How not to run an airport

[ilovecornfields]

So, as I’ve mentioned before I commute to work. Weather today was beautiful so I got a briefing on Foreflight, dropped my son off at school and drove to the airport. 
 

When I got to the hangar I noticed this beast drilling into the asphalt and blocking the only way out to the taxiway. I called airport operation and mentioned that it would have been nice to know that I couldn’t get my plane out that way and an email or NOTAM would have been nice. Their response was that since there was an obstruction NOTAM (below) I should have expected the taxi lane to be closed. I eventually spoke with the airport manager who basically said that it’s certainly reasonable for me to expect to be notified when I can’t get my plane out but they have an “unfilled vacancy” for the person who normally does that so it didn’t happen.

Good thing I gave myself enough time to drive to work!

What does the peanut gallery think? Am I overreacting or would this really piss you off as well? I called FSDO (they texted me a link to schedule a zoom meeting) but I’m not really sure what that would accomplish.

 

[A64Pilot]

I think by complaining you have done all that you can, pushing the issue may well just end up with you having an enemy and possibly be looking for another airport.

I’d let it go, and if I saw the Manager again I’d apologize and say I had a meeting that was very important and I missed it due to not knowing about the closure, sorry about being mad. If he’s a normal person he will think yeah we F’d up, have to make sure we don’t do that again, and may well apologize. Whereas if you get offensive, he may just go on the defense and not think yeah we F’d up, but instead think you’re just a nuisance.

FSDO isn’t going to do anything as it’s not a safety issue, in my opinion.

Edited February 18, 2022 by A64Pilot

[EricJ]

Shit happens.    Even when it shouldn't.    Getting feedback in the system sometimes helps, sometimes not.    It's always a judgement call whether it's worth your time.

 

[GeeBee]

As the lessee, I would be mad. The lessor needs to let you know when your use of the property will be impeded. I am not saying to rip him a new rectum, but he needs to understand that you rely upon your airplane for more than just pleasure (as do we all). That NOTAM is not descriptive enough to determine your access to the property for which you have a paid lease. The unfilled vacancy is not an excuse for getting the job done. Stay late, come in on Saturday, operating an airport has some responsibilities that need to be accomplished. That is also a motivator to get a replacement.

 

[ilovecornfields]

I appreciate your response. That’s pretty much how I felt. Yes, to many of us the airplanes are not just toys.

Realizing I’d have seven hours of driving ahead of me because someone decided letting us know that we wouldn’t be able to get our planes out was “not my job” did not make me very happy.

Then one of the first patients I saw at work was my age and had a terminal diagnosis so I stopped feeling sorry for myself and moved on.

It is really disappointing though to see this downward spiral toward higher prices and less service. The airport recently announced they were ending the 2 year leases and instead doing month-to-month leases where they would be able to adjust the prices more often. My accounting company wants to charge 33% more this year (even though last year so many people were out sick that the service was horrible). Seems like the “new normal” is paying more for less and being expected to like it.

[NotarPilot]

To say I would be pissed would be an understatement. I definitely feel your pain. It’s very frustrating being that a lot of government employees are satisfied giving mediocre service at best, especially in a case like this where you have no recourse to “fire them” and use a competitor at the same airport. As a government employee myself I promised myself never to be that way and still try and give the best service possible. I’m sorry this happened to you. I would still request a meeting, not to complain and point fingers, but rather to open a line of communication and see how this can be avoided in the future.

[Ragsf15e]

My airport repaved all the taxiways between hangars.  They published timelines well in advance, provided tiedown areas for people blocked in, updated us during the work and had an email list if you wanted extra updates.  It really isn’t that hard to make people aware and it saves a lot of asspain in the end.  That being said, I’d probably drop it (but I wouldn’t apologize for being pissed!).  Clearly you’re at the airport a lot, they didn’t even have to try hard to make it known to you unlike the guy who lives out of state and shows up once every two months.

[ilovecornfields]

13 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I’d be pissed, too, and I would have let them know it just like you did.  I wouldn’t have called the FSDO, though. That only antagonizes them and makes enemies.   

That seems like good advice. I never scheduled the meeting with FSDO and after talking to the airport manager I didn't feel as strongly about it.

My initial motivation to contact FSDO came because one of the airport workers was trying to argue that since it was a taxiLANE closure and not a taxiWAY closure they were not required to issue a NOTAM. This may very well be true, but it seemed pretty lame either way. I was hoping FSDO would clarify the issue but I agree with everyone else that it would probably cause more harm than good.

I guess I'll get to think more about it during my 3.5 hour drive home.

[EricJ]

32 minutes ago, ilovecornfields said:

That seems like good advice. I never scheduled the meeting with FSDO and after talking to the airport manager I didn't feel as strongly about it.

My initial motivation to contact FSDO came because one of the airport workers was trying to argue that since it was a taxiLANE closure and not a taxiWAY closure they were not required to issue a NOTAM. This may very well be true, but it seemed pretty lame either way. I was hoping FSDO would clarify the issue but I agree with everyone else that it would probably cause more harm than good.

I guess I'll get to think more about it during my 3.5 hour drive home.

Do you have an airport pilot's association?   Sometimes they make a good liaison between the airport pilots/owners and management, and provide a means to notify people about such maintenance events via newsletters, email blasts, etc.   It gives the aiport a single, or at least significant, point of contact, and provides a means to get that kind of info to relevant users.    It also works well as a lobbying force for things that happen too frequently or get a little wack for whatever reason.

[DonMuncy]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

  Sometimes they make a good liaison between the airport pilots/owners and management, and provide a means to notify people about such maintenance events via newsletters, email blasts, etc.  

At one time, that was awfully important. In today's world, with the Airport management having email addresses for everyone (at least mine does), it should be no problem to write a notification and send to "all".

[EricJ]

18 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

At one time, that was awfully important. In today's world, with the Airport management having email addresses for everyone (at least mine does), it should be no problem to write a notification and send to "all".

Agreed, but often they don't or won't, and for some reason liaising with a group tends to happen more readily, especially if the manager doesn't want to directly deal with a barrage of (sometimes angry) responses.

 

[whiskytango]

39 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

At one time, that was awfully important. In today's world, with the Airport management having email addresses for everyone (at least mine does), it should be no problem to write a notification and send to "all".

The last airport Up North where I had a hangar was KMTN, Martin State Airport.  The Airport Management was part of the State Aviation Agency, so the manager was a government employee.  He and his staff made sure that every airport tenant received an email, and sometimes a followup email, if ANYTHING was going to occur that could potentially affect the tenant's use of the airport.  This included things that were covered by NOTAMs, but also things like painting, relocating dumpsters, planned changes to gate codes, work in non-movement areas etc.  I agree with @DonMuncy that any airport manager should be capable of providing emails as a courtesy to tenants, above and beyond the NOTAM system.  I think @ilovecornfields was right to tell airport management that they screwed up and needed to do a better job - how else will they know?  

[eyes_skyward]

First of all, yes, I also would have been upset to arrive at the airport to see my path blocked, particularly if the flight was for business. I probably would have done the same as you, including cooling off after a while and not spending the time with FSDO.

I was just curious, @ilovecornfields, if you exchanged any words with the crew? I have no idea what it takes to move one of those machines once it's in position, but I would think a conspicuously worn hospital badge and perhaps a *slightly* embellished explanation of why there was no alternative to flying that day might count for something. I could see it working beautifully or completely backfiring, depending on what kind of day they are having.

[ilovecornfields]

44 minutes ago, eyes_skyward said:

First of all, yes, I also would have been upset to arrive at the airport to see my path blocked, particularly if the flight was for business. I probably would have done the same as you, including cooling off after a while and not spending the time with FSDO.

I was just curious, @ilovecornfields, if you exchanged any words with the crew? I have no idea what it takes to move one of those machines once it's in position, but I would think a conspicuously worn hospital badge and perhaps a *slightly* embellished explanation of why there was no alternative to flying that day might count for something. I could see it working beautifully or completely backfiring, depending on what kind of day they are having.

I didn’t actually speak much with the crew. I called airport ops and they came over and spoke with the crew. I figured this was following the proper “chain of command” and I feel like my nonverbal communication adequately communicated how I felt.

I’m not sure what would have happened in the scenario you described. My wife and I poke fun at those who conspicuously wear their scrubs, hospital badges and white coats out in public. I don’t know anyone I respect who does that and it’s certainly not the best infection control practice. Yuck!

I had (barely) enough time to drive so I figured I would cut my losses and just drive instead of seeing how quickly they could move their apparatus. It’s a good reminder to have a solid Plan B when you need to be somewhere.

”If you have time to spare, go by air.”

[Greg Ellis]

On 2/19/2022 at 4:30 PM, DonMuncy said:

At one time, that was awfully important. In today's world, with the Airport management having email addresses for everyone (at least mine does), it should be no problem to write a notification and send to "all".

The Airport manager at my home airport (KFWS - Fort Worth Spinks) is awesome with this.  They resurfaced all our runways and taxiways and he kept us informed almost daily as to the progress and taxiway/runway closures and timelines.  Even though NOTAMS were in place he still e-mailed all tenants.  

He has been constantly emailing tenants that the keypads to open the gates are going away and you have to pick up your access cards.  This has been going on for a year and the poor guy is still emailing people that they have to pick up their cards or they won't get access to the airport.  Some would have just sent the one e-mail and maybe one reminder but not our manager.  He is awesome.

[hypertech]

While this is certainly annoying, you just as easily could have shown up to a broken plane that wouldn't start.  So, if this is how you plan to get to work, it seems as though you will always have to be early enough to get there and scrub for any reason.

[Immelman]

I think you're due a free month's rent for your trouble.

At least that's what I'd do if I were the manager. But I am not.

[ilovecornfields]

2 hours ago, hypertech said:

While this is certainly annoying, you just as easily could have shown up to a broken plane that wouldn't start.  So, if this is how you plan to get to work, it seems as though you will always have to be early enough to get there and scrub for any reason.

I think if you had read my posts you would see that I mentioned several times that I always give myself enough time to drive in case I’m not able to fly. Which is exactly what I did. Not sure why you felt that comment was necessary or helpful. 

[WaynePierce]

Our airport management does a good job with this as well. When they recently repaved(?) our runway we knew well in advance and were sent numerous emails of when it would not be available. The time before that they allowed the tenants to land and take-off from the taxiway. It's a small single runway Towered airport. That was not allowed this time though. My plane was in annual at a neighboring airport so it timed out perfect for me. We pay crazy prices for hangars and there is a multi-year waiting list to get a hangar. There are a lot of FedEx pilots (current and past) that have hangars here and I think they are passed down from Parents to their kids... but the airport management keeps us apprised of what is going on.

[thinwing]

That appears to be a drilling rig in the middle of your hangar row.....what on earth could they possibly be drilling for?

[WaynePierce]

1 hour ago, thinwing said:

That appears to be a drilling rig in the middle of your hangar row.....what on earth could they possibly be drilling for?

100LL?

 

[ilovecornfields]

2 hours ago, thinwing said:

That appears to be a drilling rig in the middle of your hangar row.....what on earth could they possibly be drilling for?

“Contamination.” I couldn’t get anything more than that out of them.

[Hank]

45 minutes ago, ilovecornfields said:

“Contamination.” I couldn’t get anything more than that out of them.

Sounds like they're doing tests to see ud groundwater remediation is needed or not . . . If so, that's real money!

[RobertGary1]

In my experience airport managers rarely have any aviation experience. It’s kind of a luck of the draw with govt beurocrats as they pass through the job as they monkey climb up the career ladder. 
Id say he’s now on notice. Further action will only make an enemy. 

[RobertGary1]

On 2/19/2022 at 2:30 PM, DonMuncy said:

At one time, that was awfully important. In today's world, with the Airport management having email addresses for everyone (at least mine does), it should be no problem to write a notification and send to "all".

Wow I just had a flashback to phone trees. Millennials will have to Google it.