Airport landing fees are acceptable but overflight charges are not. [Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
Many private airports, struggling with non-payment of landing and parking fees under an honor system, are adopting automated billing technologies.
DeLaurentis Airport (KOKH) implemented Vector PlanePass, an automated system using ADS-B data to bill aircraft, but has experienced initial glitches, including erroneous charges for pilots who only overflew the airport.
While FAA policy permits landing fees, charges for overflying an airport are not authorized, and pilots incorrectly billed are advised to dispute the charges with the service provider, airport management, or AOPA.
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.
