Interesting FBO checkout.

[EdFred]

After reading Matt's post about rudder-nosewheel and having to get a checkout in a 172, I pulled out my renter card for Aviation Center at KARB. I had to rent the Arrow there to finish my CFI, and just noticed that with that single rental checkout I am good to rent the following there without another checkout:

152,172
PA-140,161,181, 180
Warrior
and of course the Arrow.

I was surprised at this, as most places you need to have a checkout in every airplane (or at least model) they have.

Anyone else come across an FBO that waives most checkouts?

 

[SkyHog]

I've never seen it. Seems most flight schools/FBOs want the money. It sounds like you've got yourself a good FBO there.

 

[Matthew]

My FBO claims they're doing it because of insurance purposes, makes sense to me. A checkout in a PA-28-181 (180hp) counts towards the 161 (160hp) and a checkout in the 172S (180hp) counts towards the 172R (160hp). I think their policy changes Jan 1 so I'll see what happens then.

Maybe since you've checked out in the Arrow, they went ahead and grandfathered you into the others.

 

[jason]

Mine wants a check out in their cherokee 140 even though I've checked out in their Archers and all of my flying the last three years has been in either an archer or cherokee 180. Seems awfully redundant to me.

 

[ScottM]

I am surprised you got a renter card. The only FBO I still rent from keep our stuff on computer, which is what I had run into in many other FBOs. I never got a card anywhere.

 

[EdFred]

I am surprised you got a renter card. The only FBO I still rent from keep our stuff on computer, which is what I had run into in many other FBOs. I never got a card anywhere.

When you rent, they put the card in the slot where the paperwork is for the plane. That way they know who has it, I guess. I don't know I rented from them for the checkout, and for the CFI ride. I doubt I will ever rent from them again.

 

[AirBaker]

My old club had similar checkouts. IF you were checked out in the 182, you could fly the Cherokees, 172s, 152s.

For a card, we just swiped our drivers license.

 

[tonycondon]

my fbo has cards, but are kept behind the desk for our reference. rental sheets are filled out before each flight by the renter. In our case, a checkout in the 182RG qualifies you to fly the 172, but not vice versa of course.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

From experience giving flight training, I concur with any FBO's decision to require checkouts in all models because of all the very common mistakes (mostly runway overshoots on take-off, and stall type scenarios) I've seen from pilots going from higher power models down to lower power models.

One club that I do checkouts for however, does NOT require those types of checkouts, so I will only approve whatever model I've seen the pilot fly to standards. If the club and/or the PIC wants to take liberties beyond a typically less than one hour checkout flight in a lower powered model in an otherwise familiar line of generally similar planes, they of course can do so on their dime.

 

[TMetzinger]

My FBO requires a checkout in every type. They also require 60 day currency by
ASEL
AMEL
Complex
High Performance.

So if I fly the Trinidad (Hiperf/complex/ASEL) and the Seminole (Complex/AMEL) every 60 days I remain current for dispatch in all aircraft. When I asked about these practices, the owner took me back and showed me the correspondence for the FBO insurance policy. Every one of these requirements directly tied to a reduction in the insurance premium and/or higher limits on coverage.

It's generally not a case of "more money for the FBO", but a case of "lowest possible costs" and that is reflected in the rental rates. A typical FBO will pocket 10-15% of the rental fees on leaseback airplanes, and has to cover it's expenses and make a profit. Profit margins are not high.