FBO Courtesy Car Etiquette
- Thread starter Windchill
- Start date
Mr_Creepy
Well-Known Member
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One other thing. Remember that courtesy cars are meant for professional pilots that are stuck at the FBO!
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I work longer hours and longer days than alot of "professional pilots" (as you like to call them). I deserve to eat just as much as the next guy. . .
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No argument from me about that Lloyd! CFI is MUCH harder work than corporate flying.
It wasn't my point, though - the corporate guys are stuck there on someone else's schedule. They can't just say to their student, "OK Let's go over to the next airport."
Perhaps the word "professional" should be changed to "corporate."
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One other thing. Remember that courtesy cars are meant for professional pilots that are stuck at the FBO!
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I work longer hours and longer days than alot of "professional pilots" (as you like to call them). I deserve to eat just as much as the next guy. . .
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No argument from me about that Lloyd! CFI is MUCH harder work than corporate flying.
It wasn't my point, though - the corporate guys are stuck there on someone else's schedule. They can't just say to their student, "OK Let's go over to the next airport."
Perhaps the word "professional" should be changed to "corporate."
Looking4Lower
New Member
Although some classier FBOs definitely cater to corporate crews, I don't think that a corporate crew is any more entitled to a car than a 172 renter pilot. Anybody can be on a tight schedule, and like Lloyd said, everybody deserves to eat.
When I was flying aerial photography, if the WX was good we would fly about 4 hrs in the morning, land and do a quick lunch, then back up for 4 more hours (then maybe a third afternoon flight during long days). I can't remember how many times I was short on time and very hungry at some FBO when the person behind the desk said "Oh, the King Air/Citation/Lear crew has the car right now...they've had it for a couple hours now...should have had it back by now...I guess you can wait if you want, they 'should' be back any time...." I would imagine that busy CFIs don't always have the time to hop around to other airports to find a car, either.
In my opinion, everybody deserves to use the car within the specified time limits. On the flip side, anybody (corporate and charter crews, CFIs, average joe renter pilot, etc.) can potentially abuse the privilege, piss off everybody else, and make themselves look bad when they keep the car too long.
When I was flying aerial photography, if the WX was good we would fly about 4 hrs in the morning, land and do a quick lunch, then back up for 4 more hours (then maybe a third afternoon flight during long days). I can't remember how many times I was short on time and very hungry at some FBO when the person behind the desk said "Oh, the King Air/Citation/Lear crew has the car right now...they've had it for a couple hours now...should have had it back by now...I guess you can wait if you want, they 'should' be back any time...." I would imagine that busy CFIs don't always have the time to hop around to other airports to find a car, either.
In my opinion, everybody deserves to use the car within the specified time limits. On the flip side, anybody (corporate and charter crews, CFIs, average joe renter pilot, etc.) can potentially abuse the privilege, piss off everybody else, and make themselves look bad when they keep the car too long.
Looking4Lower
New Member
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The best crew car i have ever used was in Tupelo, MS. It was a gold lincoln continental. Sweet!! We drove it to the barbeque place for hushpuppies.
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Dude, I drove that car too! I think they let us have it overnight, if I remember right (came in real late, left early).
The most fun crew cars are the big, heavy steel All-American land-boats of the 60's-70's.
"Rollin' in my Six-Fo'..."
The best crew car i have ever used was in Tupelo, MS. It was a gold lincoln continental. Sweet!! We drove it to the barbeque place for hushpuppies.
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Dude, I drove that car too! I think they let us have it overnight, if I remember right (came in real late, left early).
The most fun crew cars are the big, heavy steel All-American land-boats of the 60's-70's.
"Rollin' in my Six-Fo'..."
EDUC8-or
Well-Known Member
I stopped in an FBO in Gainesville, TX after hours. There was a note to just sign in and leave your name and phone number plus the ETA the next morning if you needed the car overnight. Cool stuff.
Isn't there a place in New Orleans with Jaguar crew cars?
A "good" FBO at a busy airport will know when there will be jet airplanes arriving with a crew and they can usually look at a schedule to see if the crew cars will be available. If there's no crew car around sometimes you can find someone to give you a ride, I've given lots of people rides into town or to the beach because there were no cars available. We have no time limit on our crew car. When we get real busy and there are multiple crews and no cars available or no one to give rides, pilots don't whine about it, they just order out.
Isn't there a place in New Orleans with Jaguar crew cars?
A "good" FBO at a busy airport will know when there will be jet airplanes arriving with a crew and they can usually look at a schedule to see if the crew cars will be available. If there's no crew car around sometimes you can find someone to give you a ride, I've given lots of people rides into town or to the beach because there were no cars available. We have no time limit on our crew car. When we get real busy and there are multiple crews and no cars available or no one to give rides, pilots don't whine about it, they just order out.
C650CPT
Well-Known Member
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Whether you're a "dumb CFI" or a corporate hotshot in a G-V, you're a customer of the FBO, and you should be treated accordingly. accordingly
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First off I like this discussion because it is applicable right now to a good majority of us here at JC. All good points and I don't think anyone is dissing the CFI / GA Pilots here in deference to the Corporate Pilots, but the point was made appropirately above ... accordingly. When I upload 500 gallons of Jet A I expect to be able to go get some food in a reasonable amount of time. If everone is considerate we all get to eat, but to use a courtesy car to sight see in my opinion is not fair play. We often will invite other pilots ( corporate and GA ) to go along when its our "turn" to use the Courtesy car. I think ignorant CFI is applicable because they just need learn to consider the big picture.
Jim
Whether you're a "dumb CFI" or a corporate hotshot in a G-V, you're a customer of the FBO, and you should be treated accordingly. accordingly
[/ QUOTE ]
First off I like this discussion because it is applicable right now to a good majority of us here at JC. All good points and I don't think anyone is dissing the CFI / GA Pilots here in deference to the Corporate Pilots, but the point was made appropirately above ... accordingly. When I upload 500 gallons of Jet A I expect to be able to go get some food in a reasonable amount of time. If everone is considerate we all get to eat, but to use a courtesy car to sight see in my opinion is not fair play. We often will invite other pilots ( corporate and GA ) to go along when its our "turn" to use the Courtesy car. I think ignorant CFI is applicable because they just need learn to consider the big picture.
Jim
Mr_Creepy
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Whether you're a "dumb CFI" or a corporate hotshot in a G-V, you're a customer of the FBO, and you should be treated accordingly. accordingly
[/ QUOTE ]
First off I like this discussion because it is applicable right now to a good majority of us here at JC. All good points and I don't think anyone is dissing the CFI / GA Pilots here in deference to the Corporate Pilots, but the point was made appropirately above ... accordingly. When I upload 500 gallons of Jet A I expect to be able to go get some food in a reasonable amount of time. If everone is considerate we all get to eat, but to use a courtesy car to sight see in my opinion is not fair play. We often will invite other pilots ( corporate and GA ) to go along when its our "turn" to use the Courtesy car. I think ignorant CFI is applicable because they just need learn to consider the big picture.
Jim
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I agree 100%. The car is for food and quick shopping. It is not intended for sightseeing!
[ QUOTE ]
Whether you're a "dumb CFI" or a corporate hotshot in a G-V, you're a customer of the FBO, and you should be treated accordingly. accordingly
[/ QUOTE ]
First off I like this discussion because it is applicable right now to a good majority of us here at JC. All good points and I don't think anyone is dissing the CFI / GA Pilots here in deference to the Corporate Pilots, but the point was made appropirately above ... accordingly. When I upload 500 gallons of Jet A I expect to be able to go get some food in a reasonable amount of time. If everone is considerate we all get to eat, but to use a courtesy car to sight see in my opinion is not fair play. We often will invite other pilots ( corporate and GA ) to go along when its our "turn" to use the Courtesy car. I think ignorant CFI is applicable because they just need learn to consider the big picture.
Jim
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I agree 100%. The car is for food and quick shopping. It is not intended for sightseeing!
stuckingfk
Well-Known Member
Look at this sweet ride my student and I had in Dryden Ontario yesterday
bike21
9-5 Ruins Lives
One of my favorites was an old jalpoy of some sort from West Woodward, OK. The keychain was a huge carriage bolt about 5" long so you couldn't carry the keys off with you in the a/c. I nearly busted the glass counter at the restaraunt with the thing! The heater barely worked and the suspension exhibited some crazy characteristics! The car seemed to bounce up and down for several minutes after each bump in the road! I thought we had hydraulics or something...
