Pilots at A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport in Nacogdoches, Texas, could face a new permit and fee structure if they bring fuel purchased elsewhere onto airport property, but the proposal is not yet in force. The airport advisory board reviewed the plan on October 27 and requested revisions after members questioned its effect on light-sport and other low-volume aircraft owners. AVweb reports on the proposed ordinance
The draft would require a $500 annual permit, a 20-cent-per-gallon fuel-flowage charge, at least $1 million in general liability insurance, fuel records and fueling in designated areas. Fuel bought from the airport’s existing self-service pumps would not require the new permit. The airport currently offers 24-hour self-service 100LL and Jet A, while pilots needing mogas or unleaded avgas would have to obtain those fuels elsewhere.
The cost could be significant for occasional users. AVweb reports that an owner bringing in 200 gallons annually would pay $540 in permit and flowage fees before fuel and insurance costs. City staff were asked to explore tiered fees or exemptions for lower-volume users, and the board has not endorsed a final structure. Plans for the airport to add a tank for unleaded avgas have also been put on hold.
The FAA’s current airport compliance guidance provides the operating context but does not decide whether Nacogdoches’s proposal is acceptable. FAA Order 5190.6C says federally obligated airports must permit aircraft owners and operators to self-fuel, including bringing approved fuel such as ethanol-free premium automotive gasoline to the airport. It also allows airports to impose reasonable safety rules, require fueling in suitable locations and charge the same fuel-flowage fees charged to public fuel providers.
That distinction leaves the proposal’s final requirements unresolved: self-fueling is protected, but the FAA guidance permits safety controls and comparable flowage fees. City staff are expected to return with revised options before the ordinance advances to the City Council.