Crappy FBO's

[jaxpilot]

we treat freight dogs well at the FBO i work at. Bankair comes in all night and has full access to everything, though sometimes we forget to remove the chocks and cones from around their plane when they leave.

 

[StarHustler]

Avcenter in SDF, although the late night ramp guys are nice, the management is cheap. They won't honor our avpoints card and state that it is because the program is for Jet-A only. What a crock of crap. We buy over 1000 gallons of avgas there a week. Last time I checked the price of avgas was about the same as the price of Jet-A (and Im sure the profit margin is as well).

 

[FlyingSkip]

Couple points...

Just signed up for AvPoints yesterday, as a matter of fact, after seeing the placards for years, and the Signature girl at PDK was adamant that it applies equally to avgas/jet-a. If you can grab one of the pamphlets it says the same thing (I just checked) so don't be afraid to call the program # and complain about the specific FBO.

I fly wearing a tie now cuz the pax expect it and DEFINITELY get better treatment than I did wearing dirty, greasy blue jeans but I found on the freight side that a lot of it comes down to how you treat the people. If you actually talk to the line guys and counter chicks, and treat them like THEY are doing a job worthy of respect, than they usually tend to return that style of treatment. It absolutely amazes me the way that a lot of pilots, from PP student wannabes thru freight dawgs thru corporate high poobahs treat people in FBOs---they will almost always respond in kind to the way THEY get treated. My opinion, and as a caveat I HAVE complained to FBO mgrs about bad treatment---if you haven't done anything to warrant bad treatment then don't be afraid to make waves. I had an FBO mgr tell me that he'd call my boss and complain about me---I told him to go ahead, I was an employee earning my keep and he was a guy making $$$ off our fuel bill so who would they believe more? He shut up, and things improved from then on...

Not on the freight destination side, but I don't think I've ever seen a worse FBO than the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge airport (GKT). They are rude, unfriendly, unhelpful and just plain nasty! When I said something, their reply---"We're a tourist destination so people will come no matter how we treat them." Unbelievable!

 

[kel11]

TAC Air in KSHV. As nice as the place is, they are predijusticed agaisnt freight pilots. Tonight when I flew in I asked where the cookies were. She said, and I quote, "Oh, I usually pick them up before the freight pilots get here because they eat em all." She then offered me some, me being a college instrument student. =)

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

Not that they are crappy, but which FBO do people get better service from at PWK, North American or Signature?

North American is going down hill. If you pull up in a piston or something that looks like a freight hauler, then don't expect much.

The new signature looks like it is going to be a top notch place. Maybe they won't let freight haulers in and they will send them down to the old place.

Worst place, come on, if you have never been to DET....Murray (not really an FBO) and Signature. I don't much like Gulf at HRL either.

 

[kingaira90]

Det

Worst place, come on, if you have never been to DET....Murray (not really an FBO) and Signature. I don't much like Gulf at HRL either.

I will agree with you on general principal about DET. It is just about the only airport that I easily conjur up the mental image of getting robbed or shot on the ramp. Although as you said Murray isn't really an fbo, more of a freight ramp. At least you can sit in a soft chair(although of questionable hygeine), go to the bathroom, buy a coke, and watch tv. Sometimes you even get to watch dvd's of movies still in theaters!!!! I have been to plenty of freight ramps with no seating, no tv, no vending, and an escorted trip to the john. So as an fbo Murray sucks, as a freight ramp it isn't so bad, if you can block out the thoughts of impending demise. Not saying that I want to hang out there and soak up the character though.-kingaira90

 

[Wankel7]

Byerly in PIA gets my vote as a freighter unfriendly place. Threatened to call the cops on me in the late 90's.

It know its been a few years...

But they have always been nice to me.

Wankel