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Fixed Based Operators at Freeman
Field
Fixed base operators are the lifeblood of general aviation. In order to understand the preceding statement you first have to know what is ‘general aviation’. General aviation is described as all aviation activities that are not either scheduled air carriers (airlines) or military operations. General aviation is everything else, and that’s a lot. It covers everything from corporate jets down to basic flight training. Think air taxi (charter), air freight, crop dusting, hauling checks to clear at banks, emergency parts delivery, pipeline patrol, air search and rescue, emergency medical evacuation in helicopters, all levels of flight training, air ambulance service, aerial survey and mapping, aerial photography, aerial firefighting, sightseeing and skydiving, just to name a few. There are hundreds of aviation activities that fall under the umbrella of general aviation. How do fixed base operators (FBO’s) fit into this? It is the FBO’s that service the aircraft and keep them flying. The most visible thing that FBO’s do is selling fuel, but their services go way beyond “pumping gas”. FBO’s do the maintenance and inspections that keep the planes “airworthy”, which means safe to fly. They provide storage (hangars, tiedowns) for the planes as well as comfort facilities for the aircrews. Weather service is available at most FBO’s. FBO’s arrange for catering (food and beverage) to go on the planes as well as rental cars and hotels rooms when overnight stays are required. Freight gets unloaded, trucks loaded, people carried, parts delivered, temporary storage provided; all manner of logistics relative to airplanes comes from FBO’s. Air charter service as well as rental aircraft and flight training are in their bailiwick of FBO’s. They do it all. We have two FBO’s providing service at Seymour. In alphabetical order they are Pardieck Aviation, 812-523-6001, www.pardieckaviation.com, and Skyward Air Service, 812-524-2818, www.skywardair.com. These two companies are here to take care of you and your plane. Please give them a call or look at their website to learn what services they offer.
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