Europe vs. US flying Part II - Landing Fees
This post is the second in a series co-written with PlasticPilot, the editor of http://www.plasticpilot.net/ . This series compares flying light aircraft in Europe (his point of view) and in US (my point of view). This particular post focuses on taxes and fees. It starts with the European view, the US way is in the second half. A non-negligible part of the flying costs in Europe are the approach and landing fees, sometimes complemented by handling or passengers, or customs fees. There are also en-route taxes for IFR flights, but only if the plane is heavier that 2'000 kilograms. The landing fees at small, un-towered airfields can range from approximately 10 to 50 US$. An ILS approach and landing in Bern (LSZB) costs 60 US$. Some airports even charge for lighting when flying at night. When I trained towards my instruments flying rating, I made a rather complex cost tracking tool, with separated columns for plane rental cost, instructor, fuel and fees. In the end, the fuel represente