Free Since Opening In 1940, Students, Transient Pilots, and Experts Pushing Back

Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM) just south of Orlando, Florida, might be battening down the hatches as Hurricane Helene approaches, but the heat they are getting is coming from pilots of all stripes, student pilots, and aviation experts. 

This is because the city commissioners unanimously voted on September 17 to adopt a measure to begin assessing landing fees at the airport for the first time since it opened in 1940.

The ordinance sets a fee of $3 per 1,000 pounds of aircraft weight for each landing by transient aircraft. Those based at KISM would be exempt from the fee. More than a dozen people offered public comment at the commissioners’ meeting but they apparently didn’t sway the unanimous vote away from the bill. However, implementation of the fees was delayed until after another public hearing which will be held October 1.

One of the pilots who offered comment was Johnny Baize, whose son was killed in a crash at an uncontrolled airport which he said was a factor in the crash. He told commissioners that the fee might induce pilots to use nontowered airports to maintain currency, which requires three landings within every 90-day period.

He said, “You have a mandatory touch-and-go three landings in order to maintain your license and so each time you come and land it’s going to cost you money. For example, my brother crashed his plane and killed my youngest son two years ago this past March, so if you start putting fees on landings and takeoffs and practice in order to stay current … what’s going to happen is they’re going to go to an uncontrolled airspace and there’s going to be an incident and it’s going to become a problem.”

Commissioner Angela Eady said, “What is the difference in being charged a landing fee, and if you drive a car, and you utilize the 408, the 417, the 429, the Turnpike, you gotta pay to use that road too?”

Airport Director Shaun Germolus told commissioners the airport has limited options for raising additional revenue and that the general reserve fund has been used year after year for cost overruns and local participation in grants. He also noted that airport revenue has not kept pace with inflation.

Aviation organizations and experts say it could set a dangerous precedent across the state (and country) that could lead to safety issues and decrease traffic, leading to an overall worsening of its revenue generation.

FMI:  www.flykissimmee.com/