any advice on a miami airport?

[rbridges]

I've got a buddy that just got his PPL a few months ago.  He is chomping at the bit for me to fly down to miami with him.  I have an instrument rating, but to be honest, some of the miami airports look like a nightmare to taxi.  I'm leaning towards Boca Raton.  We're going to rent a car anyway, and Boca seems like a much simpler airport.  Any suggestions?   Thanks in advance.

[FoxMike]

Better call the FBO and get an estimate on fees you will be charged.

[gsengle]

Fort Lauderdale Executive

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[Piloto]

Just now, gsengle said:

 

Fort Lauderdale Executive

 

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+1 KFXE has lower fuel prices more FBOs. Banyan has a big Pilot Shop on the ramp. And a restaurant on the same ramp.

José 

[Hector]

I've got a buddy that just got his PPL a few months ago.  He is chomping at the bit for me to fly down to miami with him.  I have an instrument rating, but to be honest, some of the miami airports look like a nightmare to taxi.  I'm leaning towards Boca Raton.  We're going to rent a car anyway, and Boca seems like a much simpler airport.  Any suggestions?   Thanks in advance.

Tamiami airport (KTMB) is not bad at all. That's where I always go when visiting Miami. I park at Air Sal. Just $15 a day and they will waive first night with a fuel purchase. They are on the north side of the field next to the self-serve so it is convenient for that too. It's a busy GA airport but controllers are friendly (lots of training going on). You will have to call clearance delivery when ready to depart and tell them what spot you are on. Every access to a taxiway is numbered (large number painted right on the ramp). That's your spot number. Listen to the ATIS carefully. No big deal.

[Jeev]

OPF - Opa Laka was quick and painless.  I have flown into the Signature there a few times and though I don't remember the prices off hand they were not out of line for being that close to the city.  Taxing was never an issue.  Any of the above options are good but I have found flying into an airport and paying a little more is worth it to be close to the destination...  Either way enjoy Miami and make sure to eat some good cuban food for me... Man I miss it

[Hector]

OPF - Opa Laka was quick and painless.  I have flown into the Signature there a few times and though I don't remember the prices off hand they were not out of line for being that close to the city.  Taxing was never an issue.  Any of the above options are good but I have found flying into an airport and paying a little more is worth it to be close to the destination...  Either way enjoy Miami and make sure to eat some good cuban food for me... Man I miss it

OPF is convenient too but more expensive. Gas is at least $2 more per gallon. I've used Fontainebleau for an FBO there and they charged both a nightly and landing/ramp fee if I recall. Nice folks though.

[Mcoyne34]

All the airports down that way are busy. I'd shoot for FXE though. A bit further away from all the traffic at MIA and it's still a quick drive down to Miami. If gas prices were a concern, don't think you mentioned that, I got the prices off fore flight. 

[Mcoyne34]

Northern most airport is FXE and southern most is TMB. 

[Ftlausa]

I have landed at all the ones mentioned, and all are good options. I hangar at FXE, so I am partial and most familiar with it.  I think it comes down to where you want to be.  Tamiami is pretty far south and west unless that is where you want to be.  

[David Mazer]

I fly down that area, at least the northern portion of your possibilities, pretty regularly and never go to Boca.  The ramp fees are steep and the gas prices are high.  I'm pretty sure they don't want pistons there.  FXE has the better gas prices but taxiing there is complicated.  PMP has the friendliest FBO and self serve gas that isn't too bad on the west side of the ramp and then you can park on the east side.  In and out is pretty easy but the IFR departure to the north is a little weird (090 over the ocean for about a mile, 300 until west of PBI, then 360 for about 30 miles to intercept V3) but only adds a few min to the flight.  I always have to wait for IFR departure a few min at any of them.  MIA seems to be a little busy or their slower than most at releases.  Enjoy the flight where ever you land.

[Mooneymite]

Aside from cost, pick a location near where you have business.  Miami road traffic can be awful!

[Brandontwalker]

I flew into KHWO a few weeks back. The amenities are awful, but I was only at the airport long enough to call for a ride with Uber. It was a 25-30 minute ride to downtown Miami with traffic.

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[rbridges]

thanks.  great insight.  I'll have to ask exactly where we're heading.  That may influence where we land.

[Mooneymite]

KMIA looks complicated, but controllers make every effort  to put general aviation on the north runway.  Taxi in/out is very simple since Signature is right there.  Bring your wallet.

[Bob_Belville]

If you do not have SafeTaxi on a GPS and it's complicated don't hesitate to ask ground for "progressive". In my experience controllers would far rather give strangers turn by turn than have to wandering around on their busy airport.

I used to fly to the Gold Coast a lot. KPBI and KTMB were good choices back in the '80s. (There must be a dozen 9-27 runways in those three counties. More than a few pilots have found themselves taxiing in on the wrong airport.) 

[FloridaMan]

I flew into MIA last year for the boat show. I figured it as amounting to $76 at Landmark, no matter how you sliced it. Either you take on your 7 gallons of fuel or you pay your handling fees. There's also a small landing fee at MIA that's included in all of that. You'll need to verify this before going. I was on the lookout for heavy inbound/outbound traffic as I was worried about encountering wake turbulence. Also, when flying into FBOs that deal with lots of VIP arrivals and departures, they really appreciate it if you call ahead and at least express an interest in avoiding a conflict with a VIP arrival/departure schedule. Last I checked, their overnights for piston singles was only $10/night. I was advised that Saturdays are the best day to fly into MIA. The guy at Landmark referred to Saturdays as "piston day" as their major arrivals come in Sun-Wed with departures going W-F. 

The only sortof weird thing that I had never heard before was they give you a heads up on "easterly/westerly" landing to advise you on which way you can expect to land since all of those parallel runways run east/west. 

[Piloto]

2 hours ago, Mooneymite said:

Aside from cost, pick a location near where you have business.  Miami road traffic can be awful!

Very true.

[Seth]

I landed and stayed 7 days at BOCA and negotiated a discounted rate by phone prior to arriving as the rate was redicoluous and I let the FBO know my meeting I was in town for was in thei me class delta airspace but it made more sense for me to land at an airport to the north and drive down.  They gave me a much better rate and a fuel discount!  

 

I flew into TMB last time as it was again closest to where I needed to be.  

 

Call ahead and get ramp rates / security fees / fuel minimums, etc.

 

-Seth

[Mike A]

I always flew into KOPF when I was going to Miami for work.  Fontainebleau is $20/night and they will wave the first night if you take gas, which includes self-serve.  Only downside is that SS is still like $7/gal.  I started just ferrying fuel and paying the fee.

If you want to venture into KMIA and can ferry your own fuel and handle your own transportation, there is the General Aviation center located at the Custom's ramp.  Landing fee was $26 last time I heard, but no other fees.  However there are also no other services.  Here is the link:  http://www.miami-airport.com/mia_airport.asp

[FloridaMan]

3 hours ago, Mike A said:

I always flew into KOPF when I was going to Miami for work.  Fontainebleau is $20/night and they will wave the first night if you take gas, which includes self-serve.  Only downside is that SS is still like $7/gal.  I started just ferrying fuel and paying the fee.

If you want to venture into KMIA and can ferry your own fuel and handle your own transportation, there is the General Aviation center located at the Custom's ramp.  Landing fee was $26 last time I heard, but no other fees.  However there are also no other services.  Here is the link:  http://www.miami-airport.com/mia_airport.asp

Do you know if they allow overnights there? 

Edited May 31, 2016 by Antares

[N9453V]

6 minutes ago, Antares said:

Do you know if they allow overnights there? 

Yes, MIA is $10/night last I checked. Easy in and out, you'll land 8L or 26R. $26 landing fee, but at OPF I was quoted an overnight fee of $50/night.

 

-Andrew

Edited May 31, 2016 by N9453V

[Mooneymite]

As I understand it, MIA's GAC is just a "stop and drop" ramp..... no overnighting provisions.  If you want to overnight, the choices are, Signature, Signature, or Signature! 

Signature collects the $25.40 landing fee, a once-per-visit facility fee $40 (small single), and a $5 security fee and $10/night overnight fee. The facility fee can be waived with a healthy load of nearly $9/gal avgas.  While MIA GAC likes for singles to use MIA, Signature apparently doesn't want small stuff cluttering its ramp.  You best check all this out, my memory is somewhat unreliable.  You may be able to sweet talk a reduction in the facility fee.

[FloridaMan]

I sometimes travel with a crew that operates numerous aircraft, including a Gulfstream 550. When I'm by myself in my Mooney, I do my best to carry myself like an aviation professional. It's not uncommon for the guys who make the decisions for the VIP operators to fly around in their own personal piston singles and the FBOs know this. 

[Oscar Avalle]

I used Tamiami. Nice airport, Location OK and not to expensive.

 

Oscar