Annoying FBO things....

[FL350]

We were just in a crappy FBO yesterday so it got me thinking about all the annoying things FBOs do. My personal favorite is the magnetically locked door to the ramp that takes an act of congress to have opened/unlocked for you. I could go on with a long list of things but I will leave that up to the rest of you...

 

[skyking1976]

Line guys that move your airplane and don't ask if your brakes are off.

Ramp fees.

Trash bags that sit next to the airplane that don't get picked up.

 

[mainah]

Spilling fuel all over the wing, not having ice, washing your windows and slamming the ladder used into your brand new airplane, asking for passenger names over the radio and not understanding why we won't tell them, theres more but I don't want to get too negative.

 

[Gulfstreamlover]

FBO's that have coffee machines that take an hour to figure out how they work. FBO's with 2 channles on the TV, and places that park you a mile away because you're not in a jet, even though there are no airplanes up close to the building. And places that require you to be driven to your aircraft (again if your airplanes doesn't cost 20 million dollars expect to be the last off). Just a few of my problems with FBOs.

 

[Flying Illini]

NO CREW CARS!
I was just at BKL (burke, Cleveland) at million air. A crew including FA came in after sending their pax on their way needing to go to a store 40 minutes away to pick up a special pax request. Million Air lady gets on the soapbox about how crew cars are a thing of the past b/c insurance costs too much and the crews would always bring the car back with no gas and how sometimes crews would take the car for more than 2 hours so they decided to just use a van to shuttle people.
Man that pisses me off. Signature at MDW has 4 cars, Sig at DET has 4 cars, Atlantic at MDW has 2 cars, even robinson, IL RSV has a crew car! To begin with, it's not the crew's responsibility to keep gas in the crew cars, second, I KNOW a large FBO like million air can afford insurance on a car or two.
The crew of the challenger that needed to go 40 minutes away was told that they can't shuttle them there because the drive time is too long and they can't afford to have a line guy away from work for that length of time. What this crew did was classic...they walked out the door, started up their 604 and taxied one ramp over to the other FBO! More power to 'em. There is NO reason not to have crew cars at ANY FBO. Period.

Sorry about the rant, but hey, you asked!

 

[SabreFlyR]

This just happened tonight. We pulled onto the ramp, line guy comes walking out with the wands in his hands and hand no clue as to wht the he!! he was doing. After we parked and I explained the the purpose of the wands were to guide us where you want us to park, he appologized and said "I've only been here for a year".
Lesson learned, next time we go to the other fbo (Eagle), even if the fuel is $1.00/gal more.

 

[learflyer]

Guys not knowing how to martial (sp)? you think they are set up in one direction then the'll turn the other way. Just freakin' stay put and let us know where you want us to park!!

Asking 5 times for a gpu, and when they finally bring one out, the fuel truck shows up at the same time and then they say they can't fuel with the gpu running. arrgghh!

 

[Diesel]

I've never understood the we can't plug the gpu in while we're fueling.

It's jet a not 100LL. You could throw a match into jet a and it wouldn't catch on fire. Needs to be atomized.

My favorite is when they bring the GPU out and the they fire it up it puts out like 30 volts or 26 volts. Hey how about fixing that POS.

Crew rooms that have more pax in it than crew. Then get all po'ed when you take the remote and change the channel. MMU's old signature/ lynton jet building was notorius for it. The pilots weren't allowed to wait in the front room so we had to wait in the back. Owners realized there was a TV back there and would take up all the lazy boys.

Satelite TV with the basic satelite package.

A fbo van that will take you anywhere you want to go as long as the guy isn't busy and it's within 3 miles of the airport.

Calling ahead to set up a QT with gpu, catering number and ice. You get there and the line guy has no idea what your talking about. GPU is still across the ramp and you know it's going to be a long day. Sigh

 

[IP076]

Mainah,

None of that is at Regent Millionaire is it?

 

[mainah]

No, its a combination of other FBO's and a certain one in Michigan that has done all of the above. No compalints about Regent whatsoever. In there three times this week and they always have great service and plenty of eye candy!

 

[Brett Hull]

But we'll rent you a car

NO CREW CARS!
There is NO reason not to have crew cars at ANY FBO. Period.

What's annoying? When an FBO's ripped on airnav.com by various customers about not having a crew car. Instead of buying a cheap clunker for the crews to run into town to grab lunch with, they have all of the responses removed with the disclaimer: "Midwest Aviation has requested that AirNav not collect or publish user comments. For any feedback or customer service inquiries, please contact Midwest Aviation directly."

I'm so tankering next time I go through PAH.

What this crew did was classic...they walked out the door, started up their 604 and taxied one ramp over to the other FBO! More power to 'em

Sweet!

 

[AV8R4]

FL 350: The magnetic door lock is there so that Joe Blow can't walk out onto the ramp and mess with your aircraft. You have to come up with something better than that.

Skyking 1976: We put the chocks under the tires so you don't have to engage the brakes. The trash doesn't get picked up because you are probably a bad tipper.

Flying Illini: No, it's because you guys trash the cars and then we get stuck cleaning up the mess. You want a free ride and don't have the manners to put a little fuel in the car that you got for FREE. It beats getting a cab, which would cost you much more than a few gallons of fuel. Think about it.

Let me see if I can reverse the situations that you all are describing.

WE fuel your planes. WE wash your dishes. WE provide you with free transportation in the form of a crew car. WE get your ice, coffee and papers. WE provide you with ground power. WE throw your trash out. WE make sure that your passengers transportation is waiting upon their arrival.

YOU don't buy any fuel (not in all cases). YOU trash the crew cars. YOU keep the crew cars out for periods exceeding two hours. YOU bring the crew car back with no fuel in it. YOU have kept others from using the crew car because you were late bringing it back. YOU get all of the services that you have requested, most of which are free and then you have the nerve to say you've been mistreated. Wow! Oh yeah and thanks for the tip!!!!

 

[BankAccount=0$]

.

Let me see if I can reverse the situations that you all are describing.

WE fuel your planes. WE wash your dishes. WE provide you with free transportation in the form of a crew car. WE get your ice, coffee and papers. WE provide you with ground power. WE throw your trash out. WE make sure that your passengers transportation is waiting upon their arrival.

YOU don't buy any fuel (not in all cases). YOU trash the crew cars. YOU keep the crew cars out for periods exceeding two hours. YOU bring the crew car back with no fuel in it. YOU have kept others from using the crew car because you were late bringing it back. YOU get all of the services that you have requested, most of which are free and then you have the nerve to say you've been mistreated. Wow! Oh yeah and thanks for the tip!!!!

Hmmmmm. I'm not too sure if you realize this, but it is your JOB to fuel my aircraft. It is your JOB to throw out a bag of trash if left on the ramp to be picked up. It is also in the best interest for an FBO to try and make a flight crew as comfortable as possible since they are usually the ones who decide where to buy fuel.
Don't get me wrong, I know it sucks going out in a f'ing blizzard to fuel/de-ice/move an airplane. But it is a line guy's JOB to do those things. And as far as tipping goes, I'll throw ya a couple of bones when I start seeing the PAX tip me ok??
I worked the line, and now I'm on the other side of things. I don't need much to be happy, but if you're going to charge my boss money for things like a "ramp fee" or charge more for fuel but not support it by having superior service, then why on Earth should I stop on your ramp instead of the other guys?? Ultimatly it's YOUR job that is in the balance here not mine, and not the owner of your FBO.

 

[AV8R4]

I am well aware of what my job entails. I just don't like hearing pilots talk trash about line personnel.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

yup, thats your job - if you dont like it - get another!!!

But c'mon guys, tip the line guys. Nothing worse than a cheap a$$ pilot. Especially you folks who stiff a hard working line guy and write down 20 bucks on your expenses.. you are a real scumbag and you deserve $hit service you always seem to get.


You know who you are and so do the line guys who park you in the back 40. so dont complain.