Flight Schools: Time to Think Outside the Box

/

It wasn’t that many years ago that the majority of FBOs were defined as “full-service companies” offering flight school training, new and used aircraft sales, charter, maintenance, hangars, and terminal facilities.

The business model was to market to potential pilots, both professional and recreational, train them, sell them an airplane, hope they would trade up, maintain the airplane, hangar it and, of course, sell them fuel and various services. As the pilot grew in experience and need, the FBO could make a good living by selling the next biggest aircraft.

It was a cradle-to-the-grave concept, and it seemed to work just fine.

Read More

Air Charter Safety Symposium Draws Record Attendance

/
Last week, the Air Charter Safety Foundation hosted its 2011 Air Charter Safety Symposium at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, Va. The symposium provided two days of learning and discussion on topics such as developing a positive safety culture and an emergency response plan.
Read More

New Hampshire Recognizes March as General Aviation Month

/
On March 16, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) joined the Alliance for Aviation Across America in Concord, N.H., where Gov. John Lynch announced a statewide proclamation recognizing March as General Aviation Month. 
Read More

NATA and McFarren Aviation Consulting Team to Raise Money for Veterans Airlift Command

/
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has partnered with McFarren Aviation Consulting to raise funds for the Veterans Airlift Command (VAC) at the upcoming NATA Air Charter Summit on June 6-8 at the Westfields Marriott in Virginia.
Read More

Jet Source Promotes Brentzel to President

/

Jay Brentzel, president and director of operations at Jet Source (KCRQ).Jet Source (KCRQ) has promoted Jay Brentzel to the office of president.

Brentzel will also continue as director of operations for the company.

As president, Brentzel is responsible for the overall strategic planning, fiscal management, business development and day-to-day activities at Jet Source. As director of operations, Brentzel is responsible for performance and safe operations of all Jet Source managed aircraft, including oversight of the flight operations, flight standards and maintenance departments.

Brentzel holds a bachelor of science degree in aviation from Utah Valley State College and has accumulated more than 6000 hours of flight time as a professional pilot. Brentzel is rated in a number of different corporate jet aircraft including the super-midsize Falcon 50 and the long-range Gulfstream 400.

"Jet Source is a great company, and I am excited to assume this leadership position," Brentzel said. "I am looking forward to working with a dynamic team of proven aviation professionals and growing the business to new heights. The future is bright for Jet Source and our opportunities are unlimited," Brentzel said.

Building Long-Term Profitable Customer Relationships, Part 3: Don't Forget the Cheese!

/

“Here is a simple but powerful rule, always give people more than what they expect to get.” – Nelson Boswell

In the quest to build long-term profitable customer relationships, we can’t overlook the basic foundation of delivering exceptional customer service. At the end of the day, if you can’t walk up to a customer preparing to depart your FBO with confidence and ask the question, “Would you recommend us?” then please read on.

Read More

ABACE2012 Interest Surpassing Expectations

/
Although the 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2012) is nearly a year away, the show is positioned to be the premier event for business aviation in the Asian region, according to the event’s co-organizers, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA).
Read More

NATF Names Scholarship Winners

/
The National Air Transportation Foundation (NATF) has announced the winners of its Dan L. Meisinger Sr. Memorial Learn to Fly Scholarship, Pioneers of Flight Scholarship and NATA Business Scholarship.
Read More

Optimizing Your FBO, Part 2: Cross-Train and Outsource

/

In Part 1 of Optimizing Your FBO, we talked about analyzing your business and investing in your front line employees. It just makes good business sense, even in tough economic times, to invest your time and resources in your front line employees because they have the first and the most important contact with your customers.

In this post, Part 2 of Optimizing Your FBO, I want to share additional strategies that will help prepare you to weather any kind of economic environment and increase the efficiency of your operation.

Cross-Train

For most FBOs, employees must learn to multitask — a term that management gurus have coined. It’s really a new term for an old axiom. The best employees, who do the best jobs, can do many different tasks. Gee, what a concept!

For FBOs that are consistently successful, employees do many different job functions that result in a more efficient operation and better employee morale. A happy employee, a happy customer. It can be a very contagious working environment that results in better customer service. Cross-training makes all employees more valuable and better motivated.

Let’s look at some ideas:

Read More