CAA: GA News, "You have to love general aviation to make the sacrifices that FBOs make"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@cwnet.com>]

Friday, May 26, 2000

Letter to the Editor
You have to love general aviation to make the sacrifices that FBOs make
GA News


I have been in the FBO business for 18 years, and I worked the line at other
FBOs while I was learning to fly. Trust me, you have to love aviation to
work so hard for so little return on your investment.

I worked as a corporate pilot for several years, so I think I see both sides
of the relationship. The pilot is concerned about the cost of fuel and
services, and the operator is concerned with keeping the doors open.

It is becoming more expensive to operate on a yearly basis. FAA-required
training, local airport management, insurance and doing business with major
fuel distributors is costly. The rise of the minimum wage, with another
increase soon to come, as well as very low unemployment, has made it
difficult to keep good people. You cannot swap aircraft rental and
instruction time for hourly work like I did when I was learning to fly.
Take-home pay is what drives today’s employees.

I have found that if a pilot will simply explain his situation to the FBO
manager or owner, it goes a long way toward keeping relationships friendly.

I know that the corporate pilot is concerned about handling his passengers
in a professional manner, and getting the most value for his money. I also
know that the recreational pilot is concerned about fuel prices. It’s a
delicate balance that we do at a small FBO such as mine.

Fuel sales are the bread and butter of most FBOs. Without good volume, they
cannot survive.

I know that it’s unrealistic to expect every pilot to purchase fuel every
time. I also know there are occasions when a purchase isn’t made because of
a difference in price of a few cents a gallon.

I don’t set my prices on a whim. I know how much profit per gallon must be
made, based on historical volume, and I also track regional and national
prices. I also purchase fuel, and I know how expensive it is to operate any
kind of aircraft.

I urge pilots to get to know their FBO owners and operators. They love
aviation as much as you do. They have some interesting stories to tell.

Communications will help the pilot understand the FBO’s position, and help
the FBO understand the needs of the pilot.

A cup of coffee and a stroll through the hangar or down the flight line will
remind everybody just why we all got into this most interesting, special and
unique fraternity that we call aviation.

Ken Perry
President, Perry Flying Center
Patterson, Louisiana


   Post your opinion on this story in the CAA General Aviation Forum
http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID2

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