Ridgeland-Claude Dean (3J1)

Be cautious about landing here just to buy fuel. They'll apparently charge you $40 merely for stopping for self-serve in a piston single. Hilton Head Signature (notorious for price gouging, per AOPA) costs less, and you get a decent lobby, services, a crew car, plus their machine makes a mean mochaccino. If all you need is a fuel stop, 3J0 is a few miles north and a much friendlier field.

The fees are VERY high for a small, rural uncontrolled field with no instrument approaches or other services. Piston singles pay $40 for ramp / landing, piston multis are charged $70, and turbine aircraft get hit with $140. Self serve and full service fuel are available, though the prices run higher than the regional average too. FBO management appears pretty disconnected from the aviation industry.

There seems to be a serious lack of basic aviation knowledge here, including fundamental airport operations and standard practices. The fees are completely unreasonable-more than anywhere else in the region-and honestly have no connection to reality. Hilton Head and Savannah are both less expensive while offering better amenities. I also overheard some distasteful comments about corporate pilots.