Too pushy FBO's

I've run into the whole "Screw You if You're Not a Jet" mentality. My university did several flights a week to Dallas Love for X/C training. The FBO we used was always super awesome until I ran into one set of rude CSRs. When I walked up to pay for our fuel purchase, I was promptly told that our business was no longer welcomed as we were an eye sore. Surprised I quickly asked for the manager who they happily called over. I told the manager what the CSRs told me and said we would be taking our business elsewhere. The managers face turned red, and he started apologizing and said that we were always welcomed. When I was there the next week, I noticed two new CSRs at the desk training.
 
Checking out the reviews for the FBO I worked at. Looks like they haven't deleted one of them yet (and they still haven't learned):

1/5 stars "Avoid this FBO! EVERY time I file a flight plan to FTW I get hounded by this FBO to use them. Invite customers sure, but not 20mins prior to my departure time. I'm busy WORKING! I have asked this FBO SIX different times to REMOVE ME off their list. I am already on the DO NOT CALL list yet you continue to harass a future potential customer. For this I will continue to spend my money elsewhere."
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The GM made us drive by the competition's ramp to write down visiting tail numbers on the way to the fuel farm and hangars. GM had also never done a day of line service work in his life. Told an auditor that he didn't know what kind or how much fuel we had on site. A few of us bet that he didn't know what color Avgas/Jet-A were. He asked my boss what Prist was and if it was important.

'#1 FBO in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and top 5% of FBOs in the world! (AIN 2018 FBO Poll)"

A different FBO on the field says "Our professionally trained Line Service Technicians and Customer Service Agents are ready to assist you at every turn". Yeah, like when they drove a fuel truck across an active runway. Or the manager told their line guys to fuel a jet in a thunderstorm or they'd be fired.
 
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overdrive148 said:
I saw @Salty 's nosewheel from a different thread, I would whack some sense
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overdrive148 said:
I saw @Salty 's nosewheel from a different thread, I would whack some sense into some line guys if they were reckless with the towbar like that!
Km2bRIn.jpg
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thats actually not mine, it’s a buddies; he bought it from a flight school, so they probably did the damage themselves.
 
I had to do a med flight to Las Vegas McCarran airport once. When I pulled into parking at the FBO there was several, probably 20+ business jets parked there. My first thought was I am going to have to do everything myself.

There was not 1, but 2 line guys waiting for me, one waving his arms to park here. I pointed to the ambulance and both guys got the message immediately. They piled into the golf cart micro bus and headed straight for the ambulance and the one guy marshaled me in to park. As soon as I shut down the other guy was at my little window. I opened it and he asked me if I needed fuel. I did, but please wait until we off load the patient.

After the ambulance left both guys came back and asked how much. I said 30 a side please, 100LL. The guy tossed me a cold bottle of water and jumped out. He attached the ground line correctly, I noticed, then pulled out a clean mat and placed it on the wing and opened the cap. He put the nozzle in without hitting the rim, and never let the hose fall onto the wing.

When I went inside there was a really attractive CSR girl. She greeted me in a friendly manner and asked if I wanted a bottle of water. No, I am fine, I just need to pay my bill. She got my bill ready, asking me where I was from. I told her and she actually said she had been to Gallup a few times. She showed me where the pilot room is, and then invited me to look into their break room and to help myself to the complimentary snacks available.

When the med crew came back, she invited them to the break room and told the girls to help themselves. The girls picked up some water and a few snacks and off we went. The 2 line guys were waiting to marshal me out. We loaded up and left.

It was refreshing to be treated as if we were the most important customers they had all day. There were jets there that their fuel bill was probably more than my C-414 was worth. While the FBO was not all that crowded, there were other people there that were trying to get their passengers taken care of. At no time did I feel like I was an inconvenience to the FBO. I kind of felt guilty about taking up so much of their time.

After getting used to the airports I usually fly out of, I was just glad they had indoor restrooms....
 
Too pushy or otherwise bad FBOs are a common problem anywhere you go. Even one of my favorite FBOs has one line guy who will always park me in a bad location and just isn't very good or accommodating. I haven't complained about him, but when I see him when I pull up I know it won't go very well.

It happens all over. A lot of times FBOs at airports without towers are the worst since they can get on CTAF. Occasionally it's helpful since I may want a quick turn and will tell them as such, but mostly it's them arguing on frequency about which one you should go to.

One airport I've frequently used for a fuel stop is especially bad about this. Line guys from both FBOs will get out and try to marshall you into a spot. The "losing" FBO (which I stopped going to after the first time when they charged me for more fuel than I took on) has line guys that will practically give me the finger for not going to them. Gee, wonder why I don't go there...

I think on the next trip to California if the winds cooperate I'll go non-stop on the ~1,100 nm flight westbound loaded. Save a cycle on the engines and some fuel... plus stopping at that airport.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Too pushy or otherwise bad FBOs are a common problem anywhere you go. Even one of my favorite FBOs has one line guy who will always park me in a bad location and just isn't very good or accommodating. I haven't complained about him, but when I see him when I pull up I know it won't go very well.

It happens all over. A lot of times FBOs at airports without towers are the worst since they can get on CTAF. Occasionally it's helpful since I may want a quick turn and will tell them as such, but mostly it's them arguing on frequency about which one you should go to.

One airport I've frequently used for a fuel stop is especially bad about this. Line guys from both FBOs will get out and try to marshall you into a spot. The "losing" FBO (which I stopped going to after the first time when they charged me for more fuel than I took on) has line guys that will practically give me the finger for not going to them. Gee, wonder why I don't go there...

I think on the next trip to California if the winds cooperate I'll go non-stop on the ~1,100 nm flight westbound loaded. Save a cycle on the engines and some fuel... plus stopping at that airport.
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As you fly over that airport:
Bidq5hS.png
 
As a guy that must avoid walking I'm not even gonna comment on parking airplanes, accessibility and service...

Yeah, I really enjoy wrestling the massive fuel pump hoses that could easily be the smaller lighter weight equipment and still get the job done, or the insanely ****ty ladders on wheels at the fuel pumps.

Fortunately if my feet are that bad I can usually find help.
 
I believe CTAF is usually the UNICOM which is licensed by the FCC to the FBO. That is unless there are more than one FBO
 
I think my browser is broken. Is the following post showing up this way for anyone else?

I had to do a med flight to Las Vegas McCarran airport once. When I pulled into parking at the FBO there was several, probably 20+ business jets parked there. My first thought was I am going to have to do everything myself.

There was not 1, but 2 line guys waiting for me, one waving his arms to park here. I pointed to the ambulance and both guys got the message immediately. They piled into the golf cart micro bus and headed straight for the ambulance and the one guy marshaled me in to park. As soon as I shut down the other guy was at my little window. I opened it and he asked me if I needed fuel. I did, but please wait until we off load the patient.

After the ambulance left both guys came back and asked how much. I said 30 a side please, 100LL. The guy tossed me a cold bottle of water and jumped out. He attached the ground line correctly, I noticed, then pulled out a clean mat and placed it on the wing and opened the cap. He put the nozzle in without hitting the rim, and never let the hose fall onto the wing.

When I went inside there was a really attractive CSR girl. She greeted me in a friendly manner and asked if I wanted a bottle of water. No, I am fine, I just need to pay my bill. She got my bill ready, asking me where I was from. I told her and she actually said she had been to Gallup a few times. She showed me where the pilot room is, and then invited me to look into their break room and to help myself to the complimentary snacks available.

When the med crew came back, she invited them to the break room and told the girls to help themselves. The girls picked up some water and a few snacks and off we went. The 2 line guys were waiting to marshal me out. We loaded up and left.

It was refreshing to be treated as if we were the most important customers they had all day. There were jets there that their fuel bill was probably more than my C-414 was worth. While the FBO was not all that crowded, there were other people there that were trying to get their passengers taken care of. At no time did I feel like I was an inconvenience to the FBO. I kind of felt guilty about taking up so much of their time.

After getting used to the airports I usually fly out of, I was just glad they had indoor restrooms....
 
I saw that post, then realized that all pilots lie, and skipped past it knowing it was another one of those "there I was" stories.
 
Sam D said:
I think my browser is broken. Is the following post showing up this way for anyone else?

I had to do a med flight to Las Vegas McCarran airport once. When I pulled into parking at the FBO there was several, probably 20+ business jets parked there. My first thought was I am going to have to do everything myself.

There was not 1, but 2 line guys waiting for me, one waving his arms to park here. I pointed to the ambulance and both guys got the message immediately. They piled into the golf cart micro bus and headed straight for the ambulance and the one guy marshaled me in to park. As soon as I shut down the other guy was at my little window. I opened it and he asked me if I needed fuel. I did, but please wait until we off load the patient.

After the ambulance left both guys came back and asked how much. I said 30 a side please, 100LL. The guy tossed me a cold bottle of water and jumped out. He attached the ground line correctly, I noticed, then pulled out a clean mat and placed it on the wing and opened the cap. He put the nozzle in without hitting the rim, and never let the hose fall onto the wing.

When I went inside there was a really attractive CSR girl. She greeted me in a friendly manner and asked if I wanted a bottle of water. No, I am fine, I just need to pay my bill. She got my bill ready, asking me where I was from. I told her and she actually said she had been to Gallup a few times. She showed me where the pilot room is, and then invited me to look into their break room and to help myself to the complimentary snacks available.

When the med crew came back, she invited them to the break room and told the girls to help themselves. The girls picked up some water and a few snacks and off we went. The 2 line guys were waiting to marshal me out. We loaded up and left.

It was refreshing to be treated as if we were the most important customers they had all day. There were jets there that their fuel bill was probably more than my C-414 was worth. While the FBO was not all that crowded, there were other people there that were trying to get their passengers taken care of. At no time did I feel like I was an inconvenience to the FBO. I kind of felt guilty about taking up so much of their time.

After getting used to the airports I usually fly out of, I was just glad they had indoor restrooms....
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Your browser is working perfectly.
 
ktup-flyer said:
Annual is next week, so I’m getting it done then. They’re footing the bill
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Just got mine back from its first Annual this afternoon. About 5.5 days of work on it. The only surprise was a leaky brake caliper oring. Everything else was on my own personal squawk list to get looked at or fixed. Waiting on a big bill soon. Hope yours goes well.
 
Where can you purchase these?

overdrive148 said:
Not necessarily the flat tire, look at the markings around the hole:
kdIZ9KR.png


These adapters drop into those holes so you can tow the aircraft:
BrackettAdapters.jpg


The towbar fits onto the adapter. All the paint scratches are from line techs not having the towbar wide enough or scratching the towbar against the fork. I was always ultra careful to avoid that and to take my time and hold the towbar securely instead of trying to lever it from as far as possible away to save time. One of the 182 guys had a cover that sat on top of his brand spanking new painted nosewheel pant and it still got scratched. I'd be livid!
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Flew an SR22 into BWI about 2 months ago. I’ve been to Signature multiple times without any issues. This time, it took them over an hour to fuel us to the tabs which should take less than 10 minutes. The ramp wasn’t even that busy.
 
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