What to use for finding good airport info on cross country trips

[cliffy]

What's the best "service" to consult to get good info on tie downs and other services at airports on cross country flights?

Planning some long cross countries and looking for new ideas for airport tie down fees and info to include near by food or hotels. 

Anything new out there ? AOPA Airports is less than helpful, same with Airnav

Who else is there now?

[EricJ]

https://skyvector.com/  has sectionals and can show fuel prices, FBO contact info, etc.   It's a good high-level view.

I often just use google maps to zoom in on a candidate airport and get an idea of where the self-serve tank is, etc., and the icons will usually allow click-through to websites of the FBOs as well as nearby restaurants, hotels, etc.    This is usually my go-to method.

 

[carusoam]

Post your flight plan… and ask MSers….  
-a-

[Mooneymite]

While it might seem time consuming, I usually just call the FBO/airport manager at the planned stops.  The info is up to date and I get answers to my specific questions.  Very often fees and pitfalls are cleverly hidden in the published sources. 

[PeteMc]

Don't know how important time is for your flight.  But if you can spare a few days while enroute, we always try to pick places along the way that we'd otherwise not make it to.  Some for a few hours, most for at least an overnight or maybe a few days.  One year  on our way to Spokane, WA we intentionally made a big loop to the south to go to Santa Fe, NM for a few days, then up to Jackson, WY to see a friend for the day and then the quick hop up to Spokane.  On another flight we stopped at Mt Rushmore, just to see it. 

So Great Circle and pick good fuel stops if you have a mission to get there.  Otherwise, think of someplace to go, then plan the flight.

 

 

[Will.iam]

I use foreflight for the comment section about the airport and then you can click on the fbo and there are separate comments about them as well and foreflight shows gas prices of the fbo as well. My main app to use to find out details plus the fbo number is right there so can click and call to ask anything that hasn’t been brought up in the comments section that i was looking for then i post it in the comment section to help others out. 

[cliffy]

7 hours ago, Will.iam said:

I use foreflight for the comment section about the airport and then you can click on the fbo and there are separate comments about them as well and foreflight shows gas prices of the fbo as well. My main app to use to find out details plus the fbo number is right there so can click and call to ask anything that hasn’t been brought up in the comments section that i was looking for then i post it in the comment section to help others out. 

I'm all android  :-)

[McMooney]

Airnav,  aopa also

[FoxMike]

I use Foreflight and often call the FBO or airport manager if I need additional information.

[PT20J]

Nothing beats calling ahead. The crew car may have broken down this morning. They may have run out of gas yesterday. I used to keep a car at Truckee, CA and fly up from San Jose for a day of skiing. Calling ahead let me know that the plow had broken down and the lot where my car was parked was covered in three feet of snow.

Skip

[A64Pilot]

I have actually arrived to find no fuel. it does happen, calling would have prevented that, but as I wasn’t the one planning the flight I didn’t. Luckily we had enough to get to fuel, from then on a call was made the morning of the flight, because who knows, maybe the truck broke.

[Stan]

Planning a trip out to the west coast now, will use some FBO's / Airports from previous trips, but still use AirNav and Foreflight.  Read all the comments, call and verify.

Look at MS for ideas, alternatives, etc., you never know what might be 50 nm down the route of flight,

[MisfitSELF]

My personal assessment is that www.airnav.com seems to have better and more timely comments than Foreflight but I use both.  Calling the FBO when I've narrowed it down is the best option.

[cliffy]

Still looking at all the options sited here  Lots of good info

[A64Pilot]

I’ve not done it lately, but Airnav would flight plan based on fuel cost. Just looked, it still does