Trained Attack Line Guy

[400A]

Maybe he did not like the fact that you called in for a quick turn, the staff hustled and got you knocked out, but then you had the time to kick back and eat your lunch in the FBO. Exactly what is your definition of a quick turn? Quick turn with a time for a sit down lunch padded in? I've never heard of that. I've always thought quick turns were for going right back out, not leaving in a hour or two.

By no means am I suggsting this guy was in the right, but you were out of line as well abusing a courtesy that most FBO provide. It's actions like this that start the FBOs charging for things that use to be free. He should have approached this in another fashion.

Who said anything about leaving in an hour or two. Where did you dream that up? And if you call eating a sandwich in less than 5 minutes padded in, then yep I did it.

By the way . it takes about 15 minutes for 2 guys to fuel the Beechjet. This guy did it buy himself, which will almost always get you an imbalance in the Beechjet.

In answer to your question, my definition of a quick turn is fuel truck standing by, fuel it, pay for it crank it! Never met a Sandwich I could not eat in that amount of time.

Any more questions?

 

[400A]

What was their (management) response about this idiot?

Both the General Manager and the Owner have contacted me. They both seemed honestly upset and said his behavior was unacceptable. They both also thanked be for letting them know. I was told they would follow up with me in a few days.

 

[TWA]

Ok, just to let you know, I work for a VERY small FBO in Ohio; 2 locations, but still samll. At the most, we will have a one maybe two jets/turbines stop through a week. We have no fuel trucks, and our fuel is advertised as self serve. Only one line guy works at a time, and a girl to answer the phone in the summer during select hours only. It's kinda sort of a family business.

I have been doing this whole line guy thing for about 5 years now, give or take. On one hand I can count the times I have been tipped just for out of the ordinary service. I have, however, given many CS/NJ/FLOPS pilots rides to the local holiday inn, which I do get tipped for every time (it's normally midnight, and we don't have the most reliable cab service in town). Don't get me wrong, I don't ask for a tip and don't make it seem as though it is required, I have just always received one for gas.

For what we have to work with at the FBO, we do our best. The line guy almost always pumps the "self serve" fuel, unless the owner insists on doing it himself. It is standard practice to help everyone with their bags and pull rental cars around to aircraft. When there is a jet or turbo prop, we always assist helping PAX off the plane and loading their luggage. Ice, coffee, fax, print, and internet are all free. Quick turns, as rare as they are, are done as quick as possible with what we have. Tips are VERY rare, and all of the line guys are taken but surprise when they are given. Feel free to stop by I19 sometime.

The other night I was at Quaker Steak & Lube (hot wing place if you aren't familiar with it) with a group of about 7 guys. When we got our checks, the graduity was already added in. I payed with credit, and on that receipt there was a line for "Additional Tip". My additional tip was "Don't add graduity". It was a smart a$$ thing to write, but I always get pi$$ed off when people add graduity.

Quick question: How does one man fueling a BE40 creat an imbalance? I know they're a pain in the a$$ (we don't have single point), but they aren't that bad.

 

[400A]

As you fuel one wing at a time will cause the aircraft to lean, not allowing the low wing to hold all of the fuel. It can often short you a couple hundred pounds. An uneven ramp will do the same. No big deal unless you need the fuel.

 

[Princedietrich]

Hey TWA, say hi to the Colonel for me. We go way back.

 

[h25b]

As you fuel one wing at a time will cause the aircraft to lean, not allowing the low wing to hold all of the fuel. It can often short you a couple hundred pounds. An uneven ramp will do the same. No big deal unless you need the fuel.

The only complaint I have with quick turning out to the west coast through Flower Aviation @ SLN. That ramp is very uneven and even refueling single point we end up 200-250 lbs. short, which in a Lear 31A trying to get out to LAS (or further) in high winds is a very big deal.

I got on the radio once and told them we're not parking where they're marshalling us to and they were sorta miffed. The old just because they've never heard of it before you must be nuts routine..

 

[TWA]

Hey TWA, say hi to the Colonel for me. We go way back.

Will do. He'll probably be giving me a check ride in a month or two.:beer:

 

[ELVISP]

I keep it simple, I tip everyone...$20 each. Fuel? $20, Papers and coffee? $20, Pass by in the line service golf cart and ask how i'm doing? $20. Give me directions to the wrong hotel? $20. Then I'm not always looking to break a bill to give someone $3. lol BTW...tipping has gotten out of control.

 

[Thedude]

There was one charter for a baseball team, I won't say the name but the initials were Seattle Mariners, who somehow managed to crap 9000 pounds of cargo into a 727-100. They had a suitcase, gear bag, and golf clubs for each person in addition to all the team equipment. These guys even carried a full set of freeweights, an exercise bike, and a frogging trampoline with them! We got it all into the cargo hold somehow, all the while the team trainer was barking at us for not going fast enough. When it was all done, he huffed at us and remarked how slow we were, but we ended up getting a 20 each from the PIC the FO and the FE.

For a sports team they were traveling light. Most teams I flew managed to put 10k worth of personal bags in the aft pit plus all the team gear in the foward pit. Some of the line guys went overboard and were removing catering before the team was even off the plane. Once they even took my crew meal and I almost decked one the rampers because of it...they were a little over zealous because we usuallyed had pretty good catering.

As far as tipping went, we didn't tip the rampers, mainly because we were paying though the nose for handling fees and every ramp fee known to man not to metion the fact some of the rampers made as much as the F/E.

 

[crjBeez]

1) i'm going on 4 years working the line. as far as tips go, i do my damn best to go above and beyond. service prices haunt me at my company, so i try my best to justify what i can. i don't care what you're in, i won't ditch you. the only time i'll run off after parking you is if somebody else needs to be marshalled in as well.

2) my goal at work is to find folks that will shoot my boss an email saying "jonathan did a great job helping us out"

3) i don't expect tips for quick turns, just a thank you will suffice. obviously tips are appreciated, but i would never make a demand.

4) as far as taking care of the BE40 on your own, it happens. i don't know what the circumstances in your situation were, but i have certainly been stranded on the ramp by myself, stuck fueling beechjets, lear 35s, whatever else. you must understand that at times, there is no guarantee. i want to help you as much as possible, but my company is also here to make a profit. they schedule a set number of line guys for the day, depending on traffic trends and weather. when two guys are deicing and one has to go to our t-hangars, the last guy left will have to figure it out on his own. you shouldn't have to make one customer suffer because the other yells louder.

5) quick turns are perfectly acceptable as far as i'm concerned. what i don't appreciate is the bold lie of "we're leaving in 10 minutes so we need it taken care of immediately." there is a specific fractional that pulls this on every flight. i understand you're trying to make sure things are taken care of on a timely basis, but if you aren't leaving for 2 hours, give me a break if we seem to have other activites going on at the same time. if you don't feel we are getting the job done at a legitimate pace, let us know and we'll try and get there quicker. calling for a quick turn to then watch the aircraft collect dust for the afternoon pisses me off to no end. i would certainly not yell at anybody about it, but i, like most others, react much better to "when you have a spare moment" and "please" than "now" or "you guys are too slow!"

believe me when i say i want to help, but those long term quick turns are ridiculous! stepping in the line of fire to dodge a bullet is not the way to run a business.