"Peter Gottlieb" wrote in message
news
However, at MMU, where I wanted to make a stop for a few minutes to take
one
last look at a cell moveing near my home field, I found out what many of
you
already have learned.

The FBO is Signature; I stopped (place was fairly empty, there was only
one
other plane there that was not tied down), went in, looked at the weather
terminal, called FSS, and went back to the door. Surprise! It was
locked.
I pressed buttons, nothing. Then a lady came to the counter and informed
me
there was a $22 fee for coming there and I could leave as soon as I paid
it.

Yep... MMU has really changed since Signature got their new terminal built
there. They're pretty much hell bent on pricing out all non Jet-A equipped
planes from the market. They've already squeezed out the flight school I
attend (moved to CDW), and with the prices they charge for fuel, it's highly
doubtful that many x-country prop jobs will be stopping there enroute. It's
a real shame. Last year around this time, the pattern was always filled with
single engine Cessnas and Pipers, lots of students coming and going, in and
around the larger biz jets. Now all I see in and out of there are the biz
jets... hardly ever spot a small plane, and I drive past the approach end of
runway 23 every day to and from work.

The one good thing I can say about the field is that the guys who run the
tower are a first-class group. They are always on top of their game, and if
you make a mistake, they work with you to get things sorted out, instead of
berating you like certain controllers at other nearby fields do.
*ahem*cdw*ahem*. I really miss the quality of service that they provide, so
I try to do touch & goes there every once in a while. But I'll never, ever
get fuel from Signature, let alone park on their ramp... their attitude is
that the only people that matter are the ones flying the big jets. They've
got a really sweet deal too from the local government... I think they (or
DM, the airport managers), pay a ridiculously low price of $100k a year to
Morristown... and it's a 99 year lease. There's absolutely no excuse for the
way they treat the smaller guy there except greed. IMO.

--
Guy Elden Jr.