Airport landing fees are acceptable but overflight charges are not. [Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
Private airports often struggle with pilots not paying landing and parking fees, leading some, like DeLaurentis Airport (KOKH), to adopt automated billing systems.
DeLaurentis Airport implemented Vector PlanePass, which uses ADS-B data to identify aircraft and bill owners for landing ($20-$30) and parking ($10-$20) fees, replacing an often-ignored honor system.
The new automated system has faced "growing pains," including erroneous bills sent to pilots who only overflew the airport, sparking complaints, although AOPA confirms that landing fees are legal but overflight charges are not.
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.
