I would imagine not. Even the airports with control towers generally do not have them operating 24 hours a day, and the Unicom operators usually have even shorter hours. Without the ability to refuel one's own plane, flying over sparse areas becomes a lot more difficult, and the low traffic rate overnight means it becomes prohibitively expensive to staff.

Yeah, but a lot of airports don't have self-serve fuel regardless. RIU was truck-only until ~2004. Before that, if you flew in after 5 PM, you were SOL. Even once the fuel system went in, it was about a year before it went fully self-service. Always make it a habit to call the airport ahead of time if you anticipate needing fuel, 'cause it ain't always a sure thing.

Most places around here have an after hours number that costs you an extra $50 or so but they'll let you buy fuel. I actually liked getting those calls because the owner let me keep the extra $50.

Wouldn't have worked for me. I lived half an hour away at the time.

I always check the AOPA airport information for my alternates. They have info on not just the airport basics, but also fuel prices and (usually) when self-serve is available. Looking at RIU, if self-serve is available, it's not listed.

BTW, I did do a quick sketch of a plan out there. It's about three hours in the air each way -- which is about $900 in rental fees. Worth contemplating, but probably not to be done on the spur of the moment, especially since RIU appears to have tiedown fees. I find it amusing that turkey are possible obstructions.

Sixteen months, 44 flights, 68.6 hours, and 152 landings later, I have achieved my dream of becoming a private pilot. I can't describe how happy I am right now.

Wow! Congratulations!

Congratulations, dude! That's fucking awesome!

Get your ass on up here to RIU.

Well done, MB! If you find yourself landing at the North Las Vegas airport, let me know so I can hide.

Congratulations! Now, I suppose you don't need that copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator X anymore right?

Congratulations, MB. I am extremely jealous. I've wanted to be a pilot since Northern Exposure.

And it''s another advantage you can use when the zombies inevitably rise.

Yay! That's so cool! Congratulations

Now it's only a matter of time until he is flying F-18s and buzzing the tower!

Congratulations, that is quite the achievement

Congratulations! What are your next plans in the realm of flight?