Hey all quick question,

I am about to take my first cross country as a PPL with my girlfriend. The trip will be about 100 miles round trip, so nothing huge. Since I haven't flown and tied down the aircraft at any other airport but my training airport, I am a bit nervous about the procedures of finding parking etc.

How will I know where I can tie-down my airplane? Will it cost me? Will I be taxiied in by a ramp agent using hand signals? There are several FBOs on the field at KOTH so that also makes it a bit difficult to decide wat to do.Any and all information (or a place to find information) in regards to this subject would be GREAT!

Thanks all,

Kevin

 

Give each of the FBOs a call and ask them. They have the answers.

 

Seems "Ocean Air" is the place to go at KOTH. Looks like a pretty nice place.
AirNav: Ocean Air Aviation at Southwest Oregon Regional Airport

Call ahead, give them a heads up you're coming. When you arrive, tell them roughly when you'll be back, can save you the headache of returning an hour later to find your plane has been tugged to the other end of the ramp to make space.

 

Many smaller airports have very reasonable public tie-downs for transients. The FBO's don't usually charge much for light airplanes either, maybe free if you buy gas.

There are a few places (like LAS) where tiedown is $400+...regardless of your gross weight. So it's worth asking the question before you go.

 

Yeah, and if you're not sure how to get where you're supposed to go, just ask Tower. "Hey, I'm supposed to go to [wherever] but it's my first time here." They'll guide you without any problem.

 

Did a XC from BOI to SUN and had tower give me progressive taxi to the FBO. Was guided in at the FBO to a parking spot. Stayed just long enough to do a return flight plan and headed back to BOI. Didn't pay any tie down fees due to the short stay. Not sure if I had stayed long enough to go and get lunch if I would've had to pay then.

 

Pretty much what everyone else has said. When I go to a new AP I...

-Always call ahead and get their hours of operation, do they have fuel, is fuel available after hours, how much is it and how much is tie down and or landing fee (they are different), anything I should know about landing there(some places will have strange stuff going on), double check their unicom freq. In my early days flying I landed at an FBO that I had called ahead and their fuel pumps were down. Now I never take for granted that fuel is available and always ask. Also if it is a night flight I ask about runway lighting. One AP I go to in Ohio is hit or miss whether the lights are powered up. I always call ahead to make sure they leave the switch on.

-Always have the airport diagram printed out (aopa) and on your kneeboard. I breif it just like I would an approach. You don't want to wait until you are stopped on the runway to figure out where you are going. If it is a towered AP you can get instruction, if it is non-towered you are on your own.

-I try to call the FBO when I am 10-20 miles out and let them know that I am comming. Most of the time they will either tell you where to park or have someone out there to direct you.

-Don't rush or try to wing it to impress your passanger. If there is any doubt about what you are doing or where you are going, ask. Better to be humble than unsafe.

 

If you know you're going to be moved or re-fueled, some pilots like to be there when that happens. Just to make sure you're getting 100LL not JetA, the fuel caps are reseated properly (preventing rain) and that any towing limits are observed You could hork a Mooney to the tune of 7K if you rotated the nose wheel outside of it's "towing limit".

I've been marshaled by FBO line guys at every airport I've been to except College Park, MD.

ps. Didn't you stop "off base" during you long PPL x-cty?

 

Flight planning doesn't end with the time of landing and your fuel state... you should have an airport diagram, know where the FBO is, and where they plan on parking you all ahead of time. Asking for a progressive is pretty unproffesional and like saying "I didn't care to look it up ahead of time"... in most cases.

 

Could not disagree more, you're right in that you should try and do your homework ahead of time but what if you can't? What if you divert? What if you are flying a last minute charter?

Nothing is more unprofessional than trying to pretend like you know where you are going then cause a runway incursion. If you happen to be in the situation where you are not sure, ASK!!!!!