Interacting with the local FBO (Fixed Base Operator) isn’t something you’ll typically learn as part of a standard training curriculum at your local flight school.  But yet we depend on FBOs to take advantage of everything we do in aviation – the gateway between the free skies and rest of the world.  Learning the ins and outs of “FBO speak”, FBO culture and standard practices will make for a much more enjoyable flying experience and give you the confidence and insight to go new places and try new things.

Part of the challenge of taming the FBO world could very well be that no two FBOs are created equal.  This may be a bit of an exaggeration today as mergers and acquisitions have given rise to big chains with predictable service, but there can be subtle nuances even among the same brand.  And for sure local practices vary.  If this sounds confusing or intimidating, please read on…there is universal language to get you by at any FBO.

 

Hours of Operation – believe half of what you read and none of what you hear.  One of the more challenging aspects of FBO interaction is unlocking the mystery of operating hours.  And for all of you bargain fuel price hunters, there’s a strong correlation of low fuel price to unpredictable availability.  My advice would be to a) don’t believe what’s published on the website or sign and b) always call to verify that you’ll be able to receive service.  The wrong time to figure out real FBO hours is Sunday evening, low on fuel, on the way back home.

 

Arrivals – call ahead to avoid surprises.  You’ll find that most FBOs offer plenty of parking space and can handle about any aircraft that shows up on the ramp; however, most pilots are planners and don’t wish to leave anything to chance.  Call ahead to check on any particular service you may need.  This can be done via telephone, email or use the published radio frequency to call when you’re about 10 minutes away from the ramp.  The busier FBOs will appreciate the advance notice.  And if you need to perform a quick turnaround, the call-ahead will ensure the fuel truck is ready upon your arrival.

 

Parking – take it slow and keep your head on a swivel.  The well-staffed FBOs will likely have line personnel (those working on the ramp) to direct you to parking.  Once a lineman begins to offer hand signals (more on that shortly) for aircraft maneuvering, trust but verify.  The ramp area is full of hidden obstacles and plenty of distractions so confirm what you’re being instructed to do will keep you out of trouble.

If you’re taxing on to an FBO ramp off hours with no personnel, take cues from how other aircraft are parked or positioned and if possible, park into the wind.  And if it’s dark, lookout for low fences and other hidden obstacles.  Don’t believe an FBO will always have tie-downs or ropes so either call ahead or better yet, invest in a tie-down kit for the back of the airplane.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PARKING BRAKE SET.  FBOs appreciate the flexibility of being able to move airplanes to more convenient locations or to remote areas if staying for an extended period.  And if you’re parking in an area prone to severe weather, you’ll appreciate the FBO taking the liberty of moving your aircraft to a safe location if need be.

LOCK UP because not everyone is honest and your headset, iPad, etc. are valuable.  Further, security regulations require your aircraft be properly secured.  There are pilots who have been flying for years who have never locked the aircraft, so may want to confirm your key will work and the locking mechanism is fully functional ahead of your trip.

 

Hand Signals – for effective communication to take place there must be a sender of information and able receiver.  Hand signals do no good if only the sender (lineman) understands the message.

My friend, Jason, FBO Manager of Eastern Cincinnati Aviation at Clermont County Airport, confirms that hand signal communication is a shortcoming of the general aviation community.  Such miscommunication can wreak havoc on a crowded ramp.  The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) dedicates a section to hand signals.  This is critically important, often overlooked information.  Take time to learn the basic hand signals before going solo to a new FBO.

 

Ground Transportation – proper planning for ground transportation can make or break a trip.  Many FBOs offer “crew” or “courtesy” cars and some even advertise this fact on websites or other FBO listing websites.  Courtesy cars are simply vehicles that are loaned free to customers for short amounts of time – like an hour or two, not a 3-day weekend.  The custom is to keep the car clean and return it in as good or better condition than you found it with at least as much gas as when you left.

If you require a car for a longer period of time or courtesy cars aren’t available, you can check on the availability of cabs if you’re going to a relatively large city or arrange for a rental car.  Many rental car companies have relationships with FBOs that either allow the FBO to rent directly or allow cars to be delivered and dropped off at the FBO.  This is not always obvious if using rental car company websites.  It may require a call to the FBO or call to the local car rental office.  I’ve found that even if a formal relationship doesn’t exist with the FBO, some local offices are happy to drop a car off at your airport location.

And don’t forget about the possibility of a free hotel shuttle.

 

Fueling – you want to get this one right.  To borrow a previously used term, trust but verify.  Don’t assume FBO personnel are experts on your type aircraft and don’t trust that fuel orders are always relayed accurately.  If you’re not in a position to supervise the refueling of your aircraft, it’s certainly acceptable to make a call to check on the fueling status and of course, perform a thorough preflight and check of the tanks prior to departing.

Self-serve fuel is becoming more readily available and it’s often cheaper and accessible 24 hours per day.  For your first self-fueling, I’d recommend getting supervision at your home airport or even observe the local FBO refueling an airplane.  You’ll want to know how to position the nozzle, where to stand, and most importantly, where to ground the airplane.

As an aircraft flies through the air, it can accumulate static electricity. If the electricity is not dissipated before fueling, an arc could occur and ignite vapors. To prevent a potential arc, aircraft are electrically bonded to the fueling station/truck and not disconnected until after fueling is complete.

 

Weather and flight planning – you may not always have internet access.  As hard as it may be to believe, high speed internet service is NOT available everywhere.  The point here is to have more than one trick in your bag for weather data and/or flight plan filing should your first option not be available.  Flight service via telephone could be your only option.

 

Departing – be mindful and considerate of your surroundings.  Not all FBOs or airports allow vehicles to be driven on to a ramp.  Always check with personnel before driving your bags directly to the airplane.

Remember that aircraft are loud and kick up a lot of wind which can be damaging to other aircraft and to any open doors.  Be sure there is plenty of maneuvering room from where you start and that your taxi path won’t blow items around through an open hangar door.

It’s also courteous to avoid long periods on a crowded ramp or near a building with the engine running and NEVER perform an aircraft run-up in a parking area.  Also keep in mind there could be line personnel waiting to dispatch your aircraft from its parking space.  After completing that after start check, use gentle applications of power to carefully maneuver the airplane to a location away from people and buildings.  Even at towered airports, there is generally a non-movement area that you may maneuver your airplane in without obtaining a clearance to do so.  This is usually anywhere on an FBO’s ramp.

 

PIREPs – help other pilots understand the ins and outs by providing feedback.  Any numbers of FBO listing sites or apps allow pilots to leave feedback.  We want FBOs to flourish to ensure this vital infrastructure is around and successful for years to come.  Help fellow pilots by providing insightful information and be encouraging whenever possible of patronizing your favorite FBOs.

 

What helpful tips or lessons would you share related to FBOs?

When most students hear the term “PTS” they might think of a training acronym, an obscure part of their aircraft, or a list to buy at the grocery store.  Rarely is the correct term, Practical Test Standards, their first thought.  The PTS is unfortunately a rarely used, little understood document by the student.

Most students’ knowledge of the PTS comes directly from their instructor and is mostly limited to things like “+/- 100 Ft and 10 kts”.  This unfamiliarity is a disadvantage to the student.  Now I’m not suggesting that the PTS is the greatest book to curl up and read on a Tuesday night, but the information contained in the PTS was not just written for your instructor or examiner – it was written for you too!

When conducting stage checks (similar to a check ride) for our flight school, I am often surprised by students who seem shocked when I ask a question along a topic line or their performance procedure on a specific maneuver.  When they ask me “Should I have known that?” my answer always comes back in reference to the PTS.  And as a near certainty, they claim familiarity with the document, but “I’ve never read it.”

The PTS is the ultimate cheat sheet, the key to the test, the inside guide on what to do, and the behind the scenes guide to your check ride.  Do yourself a favor and pick it up for more than a passing glance.  To help you in that endeavor, I want to discuss the parts of the PTS and how best to use it for your training preparation.

Introduction Section – The front of every FAA PTS contains several sections prior to the standards for that particular examination.  This is not something to pass over.  Inside the introduction are discussions about how the check ride is to be conducted, procedures to be used during the oral and flight portion, all the references used for the entire test, and the general standards for passing or failing the test. Things learned from the introduction section might be…

• Did you know that the examiner is supposed to try a realistic distraction at key times to determine if your focus remains on the task at hand?  Sounds a little like a dirty trick, but if you know that it is coming, it takes the surprise out of things.
• There is a list of many items that are being tested and evaluated, but are NOT listed in the areas of operations section.  These items include aeronautical decision making, checklist usage, and collision avoidance, just to name a few.
• All tolerances listed in the PTS are performance standards on “good flying conditions”.  I have seen many students get upset and ultimately distracted by minor variations from published tolerances as a result of turbulence, or other outside forces, and this distraction caused them to ultimately fail, yet they were inside passing standards due to the conditions of the day.

Areas of Operations – This is the section that most students are more familiar with and include all the required tolerances for performance for all maneuvers, knowledge areas, and procedures to be tested during the test.  In addition to the numerical standards, this section also covers all the key elements that are to be demonstrated and tested.  This would include steps to be performed during the maneuver, knowledge elements for flight maneuvers and ground items, and decision making criteria.

Take the time to review each element of all required maneuvers.  Many times students will learn a maneuver and through the process of repetition, they change or exclude certain elements.  The PTS will help keep required items correct.

• Learning the tolerances for each maneuver is a great practice, but remember that the numerical tolerances are not the only item that is being evaluated.
• Be familiar with all tasks, but note which can be combined or selected from the list.
• Always strive to perform your best, not just inside the specified tolerance for the maneuver.
• As you and your instructor prepare for your checkride, review all elements of the Areas of Operations both on the ground and while flying reviewing for your checkride.

Given that the PTS can be a dry and somewhat lengthy document, consider using additional resources to help you review and gain proficiency from the PTS.  There are many choices but here are a few: The Sporty’s Complete Learn to Fly Course has an interactive PTS study guide that incorporates video training segments that cover the required PTS items; Individual maneuver manuals sold by Sporty’s, Jeppesen, or ASA cover many aspects of the PTS; Dedicated PTS study guides sold for that purpose.

Hopefully, you and your instructor will incorporate the PTS into your entire training and not just on the last two days before your check ride.  There are many examiners out there that like to test or emphasize their particular interest from their flying experience, but their evaluation of your performance is limited to the items listed in the PTS, so don’t worry too much about who your exact examiner is.  Lastly, even though the PTS spells out all items in specific detail, remember that your goal is to become a safe, competent pilot, which is not just the sum of slow flight and steep turns.

Safe flying,