On 27 Mar 2007 07:05:12 -0700, "Gene Seibel" wrote:

On Mar 24, 7:59 pm, "wise purchaser" wrote:
what has happened? I have been seeing multiple FBO's charging for
using the ramp from 10 to 25 bucks to park per day also RIPPING me
off for fuel. Charging almost 4.50++ a gallon for AVGAS. PLUS county
flowage tax!

http://www.airnav.com/ is your friend. I haven't bought fuel at home
for nearly 2 years. I make a fuel stop on the way out of town and an
hour or so before getting home. Small county and city airports all
over are trying to attract visitors by selling without the big price
markups. Support them and work the free market at the same time.

Unless it's close and at a substantial discount, I can not descend,
land, fuel up, take off and climb back to altitude for what I could
save at the cheapest place within 200 or 300 miles.

Clare 48D is about 20 NW and they used to be almost a buck cheaper
than here. If it was on the way, it was worth stopping However at $90
plus an hour I'll have a good half hour engine time taking off, flying
over getting gas and flying back. Only on long trips do I use 45
gallons and that would just be breaking even. Let's say I flew to PJY
which is a bit over 3 hours. Let's say it took 50 gallons for a
savings of $50 dollars, but that would add about 0.4 hours to the
engine so 90 X 0.4 = 36 or $50 - $36 = $14 saved but I've added a take
off and landing after fueling so after refueling I still have to fly
home and put the plane away. You wouldn't have to drop the difference
to much less than a dollar a gallon before it'd be costing me money to
save a little on gas.

OTOH if I'm just out playing around, or practicing and I practice a
lot then it makes sense to stop off and purchase fuel that is only a
little cheaper. Plus they have free coffee, donuts, and ice cream.

Locally we have little mark up, BUT the city was cheap and didn't put
in large tanks so they can't take a full truck load and that means
they have to pay noticeably more per gallon. When the FBO was selling
gas he had to pay a flowage fee on top of that. Now the city has fired
some one to operate the airport and being it's the city selling the
gas there is no flowage fee, but it's still about 10 cents a gallon
higher than most places near us.
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com