Why FBOs Must Charge a Fortune

I drove around our airport last week, giving a tour to some folks who
are interested in making Iowa City a stop on a future "National Air
Tour"-type event, and was appalled to find...nothing.

No planes moving. One plane on the ramp, going no where. No people,
no vehicles. It was as if someone had set off a neutron bomb nearby,
leaving only the structures. Later, I strolled through the FBOs giant
maintenance hangar. Mid-afternoon, and...nothing. No movement, no
life, no mechanics -- only the shop supervisor, making busy by sorting
microfiche.

I then went to my mechanics shop. He was busy, of course...building
his Hawk replica. (He's got the upper wing on it now...he figures it'll
fly by spring.) There were a couple of customer projects in the shop,
but since they are doing most of the work themselves, his only reward
is having a fuselage that he must work around all the time.

The weather was good, very warm for the season, actually -- but
everyone apparently had Christmas shopping on their mind. There was
just no one flying, or thinking about flyling, or doing much of
anything at the airport. No money of any kind was exchanging hands on
the field...and this appears to be continuing throughout the holidays.

Later, I sat down and chatted with one of the FBO managers, and asked
him how they survived times like this? He smiled, and asked what WE
did when times were slow. (As they are right now, actually. December
has been a VERY quiet month at the inn...) I told him we remodeled
suites, replaced carpet, and basically got the facility caught up from
the year's craziness. And we watch the checkbook dwindle...

But we don't have the overhead you do, I replied. You've got trucks,
and pumps, and tools, and half a dozen mechanics, and line guys, and
desk staff, and...the list goes on and on. How do you PAY for all that
when there is ZERO income?

We both knew the answer. That's why they must charge stupidly high
rates for annual inspections, and five bucks for a quart of oil. In
the summer, when the line is hopping, they must make what they can on
those of us who fly. And even at that, they're barely breaking even
for the year, if they're lucky.

And what other options do they have? You can say that things would
pick up if they were to cut their fees, but that's simply not true when
there are so few flying. Perhaps it would help in the long run, but
the "long run" doesn't keep food on the table in the interim.

Unless and until we can revitalize GA, this inexorable trend will
continue, until there are just three of us left on the field, each
paying $175,000 per year to maintain our Cherokees.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"