Sleeping at an FBO

Bsmiller05

Bsmiller05

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have some experience with doing this? I'm assuming it's pretty straight-forward, but I'd like some feedback. I don't really have any extra dough for a hotel, so I'm trying to think outside the box. It'll be at OPF.

Thanks.
 
Just a heads up, its been a couple of months,but Miama Exec's chairs are not the comfy sleeping type there are two rows in their pilot lounge(which they have to buzz you in) and they only lean back to about a 45 degree angle. They are not the good lazy-boy type of chairs. I can't remember if they have a quiet room that in the back that you can actually sleep in or not. Maybe someone else can help you out but for sure the tv rooms chairs are not sleep worthy.
 
Call the FBO and ask if they have a crew room and what the cost is. Some places will let you use it if you buy fuel, tie down, etc.

I worked at an FBO 2000-2001 and we would let the freight guys use the room all the time. Of course we had a couple of lazy boys they could use as well and those most times were used before the crew room was.
 
I've slept in a few pilot lounges without any problems. I came in relatively late (about 9 or 10 p.m. I think) and left relatively early (6 or 7 a.m.).

I prefer middle-of-nowhere airports that are unattended and have an "Enter the CTAF frequency" security lock on the door, but I've slept in 24 hour FBOs, too.

I never asked for permission. I figured it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It worked out fine.

YMMV.
 
This just in: The AP has learned that at least one pilot fell asleep moments before his plane took off. The FAA said at no time were the passengers in danger, but has launched an investigation of pilots sleeping before takeoff.
 
Bsmiller05 said:
Does anyone have some experience with doing this? I'm assuming it's pretty straight-forward, but I'd like some feedback. I don't really have any extra dough for a hotel, so I'm trying to think outside the box. It'll be at OPF.

Thanks.
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I spent a day at the Orion Jet Center, KOPF, waiting on MX a few months back. Nice crew car, bathrooms were all INOP though (I would imagine they were fixed by now). I had a very nice 4 star hotel for less than $30 off hotwire, on South Beach. I would strongly suggest getting a room if you can, there are plenty of deals around MIA.
 
I fly freight. If I had to ask permission everytime I passed out in an FBO, I'd have never gotten any of that wonderfully restful sleep between energy drinks and candy bars.
 
Speed Pilot said:
I fly freight. If I had to ask permission everytime I passed out in an FBO, I'd have never gotten any of that wonderfully restful sleep between energy drinks and candy bars.
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Have you had to sleep at the FBO at GUP yet? I've heard some interesting stories about extended stays there.
 
Back when I was a hardass freight-doggy, I got woken up on three occassions by some snot-nosed Kingair F/O kid furiously asking me why he hadn't gotten his 100 gallons of JET-JET-JET-A. Ok, not really, that only happened once. The other two were less irritating, but only slightly. That's the main danger...someone will mistake you for the line-dude. And as Bajthejino so eloquently stated, the correct answer is "Okey-dokey, sir, right away!" Then go back to sleep. Other than that, you're scot-free. Snooze rooms are there to be used, and it's first-come, first-served. Even God-Like Jet Captains don't get to kick anyone, however lowely, out of the snooze room. No, we're mostly left to wander the ramp like angry spirits, or raid the vending machine for high-calorie packaged foods which will encourage us to fart mightily in the TV-room with Fox News turned up to "11" and die of a heart attack at 50, as befits our God-like status. Seriously, don't worry about it. We're all Peasants when it comes to the snooze-room. IMS, the snooze room at OPF is tiny and weird and has a shower in a weird place, and is mostly inhabited by Flight Express ne'er do-wells. Just hide your valuables, and you should do fine.
 
I remember once back when me and my friend were doing a lot of cross countries together, once coming back from San Francisco we decided to stop at VNY and go to our spot for some persian food. But then food coma hit and laying there on those comfy couches at pentastar wasn't really helping much so we just decided to spend the night and fly back the next morning.
 
A150K said:
Have you had to sleep at the FBO at GUP yet? I've heard some interesting stories about extended stays there.
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No, haven't slept in GUP yet. It's just a quick stop and go for us. I'd have to break down to need to stay there longer than 10 minutes. Anyone else think the guy in Hobbs is a dick?
 
Was snoozing in the SGF pilot lounge once. Some guy walked in, turned on the lights, while talking on his cell phone. Glanced over at me, saw me trying to get some sleep, then proceeded to turn on the TV and continue talking loudly. After about a minute, he walked out of the room never to be seen again. DON'T BE THAT GUY, or I will hunt you down and disembowel you.
 
Bsmiller05 said:
Does anyone have some experience with doing this? I'm assuming it's pretty straight-forward, but I'd like some feedback. I don't really have any extra dough for a hotel, so I'm trying to think outside the box. It'll be at OPF.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I used to fly night organ donor stuff. very few places have a decent spot to sleep. Your hosed...
 
Speed Pilot said:
No, haven't slept in GUP yet. It's just a quick stop and go for us. I'd have to break down to need to stay there longer than 10 minutes. Anyone else think the guy in Hobbs is a dick?
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Gallup is the definition of a hole. I've heard stories about the lady at HOB when it was still Flower Aviation, but I don't think they're around anymore. Should you ever find yourself sleeping in GUP, shoot me a PM--there is a story...
 
A150K said:
Gallup is the definition of a hole. I've heard stories about the lady at HOB when it was still Flower Aviation, but I don't think they're around anymore. Should you ever find yourself sleeping in GUP, shoot me a PM--there is a story...
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Last time I slept at GUP when flying freight was in 1995. Back in the day, RQE only had the VOR approach, so if the WX was low enough, Id have to shoot the LOC 6 into GUP, get under the WX and VFR it to RQE.

One of our BP crews was refueling at LSB a while back. Went into the airport office to see if they had to pay first and the old man at the FBO was asleep. So they fueled up then went in to pay. Tried to wake the old man, only to find that he was deceased in his hammock.
 
PEQ is a pretty nice place to crash for a few hours... Took shelter there while waiting out a storm... FBO owners are unbelievably nice and accommodating.
 
MikeD said:
Last time I slept at GUP when flying freight was in 1995. Back in the day, RQE only had the VOR approach, so if the WX was low enough, Id have to shoot the LOC 6 into GUP, get under the WX and VFR it to RQE.

One of our BP crews was refueling at LSB a while back. Went into the airport office to see if they had to pay first and the old man at the FBO was asleep. So they fueled up then went in to pay. Tried to wake the old man, only to find that he was deceased in his hammock.
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RQE is one of the coolest airports I've been to, I'll have to get over there to do some approaches. Two out of three are circling only, the location of the airport probably makes for some interesting circling. The last time I slept is Gallup was never. There are two places I would never sleep, a war zone and Gallup :). The old guy that runs the show at GUP does not have the best reputation. Now the old guy that manages GNT just east on I-40 is a true badass.
 
MikeD said:
Last time I slept at GUP when flying freight was in 1995. Back in the day, RQE only had the VOR approach, so if the WX was low enough, Id have to shoot the LOC 6 into GUP, get under the WX and VFR it to RQE.

One of our BP crews was refueling at LSB a while back. Went into the airport office to see if they had to pay first and the old man at the FBO was asleep. So they fueled up then went in to pay. Tried to wake the old man, only to find that he was deceased in his hammock.
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Did they pay by leaving the money on the counter, or did they split without paying (both options allowing them to remain on schedule), or did they go through the hassel of reporting the mort, thereby causing a delay? Option one or two would be ok - the guy won't get more dead. If you dine and dash, just call it a tax for me having to be exposed to a dead guy - that's poor customer service.
 
A150K said:
Gallup is the definition of a hole. I've heard stories about the lady at HOB when it was still Flower Aviation, but I don't think they're around anymore. Should you ever find yourself sleeping in GUP, shoot me a PM--there is a story...
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Yeah, it's Tailwind Aviation in HOB now. All the guy talks about is how much money he can put in his pocket. We have to buy 40 gals. a day there and he won't even let us park on the ramp. We have to go park almost off the pavement to the west of the ramp. He's even had the audacity to ask one of our pilots to "get out of the pilot lounge and go somewhere else" because he had 2 king airs coming in and didn't want us being around. Of course he asks this AFTER we've already bought gas from him.

The guy is a tool and he's chased away almost all of the GA business in Hobbs. If it wasn't for us and South Aero, he couldn't afford to pay the electric bill. Moral of the story. Don't go to Hobbs, NM unless you have no other options.

Sorry for the sidetrack guys. He gets my goat every time.
 
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