How to win friends at an FBO.

[hairdo]

LMAO

[Highflyinpilot]

Please tell me this isnt a true story

[hairdo]

This unfortunately sounds a bit like when we first had a ramp person working full time at my school. I work dispatch part-time and had a student come in and sit down while his a/c sat at the pumps. It sat there long enough that I began to wonder who the lazy a** was. I ask whose a/c it was to which I get the reply, "Doesn't the ramp guy fill the plane?" (WTF!!!) To which I told him till his own bloody plane. Lazy bums. What pilot doesn't know how to fill up an aircraft or put oil in it(I don't care if you don't have to now, you must have at one time or another)?

[hazatude]

As a Ground God, I have seen many a strange thing on the ramp. This doesn't surprise me but...I would have put the oil in and made sure I explained the process. But I'm a nice guy that is really good looking and vibrant...almost glowing.

[hairdo]

Just like your avatar, right hazitude?

[merlin]

LOL..... pretty funny, but I would have to blame the flight schools and instructors!

[hazatude]

Just like your avatar, right hazitude?

Almost. I have less of a gut now...

[Hoov]

LOL..... pretty funny, but I would have to blame the flight schools and instructors!

It may be their fault he didnt know how to put Oil in, but kid sounds like a little prick.

[MUSKEG]

Instructors can't teach something they don't know. Unfortunately this punk came from an environment where everyone was his slave. Life just happened to him for probably the first time. Society as a rule is becoming less and less mechanically inclined and it shows up everywhere.

[small penguin]

When I worked ramp at the local airport had one guy come in, and park his plane at the pumps and rush inside. We fuel up aircraft for them. Mostly because we have a flying club, but as a service we take care of private as well. Generally I'll ask "full tanks?" and get the reply "yes". In this case, I was fueling another aircraft (two pumps, one ramp person) so I couldnt ask this guy. It was a bright sunny (read: busy) day and after about ten minutes, the pilot still hadnt come back out. So I was left with one pump available, and a line up. The owner had left his tow bar on the nose wheel so I pushed his plane back and into a tie-down spot next to the pumps. As there were four other aircraft waiting for fuel. Just as Im almost done, the owner comes running out yelling at the top of his lungs "what the f**k are you doing dont touch my f**king plane!" I told him that since he left his plane sitting at the pumps for near 15 minutes and its busy its my duty to move him out so I can serve other pilots.

He snaps back at me "Im on a mission for search and rescue I need this plane filled up right away!" To which I told him, good, take your plane and get to the back of the line. A few loud curses and he tells me he had to go inside to do a weight and balance to figure out how much fuel he needed to put in the tanks.. I asked him why he parked at the pumps if he didnt know how much gas he needed. Then I went off and took care of the line up at the pumps. His face was red as a tomato and he got talked to by the club president and CFI. No idea about what. He had to wait perhaps 20 minutes before being able to fuel up..

He wasnt on a real SAR mission, but an exercise. Whether it was real or not, I didnt care, if you leave your plane at the pumps and you dont tell me anything... Its getting moved. Other people need gas and he's no more important to me than they are.

[E-Flyer]

LOL..... pretty funny, but I would have to blame the flight schools and instructors!

I am down with you on that one - in my several years of flight training what I've noticed is that the instructors (most of them, there are exceptions) teach you the excercises, go over any of the 4 categories that will covered on the written, and then call you a private/commercial pilot. Shouldn't flight training also consist of the slavery the student is going to put up with when he works for a 703 air taxi? lol... de-icing your own plane, learning how to maintain your own plane, and ground op's ... I can tell you half of the CPL's don't know how to use External Power - doesn't this become something this person will have to use especially when flying north? These things can't just be expected to be read and understood from a 400 page manual. They need to be seen, and taught, and sort of become a second nature if you will.

But this story is funny though LOL !

[AEROMONKEY]

My favourite is when a trainer stops in for fuel....and of course they are in need of an extremely quick turn...not sure why...but they always say that! ....and when you tell them you have to get a few sched flights done first they get mad....even had one student get back in his plane and taxi to the competition because he was told it would be 10-15mins for his fuel....

[oldtimer]

I remember being in the old Shell FBO in the Edmonton Muni, killing time and waiting for pax to show up. In the trailer were a couple of young fellows and an older chap. Outside was a homebuilt and these younger guys were making snide remarks about this rather ugly airplane. One guy says "I wonder how fast that old piece of junk goes?" The older chap sas "About 110 kts."
I could not resist it so I asked the older chap if it was his airplane and he said it was.
Those embarrassed youngsters were looking for a rock to climb under.
Quite funny.

[Challenger]

Am spending far too much time for someone my age killing time at FBOs these days, so whilst trying to eat all the free cookies and coffee I get to watch the little dramas that go on; The last little act involved a wannabe pilot from one of the Government schools around Toronto, it went like this, wanabe orders line person to" Pull my aircraft up to the door," line person replies{in more polite terms} "piss of, that space is for a real airplane which happens to be a Medivac" Wanabe then orders line person to put oil in "his " aircraft, line person explains that this aint gonna happen , wanabe is then heard phoning Buttonville to find out how to put oil in aircraft!I can only hope wanabe learnt somthing from this exchange! and how can he be sent on a cross country and not know where and how to put the bloody oil in?

"Good airmanship is that indefinable something, perhaps just a state of mind, that separates the superior airman/airwoman from the average: it is not a measure of skill or technique, rather it is a measure of a person's awareness of the aircraft and its flight environment and of her/his own capabilities and behavioural characteristics, combined with good judgement, wise decision making and a high sense of self-discipline."

Airmanship is a skill that only experience and self-discipline can bring. That being said, some people are just shitty pilots and always will be.

[water wings]

Well, after spending the last 15 minutes trying to get the oil out from under my fingernails and tending to my "airplane wounds" (nicks and scrapes) to make my hands all purdy for my fiance... i have to say.. pffft... how does this dude get gas for his car? drive around for a full service?? sheesh!!!
HOW can you not WANT to know this stuff??? i am soooo giddy when i learn something new about my plane (and believe me the learning never stops on this bird ) *sigh*
i, too have seen this sad behaviour - not at an FBO, but ON LINE... someone (also - i think - from the same 'area') said it wasn't their job to know that stuff (oil etc) THEY were a pilot!! oooh ahhh
newsflash: they sent a dog and a monkey into space. Gimme a break and have a little cup of 'shut the hell up' with with your quart of oil.
you have to actually LIKE airplanes and not just the fancy hats to be a pilot, ya know!
LOVE / FEED / CLEAN YOUR BIRD!

[hairdo]

you have to actually LIKE airplanes and not just the fancy hats to be a pilot, ya know!

Couldn't agree more.

i, too have seen this sad behaviour - not at an FBO, but ON LINE... someone (also - i think - from the same 'area') said it wasn't their job to know that stuff (oil etc) THEY were a pilot!! oooh ahhh

Never introduce me to this pilot. If it isn't your job to know that stuff, then it isn't your job to be a pilot. Ahh well, some people like the fancy hats more than they like airplanes.

[motionsickness69]

If you can "dip" your tanks to check fuel level I figure adding fuel should come naturally......no?...........and they call them selves aviators.........lol.....

[x15]

Hey next time you any pilots are hanging around YKZ stop in at the flightline office and say hello get us to get you the keys to the Jag. Why hang around the FBO??? Take the Jag and go have a good time instead of listening to some hapless pilot whine about rampies.

[Wacko]

This is all crazy talk! I didn't spend $50000 to put oil in the aircraft! Whenever I stop at an FBO I want the oil CHECKED. I pay your wage Mr.!

[1000 HP]

Hey next time you any pilots are hanging around YKZ stop in at the flightline office and say hello get us to get you the keys to the Jag. Why hang around the FBO??? Take the Jag and go have a good time instead of listening to some hapless pilot whine about rampies.

Only happened to me once, but actually it was a Lotus Turbo Esprit, down in Toleda, Michigan, after delivering a Howard to a buyer....

[AEROMONKEY]

Hey Wacko! stop in to our FBO and ask me to check your oil...i'll hand ya a funnel and tell ya to have fun....Most staff at FBOs arent' allowed to do oil anymore because of insurance regulations...

So you'll have to just do it yourself!

Not that we dont want to help ya

[bbb]

I've also seen some unbelievable stuff.
In fact, had several instructors who had learned to fly and then worked at a "bigger" school who had never moved an airplane!!!????? much less added oil! unbelievable!!!! we don't assume anything anymore. teaching them to put the aircraft in and out the hangar, oh boy.
and the whole bit about pulling up at an FBO and saying fill'er up and check the oil - not at this company! who's butt's in the sling if something isn't done right? not implying line service folks don't know their job, but we have a Company ops that says you must supervise fueling, starting with a written fuel request. we carry our own oil and funnels. the pilot who didn't do the walkaround double-checks fuel caps, oil dipsticks and doors, and cargo doors right before departure. There have been far too many instances of stupid missed things having catastrophic consequences to not take the little bit of time and inconvenience to be proactive. And more and more we find that fuel providers won't put oil in your aircraft, or put it in the hangar without you present. Esp in the US. "Liability issues"

[hairdo]

Surley this school could find time to give this training before sending a wanabee away on a cross country?

That's what you would think and hope, but apparently not. As far as the CARs and all that, well, I think I would want to at least supervise the fueling/adding of oil if not put it in myself. Hey the guy who does it for you isn't going to be flying the plane, so when the sh!t hits the fan because of something he/she did while fueling/adding oil, you can remember that his/her butt is firmly planted on the ground while you are sweating. What I am trying to say in the previous lines is that if its your a/c, take a little care to make sure it's all done right. It will save many headaches in the end.

[Stevo226]

Ask them what type of oil do you require, and what's the sump capacity?

That'll stop 'em dead in their tracks

[L1011]

Further to the above posts and "liabillty issues" if I read the CARS right{without falling asleep that is} a person must have "elementry maint training" on the specific aircraft type if it is commercially registered to add oil or fuel, does not apply to private owners , Hey I dont make the rules, just try to understand the bafflegab and lawyer talk they are written in.Surley this school could find time to give this training before sending a wanabee away on a cross country?

They do get the training. You can only bring a horse to the water, but it doesn't mean they'll top up their own oil!

Check your PM's.