Coaching Provides Valuable Seasoned Advice

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At some point in our lives, we all need a little coaching to get through the task ahead of us.

I remember when my dad took the training wheels off my bike and encouraged me to keep the handlebars straight as he ran alongside on my first solo ride.

High school football and baseball coaches shaped the way I performed on the field and taught me valuable lessons about life along the way.

As a student pilot, my instructor coached me through turns and stalls and built up my confidence for the eventual solo flight.

After a couple of decades of developing marketing plans for companies such as Cessna and Fairchild Aircraft, I had the opportunity in the year 2000 to create a public relations campaign for the grand opening of a Mercury Air Center location in Burbank, Calif. My client was John Enticknap, who served as president of the 21-location FBO chain. 

I didn’t have a lot of experience in the FBO business back then, but under John’s tutelage, I’ve been spending the last 11 years soaking up his vast knowledge of the FBO business.

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DOT Bars BARR Program

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The FAA will block aircraft registration numbers "only after the operators certify that they have a valid security concern," the Department on Transportation announced in a press release on Friday.

This change essentially ends the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program.

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Deliver Great Customer Service by Practicing Your Craft

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Recently, I was reading a newspaper article about the practice habits of professional golfer Vijay Singh, and I thought this would be a good basis for a blog post on delivering the ultimate FBO customer service experience. Perhaps this seems a little disjointed, so allow me to explain.

Whether you follow golf or any other sport, I’m sure you’ve run across articles and have heard TV announcers remark about the successes and failures of professional athletes. Frankly, I like to learn about the elements of success, rather than the failures, so when I read this article on Singh, it reminded me of his breakout year in 2004.

As you may recall, Tiger Woods had vaulted to the top of the world ranking and looked invincible. Then came Singh, playing like a man possessed, and he eventually replaced Woods as the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, at least for a period of time. He openly admitted that his goal was to become the No. 1 golfer in the world, thus replacing Woods, and he knew it would take long hours of practice.

Even Madison Avenue took notice that year. Singh appeared in a TV commercial where he was shown practicing putting on a frozen lake in Alaska while native Eskimos looked on in bewilderment.

And what was the message the commercial was trying to drive home? What made Singh so successful?

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Private Aircraft Flight Records Probed by WSJ

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In light of the debate over the renewal of the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, the Saturday, May 21, edition of The Wall Street Journal has a front-page investigation of four years of private aircraft flight records (registration required), and the paper has launched an online database of the flight data.
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The Cost of Aviation Fuel, Part 2

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Recently, I was reading an article posted to Eye on the Economy on msnbc.com. The article was titled “As oil prices drop, Fed should get credit.” After reading the article, I decided to write Part 2 to a previous blog post titled The Cost of Aviation Fuel.

In the first post, I talked about continued increases in the cost of aviation fuel and what FBOs can do to mitigate high retail prices. We looked at a number of the reasons for the increasing cost of fuel:

  • The Fed policy of a weak dollar — a weak dollar requires more dollars to buy a barrel of crude oil.
  • The continued unrest in the Middle East.
  • Uncertainty with the federal deficit.
  • Speculators betting on the increased price of fuel.
  • Lack of offshore drilling in the United States.

Since then, here is what is happening in the world markets:

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NATA Concerned with Environmental Group's Legal Action Against Avgas

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When the California-based Center for Environmental Health announced last week it was initiating legal action against oil companies and FBOs in California for distributing leaded aviation gasoline, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) responded with concern.
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Aircraft Bluebook's Chris Reynolds Becomes Accredited Member of ASA

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Aircraft Bluebook–Price Digest and AC-U-KWIK Aircraft Appraisals analyst and associate editor Chris Reynolds has become an accredited member of the American Society of Appraisers.
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Andrea Bahr Hired as Banyan Air Service Customer Support Manager

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Andrea Bahr has joined Banyan Air Service at FXE as customer support manager, a role with responsibilities that include management, training, scheduling and staffing of the customer support team.

Bahr has 10 years of aviation experience and has previously worked at Galaxy Aviation (PBI), Signature Flight Support (MIA), Sheltair and most recently Orion Jet Center (OPF). Bahr has a BSBA in marketing from the University of South Carolina and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

“We are delighted to have Andrea join the Banyan team,” Banyan director of FBO services John Mason said. “Her extensive background in customer service will empower us to develop new processes focusing on a high level of customer service.”

Jamie Rose Named Chief Brand Manager at Business Jet Center

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Business Jet Center (BJC) has appointed Jamie Rose to the new position of chief brand manager.

Rose will be responsible for managing the customer service experience as well as brand management, including marketing, advertising and technology integration, for the FBOs at DAL and OAK.

Previously, Rose was executive flight solutions manager for Business Jet Access, a sister company of Business Jet Center, which specializes in aircraft charter, management and maintenance.

“Jamie Rose brings to this new position a fresh approach to delivering an exceptional customer service experience,” Business Jet Center director Bill Moltenbrey said. “Under her leadership, we look forward to increasing the value of our brand and better serving the needs of both our base and transient customers.”

Rose is an FAA Certified Flight Attendant and became an FAA Certified Aircraft Dispatcher after receiving an NBAA Scholarship.