On Aug 28, 4:57*pm, "Mike" wrote:

I prefer the independent FBOs to the big chains like Millionair and
Signature. *Usually their service is good, but sometimes they treat you like
a leper if you are a Avgas burner. *They will quite often park you in the
remotest corner of their ramp to make room for the corporate guys and I've
had them refuse the courtesy car because they only had one available and it
was "reserved". *

I've never understood why people care where their plane is. You pull
up to the front of the FBO, they unload your plane into your rental
car. Then when you leave the hotel to go back to the airport you call
the FBO to stage your airplane. They could store the plane in Iran for
all I care, the point is its sitting in front of the FBO when I'm
ready for it.

I never use the courtesy car, I just book a rental. Rental cars is the
real reason that big FBOs rule. The little FBOs get crappy service
from the car rental companies. Several times when I tried a small FBO
the rental car guys show up and try to drive me to another airport to
pick up my car.
At the big FBO from shut down to driving down the freeway is only
about 15 minutes vs. almost an hour at the little FBOs. When flying
with the family the service of fueling and staging is important. Long
ago I figured out that family flying works best when the trip isn't
about the airplane or hanging around the airport, its about going
somewhere cool.


-Robert