How often do charter flights fly into major airports?

[briansommers 74]

In a typical month?

 

I'm talking PC12, B200, Bizjets etc

 

I'm getting some really nice payware airports and I'm trying to use them as realistically as I can. I don't fly regular iron (737/A320 etc) 

 

I know most charter flights generally land at the smaller airports around the majors.

 

Here is another way to word the same question: 

What is the smallest plane I can realistically fly in/out of a major airport? (KORD, KMCO, KTPA, KFLL, KMIA, KSEA, KLAX, KDEN, KPHX, KIAH, KDFW, KBOS, etc)

[stans 703]

What you might want to do is use Flightaware to look at the traffic into and out of your desired airports.  I know many major airports are also home to charter companies, some flying single and twin pistons, many flying turboprops of various sizes and small to business class jets.

 

As to the smallest plane you can fly into or out of a major airport, I doubt you would want to operate an ultralight, but otherwise I guess you can fly whatever you want, but big airports usually have bigger fees for using their runways and ramps.

 

I'm not a real pilot, just a real fan of aviation.

[briansommers 74]

I had been doing that. I also use aircharterguide.com and check via airport. 

 

What I've found so far are jet only operators.  I'm thinking I could run the Phenom 100, Citation S550 etc out of the above.

[Eric Tomlin 10]

Hi Brian

 

I think you'd be surprised at how many of the smaller (private) aircraft do fly into the bigger airports at times when it's convenient for the trip. Almost all of them have a dedicated (and busy) GA ramp. One of the first things I always do is look at the GA Ramp for payware airports to see how well they are modeled because I never fly big iron any more. Check out Google Earth- that will give you a good look at what the presence of smaller birds are at the big airports you are considering. The main drawback for big airports are 1)landing fees and 2) traffic. Since you'r flying in the sim, you really have neither :-). I do realize you want to make it realistic, but dont forget to have some fun too :-)

[JRBarrett 3,070]

I work for a charter operator. While it is true that most flights to major metropolitan areas use airports that primarily cater to business aviation eg: TEB for New York City, BED for Boston, VNY for Los Angeles etc. we do occasionally go into the major airports. Most often when our clients want to catch an outbound international flight, and don't want to have to make a long commute to the major airport from the GA airport.

 

We generally avoid the majors unless there is a good reason to go there, as landing and handling fees, and fuel prices tend to be extremely high.

 

There is generally no performance issue taking a jet or turboprop into a major, as long as it can maintain 160 knots on final approach until the marker - but I think most of these airports would discourage piston singles or twins, with slow approach speeds, as accommodating them would really screw up the traffic flow.

 

Boston is one exception, as they do have a couple of shorter runways specifically intended for smaller, slower aircraft. Because Logan is immediately adjacent to downtown Boston, it is a very convenient destination for those who want to conduct business in the city. A similar situation holds true for Lindbergh field in San Diego - though they did close their short GA runway several years ago.

[Christopher Low 5,353]

Small business jets like the Cessna Citation operate in and out of EGLL London Heathrow, so I'm guessing that means they could operate virtually anywhere!

[el_kab0ng 29]

If it's any consolation, KDFW has an e-jet terminal north of terminal A. I've seen everything from 737BBJs to Bonanzas parked there. I think what it ultimately amounts to is the ramp fees and gas costs at major airports. As an example, most charters in the DFW area prefer either KRBD (Dallas Executive), KADS (Addison Airport), KTKI (McKinney Airport) or KDTO (Denton Airport). I know KADS houses the charter 757 used for the Mavericks, so it's able to handle bigger iron than some (I've seen at least one 737-600 land at KTKI, for example, but that was rare).

[mgh 89]

Small business jets like the Cessna Citation operate in and out of EGLL London Heathrow, so I'm guessing that means they could operate virtually anywhere!

 

That is true but there are restrictions:

 

Operators of General or Business Aviation aircraft may not operate at any time unless

 

(i)                   they obtain prior written permission to do so from the Director of Airside Operations Heathrow Airport Limited; and

(ii)                 they obtain a slot in advance of each movement also from the airport co-ordinator; and 

(iii)                irrelevant of their time of arrival and departure, they operate the movement (departure and arrival) to the approved slot time.

 

Those who fail to comply with (g), (i), (ii), or (iii), are liable to be prohibited from operating thereafter, unless Director of Airside Operations Heathrow Airport Limited is satisfied that the movement amounted to an emergency or other circumstances beyond the control of the operator or the commander of the aircraft.

 

American Airlines reportedly paid Cyprus airlines £18.2 M (US $31M) for a single pair of daily slots at Heathrow last year.

[KevinAu 441]

That is true but there are restrictions:

 

 

American Airlines reportedly paid Cyprus airlines £18.2 M (US $31M) for a single pair of daily slots at Heathrow last year.

That's a little misleading. Slots are granted by an airport's authority. The price you quote is basically an 'underground market' price American paid Cyprus airlines for those slots which they had been granted. If you were to have a need to fly to a slot controlled airport with your little cessna 172, you can certainly do so by following that airport's instructions for notification and be granted a one time slot for that flight. You won't have to pay another airline thirty million dollars for their daily slots to make that flight.

[Christopher Low 5,353]

I'm not sure that you would be allowed to land at Heathrow at any time in a Cessna 172.

[KevinAu 441]

I'm not sure that you would be allowed to land at Heathrow at any time in a Cessna 172.

Why not?

[Christopher Low 5,353]

I was under the impression that small GA planes like that are not allowed at Heathrow, presumably because of the volume of commercial traffic.

[KevinAu 441]

The instructions for GA operators desiring to fly to LHR quoted by mgh don't make any distinction for aircraft type. Traffic volume is accounted for by your designated slot time.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

Heathrow is controlled airspace and a Cessna 172 would have to ask for permission to enter the airspace....chances are they would not give permission.

 

Back in my flight school days in Toronto a controller from Toronto Pearson Airport did the ATC portion of the class and was asked this question about a Cessna landing at Pearson or entering the airspace. He said if the controllers are too busy at the time when a Cessna asked for permission into the airspace they wouldn't reply meaning no....if you asked again they would tell you no in there words. Pretty much the only aircraft allowed in are the traffic helicopters or police helicopters or sometimes media and police use Cessna's as well so they have a reason to be there.

 

I have seen a Cessna 172 landing at Pearson Airport once on runway 26 so yes you could and same goes for Heathrow, turns out the reason for that Cessna 172 landing at Pearson was because they were picking up a pilot from a regional airline to take them somewhere else, would have been expensive to do that.....but the chances are extremely low, and yes you would have to pay a significant landing fee

[Christopher Low 5,353]

From my copy of Pooley's 2010.....

 

"Light single and twin engined aircraft will not be permitted to use the airport"