Dark side of airplane ownership (help!)

R

RobertGerace

Guest
Ok, well, last night pretty much sucked.

I mean...score one for General Aviation, because I got to spend time with my family and make a business trip -- that would not have been possible on the airlines...but oh, the price I paid.

It turns out that LZU's two FBO's (Piedmont-Hawthorne and Aircraft Specialists) both close at 10pm. I knew I was 'on empty' from my return trip from XNA eariler in the week; so I called Piedmont and asked if I could get fuel after 10pm. The nice lady said yes, but I might need to leave a message and wait for the truck.

So, I leave a message and I wait. And wait. And wait. So I call back, and wait, and wait. So I call Aircraft Specialists...and leave a message and wait.

Now, it is like, 11pm and it's going to take about 3 hours to get to BWI. Signature is expecting me at midnight...no big deal...but I hate to be 'late.' My hotel is confirmed...but I hate it when they give your non-smoking room away at 2am and you get the last room (smoking).

So I finally get ahold of the guy at Piedmont and he tells me they ran out of fuel...and that I should call Aircraft Specialists. So I call and get the machine.

Frustrated, I get in, start both engines, and begin to taxi in front of Aircraft Specialists...ONLY TO SEE THE 100LL TRUCK GO SPEEDING OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT AS I'M SHUTTING DOWN THE SECOND ENGINE!

LONG story short, at midnight I'm taking off with full fuel.

(Yes; I am tired today...sigh...)

Now the question: Everybody tells me that a private hangar is the only way to go because a damaged airplane is a question of WHEN not IF. But I don't have time to be running to the airport to fuel up when I want to leave late at night. What do people do?

I'm thinking if I were in the community hangar at Epps (at PDK) last night would have never happened...sigh...

Sorry for the rant...I'm not nice on 3.5 hours of sleep between 7 hours of flying in turbulence and IMC. :eek:
 
My FBO has keys and will fuel on request. I don't like not being there but it works when you have to.
 
RobertGerace said:
Now the question: Everybody tells me that a private hangar is the only way to go because a damaged airplane is a question of WHEN not IF. But I don't have time to be running to the airport to fuel up when I want to leave late at night. What do people do?

Put a changeable combination lock on your hanger and develop a close, personal relationship with the FBO and the fuelers ($$$ always help create that close, personal relationship). Request that the line folks fuel your aircraft in your hanger when you call, and provide the hanger lock combination with the fuel order for that nights departure. Change the lock combination on departure that night. Repeat as needed.
 
If you don't have self serve fuel available I would setup something with the FBO that would allow you to call in and get them to refuel your plane on the ramp or in your case, the hanger, and send you a bill.

Short Story:
My brother, down for a quick visit, went off without his credit card or cash. As his ride dropped him off at the airport he realized that he needed fuel (9pm). He calls me to see if I could run my credit card out to the airport so he could refuel (45 minute drive). What are brothers for? I tell him that the other FBO down from the self serve pump was open until 10pm to see what they could do for him. Lucky for me, they accepted his credit card number from his memory, topped him off and away he went . . . . . . and I got to go to sleep early :goofy:
 
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RobertGerace said:
Now the question: Everybody tells me that a private hangar is the only way to go because a damaged airplane is a question of WHEN not IF. But I don't have time to be running to the airport to fuel up when I want to leave late at night. What do people do?

From what my experience has been a damaged airplane is definatly a question of when. Our old aircraft was damaged twice in a "community" hangar within the period of 2 years. This is really a problem when there are multiple aircraft behind yours and it gets moved around a lot. Another problem is when something happens nobody owns up to it.

In my opinion I would rather be in a cold T-hangar than a heated cummunity hangar (michigan...burrr). However, that's just me and I'm very protective.
 
Ed Guthrie said:
Put a changeable combination lock on your hanger and develop a close, personal relationship with the FBO and the fuelers ($$$ always help create that close, personal relationship). Request that the line folks fuel your aircraft in your hanger when you call, and provide the hanger lock combination with the fuel order for that nights departure. Change the lock combination on departure that night. Repeat as needed.

Yabut.

A lot of airports - and mine is one - absolutely prohibit fueling inside hangars. It is against fire code.

My experience is that there is almost as much risk for them to pull the plane out and push it back as there is being in a community hangar.

Be there when they fuel, if at all possible. Can you fuel up when arriving from prior trip?
 
Robert:

You've heard the pros and cons. My FBO will pull my plane out of the hanger, fill it and put it back in. I've asked them to a couple of times when I just didn't have a choice. The other times, I call on unicom before landing or call on my cell on the way out there and have them fill while I'm there with the plane out of the hanger.

Best,

Dave
 
Robert, this is one item on my list that is totally non-negotiable. If fuel is not available when I am going to land, I make alternate plans. Crimps the business utility sometimes, but I never waver.

I have landed at some airports 30-40 miles away from destination just to be assured of "next leg fuel". E.G, Wilson in Memphis when I need to go to West Memphis. Wilson is BUCKS. But it's 24/7. And so it goes. Just my risk-taking curve.
 
:dunno: Didn't think about the hazzard of refueling in a hanger. Well, that goes to show! I have never had either of my planes in a hanger. It's not that I wouldn't want to, it's just that the hanger fees are $300/month for a community hanger. You can't even find a T-hanger around Baton Rouge.
 
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