Inside the Strasser Scheme, the UK aviation safety initiative that encourages pilots to land before it’s too late

When things start going wrong in the air, the safest decision is often the simplest one: land. Yet for decades, UK aviation safety experts have warned that some pilots delay diverting when weather deteriorates or problems develop during a flight.

The Strasser Scheme is a British general aviation safety initiative designed to remove one surprisingly powerful disincentive to making a precautionary landing – the fear of the size of the landing fee.

Under the scheme, participating UK aerodromes agree to waive landing charges when a general-aviation aircraft makes a genuine emergency or unforeseen precautionary diversion.

Its purpose is straightforward – if continuing a flight has become unsafe, a pilot should feel able to land at the nearest suitable airfield without worrying that doing so will result in a substantial and unexpected cost.

The origins of the Strasser Scheme

The origins of the scheme can be traced to a 1997 Civil Aviation Authority review (CAP 667), with the full title of ‘Review of General Aviation Fatal Accidents 1985 to 1994.’

The review identified a number of fatal accidents in which a timely diversion or precautionary landing might have prevented the accident.

More significantly, the CAA identified a cultural problem within UK general aviation in that pilots could be reluctant to divert because they regarded doing so as an inconvenience, particularly when it involved landing at an unfamiliar or commercially operated airport.

The report recommended that aerodrome owners should adopt a policy of making emergency and diversionary landings free of charge for general aviation aircraft.

The recommendation was taken up by Charles Strasser, an aviation campaigner and AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) UK representative.

When it became apparent that the CAA itself would not impose or explicitly implement the recommendation, Strasser undertook the task of persuading individual aerodrome operators to participate.

Thus, rather than being a regulatory scheme imposed on airports, the Strasser Scheme developed as a voluntary agreement between participating airfields and the general-aviation community.

The underlying safety principle is particularly important in light aircraft operations. General aviation pilots regularly operate in circumstances in which weather, fuel state, aircraft serviceability or pilot workload can change unexpectedly.

A forecast that looked acceptable before departure may deteriorate significantly en route. A pilot who discovers that the destination is becoming inaccessible may have several choices – to continue towards it, return to the departure airfield, or divert elsewhere.

If the nearest suitable airport is perceived as expensive or difficult to use, there is a danger that the pilot will postpone the decision until the situation becomes critical.

The Scheme seeks to eradicate the financial consideration

The Strasser Scheme attempts to remove that financial consideration from the equation. The message to pilots is essentially “if you need to divert, divert”.

The scheme therefore complements conventional safety advice about weather minima, fuel reserves, alternate planning and sound pilot decision-making. It does not make a dangerous situation safe, nor does it replace the pilot’s responsibility to select a suitable landing site.

Instead, it removes one avoidable obstacle to making a good decision early.

The distinction between a genuine diversion and an ordinary landing is important. The scheme is intended for emergencies, unforeseen weather diversions and precautionary landings, rather than for pilots who simply want to avoid a normal landing fee.

AOPA has emphasised that abuse could undermine the confidence of participating airfields and threaten the purpose of the initiative. Historical guidance also indicates that AOPA has declined to support claims where the circumstances did not clearly satisfy the scheme’s conditions.

The scheme has consequently depended on trust between pilots, AOPA and aerodrome operators. This is one of its most interesting characteristics.

There is no need for a pilot to carry special insurance or become an AOPA member simply to benefit from the principle.

Instead, the participating airfield has voluntarily committed itself to waiving the relevant landing charge when the circumstances genuinely warrant it.

Charles Strasser also became involved in resolving disputes between pilots and airfields, helping maintain the credibility of the arrangement. Strasser died in June 2024, aged 97.

The acceptance and growth of the Strasser Scheme

The growth of the scheme demonstrates the strength of the concept. By 2008, around 196 airfields were reported to be operating the scheme. In 2014, Belfast International’s participation brought the reported number of participating UK airfields to 206, with only a small number still outside the arrangement.

Charles Strasser’s work was subsequently recognised by the CAA when he received its 2010 General Aviation Safety Award, with the scheme being credited with having a significant influence on general aviation flight safety.

The practical value of the scheme is illustrated by real-world experience. In one case reported by CHIRP (a UK-based flight safety awareness publication), a pilot experiencing deteriorating weather diverted to Aberdeen (ABZ).

Because the airport participated in the Strasser Scheme, the pilot was not charged for the diversionary landing, although fuel was purchased.

More importantly, the pilot later reflected that making the diversion had been the correct decision. Such incidents demonstrate why the scheme matters – the benefit is not primarily the saving of a landing fee, but encouraging a pilot to make a timely safety decision before a deteriorating situation becomes an emergency.

Limitations to the Strasser Scheme

There are, nevertheless, limitations. Not every UK aerodrome has participated, and participation can change over time. The scheme also concerns charges, not necessarily every cost associated with using an airport.

Handling arrangements, parking, out-of-hours services and other charges can potentially remain separate issues. Historical AOPA reporting highlighted cases in which compulsory handling charges created difficulties even though an airport had joined the Strasser Scheme.

The Scheme ultimately exists to promote flight safety

Ultimately, the Strasser Scheme represents a relatively simple but important piece of aviation safety thinking. It recognises that accidents are not always caused by a lack of technical knowledge; sometimes they result from human decision-making under pressure.

A pilot who knows that diverting may cost a large amount of money can be tempted to continue. By removing that financial penalty at participating airfields, the scheme seeks to make the safe decision the easy decision.

For UK general aviation, that is the enduring significance of the Strasser Scheme. It converts a recommendation arising from accident investigation into a practical network of diversion opportunities.

Its philosophy can be summed up simply as: when weather or circumstances make continuing unsafe, land early, land safely, and do not let the fear of the landing fee influence that decision.