Pilots who take passengers on chartered flights are rarely able to land in traditional big-city airports, so they quickly find out the importance of airport FBO info, but flight planning can be fairly tedious.  Until recently, general aviation pilots would rely on published guides to find out about airport hours, locations, runways and services prior to taking off. But the latest trend is much simpler to use.  The Airport Authority is a popular flight planning web site specifically designed to meet the needs of general aviation pilots.   By providing all of this information in one place, pilots are able to quickly map out a route and plan trips to specific regions, schedule fuel stops, or find an airfield with available hangar space.

In a recent article published on TAA (The Airport Authority), “Why is Airport FBO Info So Important to GA Pilots?” the author takes a closer look at what pilots can expect to find at GA airports.  Unlike major international airports, small airfields and independent airports vary greatly in the services they provide.  Some are only open during daylight hours and provide minimal airport services, while others are 24 hour operations with towers, eateries and ground transportation available on-site.

At the risk of sounding naïve, some newer pilots hesitate to ask where the name “FBO” comes from, but I am not a pilot, so I was happy to get a full explanation of this from the TAA article.  Apparently, the term FBO is an acronym for “Fixed Base Operator” and was coined after the United States passed the Air Commerce Act of 1926.  This law, as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allows a commercial business the right to operate an airport, and it specifies the type of services that these operators might offer in their “fixed base.”

While not every airport has all of these services, FBOs generally include fueling service, tie-down or hangar space, aircraft maintenance and restroom facilities.  Larger GA airports include restaurants, flight instruction, aircraft rental, ground transportation and a customer service representative who can help pilots book accommodations nearby.  Even better equipped FBOs may offer pilots the convenience of Internet access, flight planning, weather updates, aviation supplies, pilot/crew lounges, and access to in-flight catering.

So where do pilots find out about airport FBO info?  This data is available in various places; from printed directories to web sites and mobile applications, but digital versions are the preferred ways to find airport FBO info today.  They are easy to use, with flight plans that can be saved or emailed to a mobile device, and they are often available for free.

After reading more about general aviation flight planning, I believe TAA (The Airport Authority) is the most reliable and up-to-date source of airport FBO info.