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Home Away From Home: 10 Best FBOs
by Janice Rosenberg
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Photograph by Joanne Persico
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For thousands of general aviation pilots and their families, the FBO is home-away-from-home. Whether you’re just stopping to refuel and grab lunch, or planning to overnight and wait out the weather, nothing raises your spirits like a warm greeting from the line crew and a helpful office staff that can make your stay comfortable.
A good FBO is a place where out of towners can great rates at the best hotels in town, reservations at any restaurant, and transportation to and from the airport at any time of the day or night. It is a lifeline for travelers, and that’s why FBOs that go above and beyond deserve special recognition.
We know that general aviation travel is all about adventure. But at the end of a long, hard day, you want a nice hotel and a good meal. You don’t want to stay at the motel from hell, where the only thing to eat comes from a vending machine and the last time your room saw a vaccume was when you were in diapers.
You need the inside track, and the FBO can offer that. Family members appreciate warm greetings from the line crew and office staff, comfy couches in the lounge, a wide assortment of snack food in the vending machines and clean washrooms. Pilots look for low fuel prices, quick turnaround times, and help when there is a problem with the airplane.
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Some FBOs stand out by adding a dimension of service beyond the familiar flight-planning rooms and T-shirt counters. When an FBO staff goes out of its way to make you comfortable, you may even want to go a little out of your way to stop there on your next trip. Here, in no particular order, are some of our favorite FBOs offering service with a smile, and the occasional agreeable twist.
Trego-Dugan Aviation
KLBF North Platte Regional Airport Lee
Bird Field
East Hangar
North Platte, Nebraska 69101
800.645.2958
www.trego-dugan.com
Tower: No
Runway: 12/30 or 17/35
Fees: Overnight parking, $5
Reservations Required: No
 A giant stuffed animal head in the entry lounge offers a quick reminder that Trego-Dugan Aviation — “FBO of the Plains” — makes its home where the buffalo once roamed. Its employees, known as “The Buffalo People,” make certain that another hallmark of the Old West — hospitality — will never face extinction. When company president Gary M. Trego was growing up on a ranch 20 miles west of North Platte, neighbors or workmen who showed up around noon were always invited to stay for “dinner.” Today, Trego-Dugan provides a welcoming lounge where pilots, passengers and even their pets can settle in to eat, wait out bad weather, nap or watch TV. The FBO’s central U.S. location makes it a natural stop for pilots on cross-country adventures and home base for jets owned by non-pilots. Trego and his daughter, Traci Dugan, often fly the jets they manage as a team, picking up owners at their local airports, then transporting them to vacation retreats in Utah and Colorado. When you’re at the Trego-Dugan office, check out the Native American and Western artifacts, including turquoise and silver jewelry on display for sale in the glass-topped cabinet where pilots sign their charge card receipts. Pilots receive eight “points” per gallon of fuel toward incentives such as 12-oz. dry-aged New York strip steaks from Nebraska-raised cattle.
Yelvington Jet Aviation
KDAB Daytona Beach International Airport
2326 Bellevue Ave.
Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
888.322.5382
www.yjeta.com
Tower: Yes
Runway: 7 Left
Fees: None with fuel purchase
Reservations Required: No
The personal touch, service and attention to detail won Yelvington Jet Aviation second place in the 2003 “Best North American FBO” survey in Aviation International News. The airport’s proximity to the Daytona International Speedway brings numerous NASCAR drivers and their teams to Yelvington. At the conclusion of the 2002 Daytona 500, when more than 400 aircraft tried to leave at the same time — causing the greatest traffic congestion at KDAB of the year — planes at Yelvington departed in minutes from nearby runway 7L. Planes at other locations awaited departure for as long as 2 1/2 hours. Owner/operators Darlene Yelvington and Chadd Collins began in aviation in 1990, providing off-site refueling services at area airports such as Deland and Massey Air Ranch. They set up shop at KDAB in 1996 and launched their FBO in 1998. Collins says that when you get down to it, all FBOs offer similar services; what sets the best ones apart is not what they offer, but how. Amenities at Yelvington include a private pilots’ lounge with office and conference rooms, all with Internet access; complimentary refreshments and catering on request; an in-house limousine service; and a PT Cruiser crew car.
Banyan Air Services
KFXE Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport
1575 West Commercial Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309
954.491.3170
www.banyanair.com
Tower: Yes
Runway: 31
 Fees: None with fuel purchase
Reservations Required: No
In 1979, Banyan Air owner Don Campion bought a 4,000-square-foot hangar. From this humble beginning has grown the behemoth that now includes a comprehensive 85-acre empire on the south end of Fort Lauderdale Exec. The pilot shop inventories 20,000 items ranging from pilot’s apparel to tires. The full-service maintenance department consists of a 26,000-square-foot turbine hangar, a 20,000-square-foot avionics hangar, a 16,000-square-foot piston maintenance hangar and a parts distribution division with an inventory of roughly 20,000. Rounding out the offerings is an aircraft sales division providing comprehensive sales and acquisition services; a charter operation; prop, engine and avionics shops; general maintenance services; and a comfortable FBO that’s about to be replaced by even more luxurious digs. But size doesn’t prevent Banyan Air from providing exceptional, personal customer service. Staff members work with pilots on their way to the Bahamas, providing the helpful “The Islands of the Bahamas - Flight Planning and Destination Guide” on video, as well as a kit with a pilot’s guide, an airport pocket reference guide and immigration forms. For a quick meal, Banyan provides golf carts for the downfield trip to the Skytel Coffee Shop (open daily, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) for pancakes or a tasty B.L.T.
Wilson Air Center
KMEM Memphis International Airport
2930 Winchester Rd.
Memphis, Tennessee 38118
901.345.1088
www.wilsonair.com
Tower: Yes
Runway: Taxiways A and Y
Fees: None with fuel purchase
Reservations Required: No
In surveys by Aviation International News, highly satisfied pilots and other flight department personnel have rated Wilson Air Center “Best North American FBO” for four years running (2000-2003). Owner Kemmons Wilson opened the facility in late 1996 after making his mark as founder and chairman of Holiday Inn.  Wilson combined proven disciplines from the hotel industry with an “out of the box” aviation management style to create his latest successful operation. Wilson’s son Bob designed Wilson Air Center’s 26,000-square-foot canopy, three times larger than any other in the United States, after looking in vain for one with enough room to cover his own Cessna 210. With one row for arrivals and one for departures, the canopy keeps passengers and pilots dry during wet weather and cool during Memphis’s hot summer months. One day each week arriving pilots and passengers enjoy “Tropical Day.” Deplaning to the strains of Jimmy Buffet or the Beach Boys, arrivals are greeted by personnel in tropical shirts offering freshly prepared hot dogs, burgers and potato salad. All pilots at Wilson are treated as if they’d arrived in the most upscale aircraft, says company vice president David Ivey. You never know — today’s piper Cub aviator may arrive tomorrow piloting a Fortune 500 corporate jet.
Salina Municipal Airport
2035 Beechcraft Rd.
Salina, Kansas 67401
785.825.6739
www.floweraviation.com/salina.html
Tower: Yes
Runway: Taxiway E
Fees: No
Reservations Required: No
Flower Aviation thinks it doesn’t hurt to throw male pilots a few curves. According to assistant manager Julie Yager, guys like coming to the FBO where girls in short “skorts” and tank tops guide them into parking spaces. Magazine ads for the FBO feature cartoons of what one might imagine to be a typical parking “girl” — voluptuous and sexy. But don’t think Flower is all about gimmicks; Flower prides itself on quick turns that put pilots back in the air within 10 minutes of landing. The FBO is also noted for its real homemade chocolate-chip cookies (employees bake them from scratch in the FBO kitchen) and its on-site catering services. Corporate planes stop for fuel at attractive prices and to pick up meals of seafood, steak and fried chicken. Customers receive one 10-oz. New York strip steak for every 100 gallons of fuel purchased. Courtesy cars, caged tropical birds and a personable staff add to the homey atmosphere. Other Flower-owned FBOs — KCSM Clinton-Sherman Airport in Clinton, Oklahoma; HOB Lea County Regional Airport in Hobbs, New Mexico; and KPUB Pueblo Memorial Airport in Pueblo, Colorado — offer similar services. On the airfield grounds at KPUB, stop by the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum operated by the Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society (www.pwam.org). The historical aircraft display and the International B-24 Memorial Museum occupy space on what was the Pueblo Army Air Base during World War II.
Million Air Houston
KHOU William P. Hobby Airport
8501 Telephone Rd.
Houston, Texas 77061
888.589.9059
www.millionair.com/hou/html/home.html
 Tower: Yes
Runway: Main runway
Fees: None with fuel purchase
Reservations Required: No
Pilots on the go don’t have to play a guessing game when they visit an FBO franchise — a uniform atmosphere as suitable for hardworking corporate flight crews as for private pilots tooling around with their families in single-engine aircraft. As part of the highly successful Million Air chain, which grew from a single Dallas FBO in 1985 to 26 FBOs across the country today, Million Air Houston provides consistency, service and attention to detail in keeping with Million Air founder and Mary Kay Cosmetics Company executive Richard Rogers’ vision of superior service and first-class facilities. To this mix, Million Air Houston adds unique amenities including a soda-fountain bar, fresh Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, fresh fruit, wireless Internet access, executive workstations, multimedia conference rooms, a swimming pool and fitness center. According to Sandy Nelson, vice president of marketing and customer relations, pilots at Million Air Houston have a great deal of downtime when they make day trips to the area. The pool and fitness center let them unwind while remaining on call for passengers’ unscheduled return trips.
Arkansas Valley Aviation
7V1 Central Colorado Regional Airport
27960 Country Rd. 319
Buena Vista, Colorado 81211
719.395.2496
Tower: No
Runway: 15/33
Fees: $5 daily parking fee
Reservations Required: No
Carol and Ron Southard’s connection with aviation began strictly by chance. As an architectural engineer and an owner of the construction company that built the Buena Vista FBO in 1988, Ron took the reins of the business when the FBO’s original owner was unable to see the project through to completion. With office space to spare in the decidedly upscale facility, Ron, an artist by avocation, decided to realize his longtime dream of owning a gallery. Carol became the gallery’s manager, displaying works by local artists and limited-edition prints from a number of art publishing companies, and opening a frame shop on premises. Because Buena Vista and nearby Salida are both artists’ communities, the enterprise was more natural than it might seem. Business at the gallery has been good; in the near future, Carol plans to implement a new focus on aviation art and gifts. Besides satisfying their curiosity about Carol’s gallery and others in the area, visitors to Arkansas Aviation (7,946 feet elevation) come for rafting trips on the Arkansas River or for an aerial view of fall foliage in the surrounding aspen tree forest.
Cutter Aviation Inc.
KPHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
2802 E. Old Tower Rd.
Phoenix, Arizona 85034
602.267.4082
www.cutteraviation.com
Tower: Yes
Runway: South Runway
Fees: No
Reservations Required: No
Cutter Aviation, celebrating its 75th anniversary, is one of the oldest FBOs in the United States. William P. “Bill” Cutter met his future wife Virginia when she came to him for flying lessons; they launched their fledgling company’s Albuquerque, New Mexico, facility in 1928. The company survived the Depression, and served as a major pilot training facility for the military during World War II. Today, William R. Cutter, the founders’ son and chairman of the board, upholds the Cutter philosophy of loyalty, integrity and pride. The company and its employees cover the Southwest with five locations in addition to Phoenix Sky Harbor (KABQ Albuquerque International Sunport Airport, KDVT Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, KSAT San Antonio International Airport, KELP El Paso International Airport and KRBD Dallas Executive Airport) plus aircraft sales, parts sales and maintenance facilities in Santa Monica, Calif.,  and San Antonio. In addition to providing traditional services and FBO amenities, Cutter’s Sky Harbor location includes its own travel agency. Cutter Travel, headed by Sandy Weesner, opened 10 years ago to book travel for company employees, and has evolved into a profitable business for Cutter. Transient pilots staying in Phoenix benefit from Weesner’s ability to locate the best rates at area hotels. Other pilots and passengers on a stopover can peruse brochures, then call in from home to make reservations and plan travel adventures with Weesner’s expert guidance.
Dyersburg Avionics
KDYR Dyersburg Municipal Airport
315 Airport Rd.
Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024
731.286.2233
Tower: No
Runway: 22/34
Fees: No
Reservations Required: No
Don’t assume that a Mom and Pop FBO has to be a shack with little more than a pay phone and a toilet; some, like Dyersburg Avionics, are little gems.  Owners Betty and Jerrie Davis, their daughter Michele Holder, and their employees all do a little of everything to keep the FBO and avionics shop humming. The Davis family bought the FBO/avionics business in 1983, began working up to 16-hour days, and soon after decided to end a 20-mile commute by moving into a doublewide on the field. Betty and Michele handle the front desk and office while Jerrie and his mechanics concentrate on service, responding to local avionics needs and keeping transient pilots on schedule. When someone lands with a problem, they’ll set aside what they’re doing to lend a hand, Jerrie says. He recalls a dreary November day in 1998, when a pilot flying IFR from New Orleans to Gary, Indiana, along a cold front in instrument meteorological conditions saw his overvoltage light go on. When the alternator wouldn’t reset, he knew he had to land. Fortunately, a hole in the deck, sufficiently high ceilings and a quick call to air traffic control helped him reach the runway in Dyersburg. One of Jerrie’s mechanics replaced the Cessna 210’s alternator. Four hours later, the grateful pilot was on his way.
TAC Air - Texarkana
TXK Texarkana Regional Airport - Webb Field
501 Airport Drive
Texarkana, Arkansas 71854
870.773.6969
www.tacair.com
Tower: Yes
Runway: 4/22
Fees: No
Reservations Required: No
The philosophy at TAC Air is a breath of fresh air: Make sure that all guests, whether they’re in for a quick turn or an extended stay, have a positive experience that fuels not only their aircraft, but good memories as well. For example, when a crew or family seeks transportation to a local eatery and the two FBO crew vehicles are in use, general manager Mike Ryan and his staff will make sure they get there, even if it means driving the hungry visitors personally. Ryan expects anyone who works for him to go all out to make customers feel like they are “guests in our home.”  Managers, line service technicians and customer service representatives at TAC Air Texarkana are people-oriented, outgoing and focused on living up to another company motto every day — “make a little money and have a little fun.” Middle managers sensitive to the staff’s needs influence employees to “walk the walk” even when no one is looking. Low turnover speaks volumes about the high morale among the 12 employees. To thank its customers, TAC Air is giving away an all-original, fully restored, award-winning 1945 Piper J-3 Cub. To enter, visit a TAC Air FBO in Texarkana, Ark., or other locations listed at www.tacair.com. A drawing will be held Oct. 7, 2003, at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention in Orlando, Fla.
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