The airport social scene
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The airport social scene
I was lucky to get to work for the FBO in my hometown after flight school to build hours. It was one of the most memorable times of my life.
To set the stage, Duncan (KDUC), is a small town of 25,000 located 50nm south of Oklahoma City. Due to a large oil company being based we inherited a sizable 6326′ runway.
Working at the FBO it became my home – as a guy in my early 20s where else would I go? We didn’t really have a schedule and things were popping up all the time; being there assured you didn’t miss out on the action.
And there was plenty of action. I was juggling students, corporate flights, maintenance test hops, and ferry flights, all in a myriad of different airplanes. The flying was awesome and I was at the top of my game.
I wasn’t making any money, but I was learning an immense amount about flying and the industry – the stuff they don’t teach you in flight school.
One of the cool things about that operation was the social aspect. On any given day the FBO lobby would have a half-dozen folks conversing about all sorts of topics.
The conversations ranged from politics to local news and of course, flying. It was like the set of Cheers. Amazingly, with all the opining and editorializing going on, I don’t recall any real arguments. Oh we certainly had disagreements, but in spite of the tabu nature of some of the topics, it stayed civil.
A couple of the guys were pretty self-righteous, but everyone knew how to deal with them. Plus right or wrong, they were the topic of some of the conversations when they weren’t around.
I am sure this kind of environment exists in FBOs across the country. As I get older and more sentimental, the more I miss those days.
The activity on the airport grew immensely over those years and continued to grow after I left. That is the power of community and I’m sure it was a large reason for our success. We created an atmosphere that made people feel like they belonged to something greater than themselves.
About 15 years after I left Duncan, the owner sold the FBO. When I walk into that shiny new building today I don’t know anyone, but I am sure they are carrying on many of the same traditions, but with a different cast of characters.
I kept hearing the theme of Cheers the whole time I was writing this article – don’t tell my AME.
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when I first started flying in 1987, the airport always had people hanging around “shooting the breeze”. In 1993, we had to move to another airport for the summer as our field was getting the runway widened and repaved. When we returned, it was a changed place. You seldom saw many people hanging out. Flying became a disappointment, because for most of us, it is part social too. I still have my airplane, but it is mostly just me and it.
Glenn,
Thanks for sharing that. I agree, it’s kind of a fragile thing. When it’s lost it changes the whole atmosphere.
Brent
Great Analogy between the Airport Social Scene and the TV show Cheers. Never thought of it like that but it is certainly true. I am a product of the airport scene in Liberal, Ks during the 50’s and 60’s and looking back, that is exactly how it felt.
Thanks Gary!
Every Saturday night at my former airport, we would fire up the grill and the group would hang out, eat, and watch the crop dusters land on the turf runway (those guys were so good that they literally wore the grass away in one spot by always landing in the same place). The practice became so well known that people started flying in for other places to join in (all they had to do was bring something to grill). That was a terrific environment. At my current airport, much like the last commenter, I’m almost always there by myself which makes for an entirely different experience.
Chris,
Great story! That is really cool! Too bad we can’t get back to that…