When a client decides to make a private jet trip, they will be in contact with three different groups of people; the broker or salesperson selling him the flight, the flight crew flying the airplane and the FBO personnel greeting and handling the passengers before and after the flight itself. Therefore, it is undeniable that an FBO (fixed-base operator) is one of the most important aspects of private jet travel. The experience at the FBO will make for a significant part of the experience the passenger has. It can make or break the trip.
For this reason, FBOs are under enormous pressure from the other two groups to deliver and keep the passenger happy. In the busiest airports, FBOs are also competing against each other, obliged to keep up to the highest of standards, as clients change their FBO preference easily. So, what makes an FBO great? What qualities distinguish one FBO from the other? Five key areas can be identified:
Walter Beech demonstrated both a love for, and an innate skill and understanding of aviation from a very early age. For example, in 1905, at the age of 14, he built and flew his first aircraft, a glider of his own design. This was followed by a stint in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War I. After the war, he spent several years barnstorming throughout the Midwest. In 1921, he accepted a job with the Swallow Airplane Corporation as a test pilot and later became the general manager. The Swallow TP was the company’s primary aircraft model. It was a two-place, a metal-framed, fabric-covered biplane used primarily for flight training.