Airport landing fees are acceptable but overflight charges are not. [Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
Private airports often struggle with pilots avoiding payment for landing and parking fees under traditional honor systems.
DeLaurentis Airport implemented an automated billing system, PlanePass, to address non-payment and fund vital airport maintenance and improvements, citing pilot "entitlement."
The new automated system has faced "growing pains," including instances of pilots being erroneously billed for merely overflying the airport, leading to controversy and prompting system adjustments.
If you have been to a private airport, you have probably asked that question. There is often a mailbox in a kiosk, or the pilot is directed to the airport manager’s office. No one is making you pay, as aviation often relies on the honor system.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
