Is this airport a jerk?

Atlantic has a reputation in some parts much like $ignature.

This kind of rule is commonplace at larger airports.
 
this is going on at many airports across the country.
 
My airport does this. They are a jerk for it.

So, I take my aircraft to other places on sheer principle, and they receive zero business from me for maintenance.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
My airport does this. They are a jerk for it.

So, I take my aircraft to other places on sheer principle, and they receive zero business from me for maintenance.
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You should be sure to let them know their policy is costing them business.
 
The next planned flight I had was to Eugene, we'll be going elsewhere. Thanks for the heads up.
 
AdamZ said:
I'd think such a policy would violate grant assurances.
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It's one of those violations that doesn't get policed, and so there are no consequences for the airport.

Captain said:
You should be sure to let them know their policy is costing them business.
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I told that, along with a number of other things about what I thought of the policies, to the manager. Repeatedly. He and I don't get along. One thing with me - you always know where you stand. ;)
 
If the airport wants to place reasonable requirements on the maintenance facility, then maybe there is the possibility of this being acceptable. But crap like:

"The airport would have required the shop to hire a clerk or secretary, carry a significant amount of insurance, have access to a paved and well-lighted parking lot, and have an on-site bathroom, among other features."

None of the that is necessary for a maintenance shop. As far as I'm concerned, the airport management can go perform an unnatural act.
 
As long as we're talking about 'Is This Airport a Jerk?™', I'd be remis if I didn't mention KAPF. Naples airport is owned by the city and the city runs the FBO. There are other FBO's on the field but the city will NOT allow them to pump fuel.

They handcuff the competition by not allowing them to compete. It's absolute BS and I can't believe it's allowed in this country. It makes me sad that my country, while supposedly the 'land of the free' allows a local government to kill legitimate business.

I wish I had connections in places that could get those responsible publicly flogged in a stockade in the town square. I'd love to see that government servant humbled and shown who exactly works for whom.

Sorry about the rant but it makes me so unbelievably ****ed off.



edit to add: what's with the asterisks in ****ed off? That's not such a bad word...



grrr, it did it again!
: )


Second edit: For some reason I keep putting Centennial's code for Naples. Sorry...again.
 
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Captain said:
As long as we're talking about 'Is This Airport a Jerk?™', I'd be remis if I didn't mention KAPA. Naples airport is owned by the city and the city runs the FBO. There are other FBO's on the field but the city will NOT allow them to pump fuel.

They handcuff the competition by not allowing them to compete. It's absolute BS and I can't believe it's allowed in this country. It makes me sad that my country, while supposedly the 'land of the free' allows a local government to kill legitimate business.

I wish I had connections in places that could get those responsible publicly flogged in a stockade in the town square. I'd love to see that government servant humbled and shown who exactly works for whom.

Sorry about the rant but it makes me so unbelievably ****ed off.



edit to add: what's with the asterisks in ****ed off? That's not such a bad word...



grrr, it did it again!
: )
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You want to start a publication of airports that do this? It would be about the size of an AFD
 
bartmc said:
You want to start a publication of airports that do this? It would be about the size of an AFD
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Really? I figured there were others but had no idea it was THAT much. Start a publication? Okay...that might be of use. Standby.
 
I would be a little surprised if most larger GA airports didn't have some rule against bringing your own mechanic. As much as I don't like it, the cities/counties/airport authorities have to have some rules to protect the FBO's that they are charging rent to. Think of it as renting a space at the mall to sell widgets, paying the mall rent, plus a % of gross sales, and in the parking lot a widget vendor sets up and starts selling widgets for a little less than you are with no rent to pay.:mad2: I don't agree with the policy, but I understand where it comes from. I bet Atlantic is paying a chunk in rent and fuel flowage fees as well as a % of the service business. I'm sure they have some concerns about liability, which may or may not be legitimate, but it doesn't have make sense for the county to buy it.:dunno:
All that being said, the FBO is using a formerly un-enforced rule to try to force business their way, it never works, people will just fly somewhere else for maintenance, that's what I do! :D you get used to it pretty quick.;) and you can buy fuel at your maintenance base as well.:D
 
Captain said:
Really? I figured there were others but had no idea it was THAT much. Start a publication? Okay...that might be of use. Standby.
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Yankton SD pretty much ran off one of the best FBOs in the country so that they could do this. There's a fight in Tuscon right now due to similar circumstances. I read these stories all to often. Some have it where one FBO can sell jetA and the other can sell 100LL. Anything they can do to shake us down for more money, just gotta line the airport management's pocket a little to run your own monopoly.
 
N747JB said:
I would be a little surprised if most larger GA airports didn't have some rule against bringing your own mechanic. As much as I don't like it, the cities/counties/airport authorities have to have some rules to protect the FBO's that they are charging rent to. Think of it as renting a space at the mall to sell widgets, paying the mall rent, plus a % of gross sales, and in the parking lot a widget vendor sets up and starts selling widgets for a little less than you are with no rent to pay.:mad2: I don't agree with the policy, but I understand where it comes from. I bet Atlantic is paying a chunk in rent and fuel flowage fees as well as a % of the service business. I'm sure they have some concerns about liability, which may or may not be legitimate, but it doesn't have make sense for the county to buy it.:dunno:
All that being said, the FBO is using a formerly un-enforced rule to try to force business their way, it never works, people will just fly somewhere else for maintenance, that's what I do! :D you get used to it pretty quick.;) and you can buy fuel at your maintenance base as well.:D
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Private airport, I buy it. Publicly owned ones GTFO. This would be akin to only allowing ONE gas station in each county on the interstate. It's criminal in my opinion.
 
bartmc said:
Private airport, I buy it. Publicly owned ones GTFO. This would be akin to only allowing ONE gas station in each county on the interstate. It's criminal in my opinion.
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Competition is ideal in most cases.
I think we need to think like bureaucrats to understand the way it works, again I'm not in favor of it. But every public airport with an FBO, has some type of rental agreement. All these agreements spell out what services are to be provided and how much the FBO pays for rent, services provided, hours, and how many other FBO's if any, are allowed. The FBO's make a large financial commitment based of the agreement. Using the gas station example, say the county offered you the only station in town as long as you paid XX to them for every gallon sold and you built a huge station and then they suddenly let other stations sell gas without paying the same $$ as you?? :yikes:
My number one destination is Destin (DTS), for years it was one FBO, Miracle strip aviation and fuel was very pricey, service was fair at best. Now we have two FBO's and fuel is down, service is up!
 
Obviously the FBO doesn't like it when the little guy is cutting in on their business. The problem is that allowing that ultimately gains you more good favor with the tenants than telling them that they must use the FBO's repair station. As I have explained to the FBO manager here, if he wasn't such an azzhat (I probably used harsher terms than that), I might actually let him work on the planes from time to time.
 
Problem is they can't make you use their repair station, just make sure you don't bring someone onto the field!:mad2: I bet if the FBO manager offered you a better deal on fuel if you choose their maintenance and was a nicer guy, you would at least consider using them. When it's a mandate, people rebel and go the other way.:D My FBO did all my work when I had a Citation, but when I sold it in 07 and bought a 414A, I started using another shop and they never even asked for my business! I hangar my 421 and a 182 with them, and buy some fuel, not much. And in 5 years they have yet to ask a single question about who's doing my annuals, oil changes, nothing. Their shop is getting smaller every year, with fewer and fewer piston airplane owners using them and fewer turbines based with them. :dunno:

Ted DuPuis said:
Obviously the FBO doesn't like it when the little guy is cutting in on their business. The problem is that allowing that ultimately gains you more good favor with the tenants than telling them that they must use the FBO's repair station. As I have explained to the FBO manager here, if he wasn't such an azzhat (I probably used harsher terms than that), I might actually let him work on the planes from time to time.
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Bob Noel said:
If the airport wants to place reasonable requirements on the maintenance facility, then maybe there is the possibility of this being acceptable. But crap like:

"The airport would have required the shop to hire a clerk or secretary, carry a significant amount of insurance, have access to a paved and well-lighted parking lot, and have an on-site bathroom, among other features."

None of the that is necessary for a maintenance shop. As far as I'm concerned, the airport management can go perform an unnatural act.
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Best non-profit flight club in Denver ever, was shuttered for not having a desk, a phone line, and a representative standing at a counter for 8 hours a day by the for-profit flight school who did, at KFTG long before they had a tower....

Well, actually they moved to KAPA, put the airplanes outside with a lock-box, instead of in nice hangars, and one of the aircraft owners had a bad medical year as did his wife.

But the stupid airport authority battle started it all.

(Murphey's airplane now lives in the hangar I flew the nicest 172RG I've ever seen out of for over 50 hours back then. The RG got sold to a KAPA flight school who utterly trashed it and made it a rental dog worthy of "meh" status within a year or so. It's still on the line unless the recent hailstorm totaled it. Haven't heard. Looks like crap.
 
N747JB said:
Problem is they can't make you use their repair station, just make sure you don't bring someone onto the field!:mad2: I bet if the FBO manager offered you a better deal on fuel if you choose their maintenance and was a nicer guy, you would at least consider using them. When it's a mandate, people rebel and go the other way.:D My FBO did all my work when I had a Citation, but when I sold it in 07 and bought a 414A, I started using another shop and they never even asked for my business! I hangar my 421 and a 182 with them, and buy some fuel, not much. And in 5 years they have yet to ask a single question about who's doing my annuals, oil changes, nothing. Their shop is getting smaller every year, with fewer and fewer piston airplane owners using them and fewer turbines based with them. :dunno:
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You got it. It wouldn't take much to convince people to use them, they just refuse to put the policies in place that will make customers happy.

As you say, when you put in jerky policies, people will just rebel.
 
So does the airport allow owner-assisted maintenance?
 
Maxmosbey said:
A lot of airports have the rule, but not very many of them have any way of enforcing it.
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In the case of my airport, they'll say that you're in violation of the lease terms for hangar rental and kick you out.
 
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