80 Vol 23 Issue 8 2019 AVBUYERMAGAZINE http://www.AVBUYER.comOWNERSHIP AVBUYER.comAvBuyer - Read by Flight Departments Throughout the World
advanced reservations before granting you
permission to come to their operation.
Are you factoring the impact of such events on
your regular destination airports into your flight
planning?Curfews and Restrictions
The existence of locally sensitive operating
limitations may not be apparent to a first-time or
infrequent visitor of an airport, but this information is
usually available in flight-planning programs, airport
directories and in literature from FBOs based at the
field.
Such limitations can vary through the day and
sometimes go so far as to amount to a shutdown of
flight operations for some older, noisier aircraft.
The airport may even close after a certain hour,
making a late-night or pre-dawn departure for home
impossible.
Aside from the possible operational impact of
local restrictions, their violation may subject the
operator to a monetary fine levied by a local entity
for the curfew or decibel-level deviation. Are you
listening and watching for developments with
curfews and restrictions at the airports you’ve
traditionally used? And are you monitoring the
situation at the other airports nearby?FBO Options, Fuel Costs & Other Expenses
Have you ever landed at a large airport only to find
that a different nearby airport sells its Jet A for a
dollar or more less per gallon? When weighing
airports it behooves you to learn how many FBOsthe field hosts, as well as FBO options at other
candidate airports.
And speaking of FBOs, you should be particularly
attentive to fuel costs at any airport offering only
one. The lack of competition too often leads to
above average fuel and service prices.
And, on the subject of FBOs, enquire whether
your candidate fields' FBOs charge a service fee or
impose a minimum fuel purchase as the cost of using
their facilities. It's too common for an FBO to charge
a hefty fee for the privilege of stopping your engines
long enough to drop off a passenger.Catering
Depending on the market, a city with more than one
airport often offers catering service through the FBO
(with food prepared by a restaurant or other entity off
the field). The typical business aircraft operator
should be familiar with the logistics of selecting,
ordering and taking delivery of food for a flight.
But, again, depending on the market, the catering
options may be more limited in some small markets
than in those with multiple airports from which to
choose.In Summary...
From the above touchpoints, it should be clear that
there are plenty of reasons to regularly check all of
the airport options available to you – especially in the
areas your Business Aviation operations frequent.
It could pay handsomely to check around when
you discover that yesterday’s best choice airport may
not match today's needs. ❙O A
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