Amenities
Just a brief note of caution.
I notice that you are in the USA, and a lot of us replying are elsewhere. Do be aware that cultures vary, and some of the things that, for example, might be very important to me as a brit, may be of much less importance to an American pilot - and vice versa.
G
I notice that you are in the USA, and a lot of us replying are elsewhere. Do be aware that cultures vary, and some of the things that, for example, might be very important to me as a brit, may be of much less importance to an American pilot - and vice versa.
G
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Livin de island life
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK, now I know the situation a bit better......
A WEBSITE! Tell people that you are there, what facilities you offer and have clear contact details. Collect the email and answer it! Make sure that AOPA and Acukwik etc have all the info.
Reasonably priced fuel - doesn't have to be the cheapest but needs to be lower than Millionaire and their ilk.
Fair landing/parking/handling policy - not everybody wants red carpets etc and not all bills for twins/turbines are paid for with "somebody else's money".
Agreements in place with local hotels/motels for pilot rates - saves bargaining every stay!
Most of all - TELL us.
A WEBSITE! Tell people that you are there, what facilities you offer and have clear contact details. Collect the email and answer it! Make sure that AOPA and Acukwik etc have all the info.
Reasonably priced fuel - doesn't have to be the cheapest but needs to be lower than Millionaire and their ilk.
Fair landing/parking/handling policy - not everybody wants red carpets etc and not all bills for twins/turbines are paid for with "somebody else's money".
Agreements in place with local hotels/motels for pilot rates - saves bargaining every stay!
Most of all - TELL us.
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Oxford
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
- a nice grass strip
- self service credit card avgas
- somewhere to sit and enjoy a coffee and snack whilst watching the traffic
- friendly briefing
- loo for the No. 2
- minimum bureaucracy - and only then if needed at all!
- sheltered parking
Popham's a very nice example.
- self service credit card avgas
- somewhere to sit and enjoy a coffee and snack whilst watching the traffic
- friendly briefing
- loo for the No. 2
- minimum bureaucracy - and only then if needed at all!
- sheltered parking
Popham's a very nice example.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: London, England
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with Genghis that the tone of the replies seems to vary according to the location of the respondent. It seems to go something like:
USA
Published ILS approach
Pilot controlled lighting for night landings when the tower (if any) is closed
No landing fee (of course)
FBO with comfy sofas and friendly staff
Coffee
Flight planning area with weather terminal
Free phone access to FAA flight service
Free courtesy car
Fuel (self service with credit card)
Hangarage
UK
Easy to spot on a murky VFR approach
Open until sunset
Landing fee under £15
Club with clean toilet and supply of loo roll
Coffee (at any price)
Table for flight planning, and Met form 215 pinned to the wall
Telephone to call a taxi
Fuel
Aircraft parking area that is not too muddy
USA
Published ILS approach
Pilot controlled lighting for night landings when the tower (if any) is closed
No landing fee (of course)
FBO with comfy sofas and friendly staff
Coffee
Flight planning area with weather terminal
Free phone access to FAA flight service
Free courtesy car
Fuel (self service with credit card)
Hangarage
UK
Easy to spot on a murky VFR approach
Open until sunset
Landing fee under £15
Club with clean toilet and supply of loo roll
Coffee (at any price)
Table for flight planning, and Met form 215 pinned to the wall
Telephone to call a taxi
Fuel
Aircraft parking area that is not too muddy
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kelowna Wine Country
Posts: 509
Likes: 0
Received 24 Likes
on
10 Posts
How about asking yourself what puts people off flying there and then put that right. I fly from a delightful village municipally owned airport BUT:
1. The Loos are in the terminal building which is now leased by a local sight seeing co. No public loos. Four or five times last Summer alone I was obliged to tell visitors who got out of planes with their knees tight together that the only option was the stinking bivvy on the onld campground. They don't come back.
2. Someone was going to open a cafe in the terminal if we got a scheduled service. We didn't. Visitors arrive, get out of their planes, say "Gee isn't it beautiful here?" Get back in and we never see them again.
3. Some social life. Three years ago someone started an outstation for a flight school there. Poor instructor had no life at all. There were eight of us learning to fly (Re-learning in my case,) but everyone did their lesson, shook hands and went home. I never even met any of the other guys. You need a social centre and a program. Think Golf clubs, sailing clubs. etc. The social thing is three quarters of the battle. I went sailing on a boat my daughter was crewing on a couple of years ago. Afterwards there were about three hundred of us at the well priced buffet, There were only about twelve boats in the race, the rest were watchers, family, non sailing members, you name it. The point is the place was buzzing. Pilots like to hang around and talk flying, and while they do they can be spending. Have a club house just big enough for a small knees up!
4. Local access. Doesn't matter how, but is has to be convenient. Again, far too many visitors, especially from the USA arrive here, look around, ask how to get to the village and when they are told the taxi can be here in 30 mins ( just the way it works, the village is about three minutes by car,) and to use the pay phone, well, they are GONE, never to be seen again.
What you might do on the positive side.
1. Low rent, get a small service facility in. All our locals (except the two of us flying experimentals,) have to take their planes 150 miles for service. If we had a low rent/ fair price service they would be coming here from the city to get the value.
2. Flying school. Preferably a rent paying independant. The students are your future hangarage and tie down and catering and gas and servicing business.
3 Give a national sales co for a decent sport/GA plane line a break on the rent. They will bring people in and add some local excitement.
4. Make sure you can do some small commercial development around the perimeter. Get someone to put in a specialised draw. Maybe an aero related museum, not big things but not so obscure no one is interested. Old log books, letters from famous aviators, Advertise on the internet as a home for someones' collection and see what comes up. If you can't decide where to fly wouldn/t you rather go somewhere there is something to see or do?
Damn, I'm getting envious of your opportunity!
1. The Loos are in the terminal building which is now leased by a local sight seeing co. No public loos. Four or five times last Summer alone I was obliged to tell visitors who got out of planes with their knees tight together that the only option was the stinking bivvy on the onld campground. They don't come back.
2. Someone was going to open a cafe in the terminal if we got a scheduled service. We didn't. Visitors arrive, get out of their planes, say "Gee isn't it beautiful here?" Get back in and we never see them again.
3. Some social life. Three years ago someone started an outstation for a flight school there. Poor instructor had no life at all. There were eight of us learning to fly (Re-learning in my case,) but everyone did their lesson, shook hands and went home. I never even met any of the other guys. You need a social centre and a program. Think Golf clubs, sailing clubs. etc. The social thing is three quarters of the battle. I went sailing on a boat my daughter was crewing on a couple of years ago. Afterwards there were about three hundred of us at the well priced buffet, There were only about twelve boats in the race, the rest were watchers, family, non sailing members, you name it. The point is the place was buzzing. Pilots like to hang around and talk flying, and while they do they can be spending. Have a club house just big enough for a small knees up!
4. Local access. Doesn't matter how, but is has to be convenient. Again, far too many visitors, especially from the USA arrive here, look around, ask how to get to the village and when they are told the taxi can be here in 30 mins ( just the way it works, the village is about three minutes by car,) and to use the pay phone, well, they are GONE, never to be seen again.
What you might do on the positive side.
1. Low rent, get a small service facility in. All our locals (except the two of us flying experimentals,) have to take their planes 150 miles for service. If we had a low rent/ fair price service they would be coming here from the city to get the value.
2. Flying school. Preferably a rent paying independant. The students are your future hangarage and tie down and catering and gas and servicing business.
3 Give a national sales co for a decent sport/GA plane line a break on the rent. They will bring people in and add some local excitement.
4. Make sure you can do some small commercial development around the perimeter. Get someone to put in a specialised draw. Maybe an aero related museum, not big things but not so obscure no one is interested. Old log books, letters from famous aviators, Advertise on the internet as a home for someones' collection and see what comes up. If you can't decide where to fly wouldn/t you rather go somewhere there is something to see or do?
Damn, I'm getting envious of your opportunity!
