.
How can it be $1.00/gal more for fuel at an FBO that undoubtedly has higher
volume than where I get it 30 miles away?
That is the part that is robbery.

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

I wouldn't mind paying for something that I actually use.
I parked myself.
Tied myself down in an out-of-the-way little corner of asphalt, and was
there for about an hour and half.
$15 would buy me a week of tie-down at Minden.
Besides, as others will verify, they make their money from hangar rentals
and the biz jets.

Actually, I don't even really mind the fee, it was just surprising.
What really gets me is the $3.73/gal.
How can it be $1.00/gal more for fuel at an FBO that undoubtedly has higher
volume than where I get it 30 miles away?
That is the part that is robbery.

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III


Ok.. So.. since you are going to have to pay for it..

Pull up in front like everyone else. Let them chock and park you.

The cost is easier to explain. Thats how they make their money.. Either
buy fuel or buy parking.

And its not robbery.. You can choose not to go there and choose not to
buy their fuel at that price.

How much is the cost of convenience?

Dave

How much is the cost of convenience?

Dave


Apparently more than I'm accustomed to ;-)

Adam

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...

What really gets me is the $3.73/gal.
How can it be $1.00/gal more for fuel at an FBO that undoubtedly has
higher
volume than where I get it 30 miles away?
That is the part that is robbery.


100LL is now $4.40-something where I tie down at BED just outside Boston.
Fuel on Martha's Vineyard, which happens to be an island ten miles offshore
where fuel must be tankered in via ferry, is nearly a dollar cheaper. The
reason? BED is run by Massport and they have added a little vigorish to the
fuel bill since BED and BOS are the only easy ways into Boston by air. The
Vineyard (and ACK too) do not mark fuel up because their economies depend on
tourism and GA is a major artery for that.

All I'm saying is it may not be the FBO's fault.

-cwk.

Well, try landing at Cleveland-Hopkins... Last year it was $70 to have
my wheels kiss the concrete... In your case it was a shock because you
"knew" it was free, but now you know different and you need to be
willing to pay the fee, or go elsewhere...
Denny

The highest price I ever paid for fuel was from Piedmont-Hawthorne in (of all
places) Ocala, Florida (Aug 03) . . . $4.23/gal


www.Rosspilot.com

Ok.. So.. since you are going to have to pay for it..

Pull up in front like everyone else. Let them chock and park you.

And let the line-guys over-torque my nose gear? Or bang the elevator into
an adjacent aircraft?

Or, as has happened to me, put a small, but noticeable (and unexplained)
dent in the leading edge of the wing?

No thanks. I'll park and tie down myself every time.

At another airport.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...

Sorry for the rant.
I just flew into Reno tonight.
As it turns out, Sierra Air Center, the only GA facility on the ramp that
doesn't charge a ramp fee, now charges a $15 parking fee.
Yup, as of Jan 1 there's no more free landing at Reno.
What makes it worse is they said, "There's no fee if you get 15 gallons of
fuel".
That sounded OK to me. I was almost full anyway.
18 gallons of fuel at $3.73 a gallon!
It would have been cheaper if I filled up in Minden and paid the $15
parking fee.
It's only $2.80/gal in Minden!
I felt violated!

Man, I'm bummed.
I liked to fly into Reno, get some lunch/dinner, practice in class C, etc.
No more.


If you don't want to pay these fees you can limit your flying to fields
without FBOs.