Refueling in the Channel Islands

A picture worth a thousand pireps

I asked around and got this re refuelling on Jersey:

There is no fuel on the grass currently – you need to taxi to stand 20 after pre booking fuel with ATF who will drive to meet you at stand 20 and fuel for you when they are not busy fuelling commercial flights

I asked for a clear answer whether grass can be avoided. Didn’t get one; got this

I guess you would need to pay landing fee somehow – best to ring Synergy (small planes) for handling/advice on paying fees – but fuel is defo on stand 20 only and there is no fuel available on the grass

Just got this

I have known aircraft to arrive go straight to 20 to refuel and pay the landing fee over the phone with Synergy and then depart again.

So if @Mooney is still around, this may be of interest.

We did not refuel the C182 at Jersey as the next leg was just a short hop over to Caen. However the Piaggio topped the tanks and had to taxi to the other end to get fuel. No fueling at the grass parking. The grass parking was ok for the C182, but the heavyer Piaggio did sink a bit into the ground over two nights but also taxied out on its own.The grass was much shorter that on the picture above. The ground was a bit uneven.

Handling via the aeroclub was ~£35 for the C182 (1406 kg MTOW) and ~£42 for the Piaggio (1800 kg+ MTOW). Very good service.

This was our first visit to Jersey, so we do not have any reference to compare with.

Peter wrote:

There is no fuel on the grass currently – you need to taxi to stand 20 after pre booking fuel with ATF who will drive to meet you at stand 20 and fuel for you when they are not busy fuelling commercial flights

I wonder why they find it necessary to make sure a potential customer feels subordinate to some other customer in their introductory email? It shows a pathetic lack of business sense. Also why would a subordinate, second tier customer (by their own description) need to “pre-book” given that he will be serviced as and if time allows? Here’s how it could be worded:

“There is no need to refuel on grass, stand 20 is available and that’s where we refuel. Be advised that on occasion timely refueling of other scheduled service aircraft creates a short delay given limited staff, but if you are able to advise our fuel supplier when you’ll need refueling it may help to avoid any issue. We look forward to your visit and to serving your needs”

What is it about basic business skills that is so hard for these people and others like them to absorb? Are they simply addicted to creating heirachy and divisions, or do they just get a thrill from insulting potential customers even if it costs them money? They would disqualify themselves from consideration if I had received that email.

We ask this question here on EuroGA so many times. Why Why Why Why Why Why, etc. The list is endless and most people have no idea. If somebody knows, they are sure not saying because very few people on an international forum are critical of their own country

In the case of EGJJ it is probably a mixture of the usual basic unwillingness to tackle issues (GA is mostly each man out for himself), certain companies (GAMA?) wanting to keep piston GA out, the airport wanting airline traffic first because it is easy money. Historically, decades ago, Jersey was the busiest airport in the “UK”, with more movements than Heathrow! That was when Brits were poor, a backhander in the form of a holiday in Benidorm would secure a planning permission for a house extension, and this was a perfect summer holiday

@mooney see if you can spend a bit of time on Alderney. You will love it.

Silvaire wrote:

What is it about basic business skills that is so hard for these people and others like them to absorb? Are they simply addicted to creating heirachy and divisions, or do they just get a thrill from insulting potential customers even if it costs them money?

I honestly don’t know, but I can say without a doubt that I have never known businesses so eager to turn paying customers away as some British airfields/airfield based businesses. (Some are excellent of course, but there are too many who seem to do everything they can to deter paying customers from coming and giving them money. It’s mind boggling).

I always went to Jersey on the way UK/France, it’s hassle free, they regularly allowed proper “tech fuel stops” without even having my fat Mrs to go landside: fuel and fly !

Jersey is regularly used by airliners & training but they can cope with light GA visits, EGJB and EGJA are very nice as well if one is looking to visit the islands (England sauvage from 200 years ago), however, when it come to quick stop for fuel or convenience I always went to Jersey (obviously, taxi and parking on grass is not an issue for me, even takeoff & landing is not an issue if it’s not too muddy)

What is the point of a fuel truck if you must be on X spot to be refuelled ?
What is the point of a grass apron which aircraft must use but the fuel truck can’t ?

It’s silly arrangements but maybe someone has to pay for it? at LeTouquet the refueller comes to aircraft but he charges +0.8€/L vs self-service Total for Avgas, they also charge the same for JetA (which makes it +100% of price), with GAMA in Jersey, they have their own bowser who comes to the aircraft but they will quote 80£-200£ depending on the moon & the sun…I would still prefer taxi to stand 20 in Jersey (or stand 14 in Brest) than having to pay 150£ for the truck to come to the aircraft

PS: calling trucks is a nightmare with JetA, AFAIK most places run by BP/WF regularly charge minimum 50£ flat fee for moving trucks, we got billed 295£ once at Lille by WF but we got it refunded, lesson learned: use credit card to get consumer protection and you know what you ate paying for, JetA self-service pump is not possible with Cards, maybe except few airports (Toussus & LaBaule)