Ground Support Worldwide - 13

COVER STORY

J

eff Davis is a veteran of the fixed based
operator (FBO) and airline service industries. Formerly, the general manager of
Wisconsin Aviation at Dane County Regional
Airport (MSN) in Madison, Wis., Davis has recently retired from FBO management and now
leads the company's safety, training and GSE
fleet management. He started in aviation 35
years ago loading
crop-dusters for his father
in high school.

Wisconsin Aviation is the largest full-service FBO in
Wisconsin with services ranging from flight instruction,
charter, into-plane fuel and storage, aircraft and GSE MRO
to airline above- and below-wing services.
Ground Support Worldwide spoke with Davis about key
considerations FBOs should reflect on when selecting ground
support equipment (GSE) for a specific station.
Ground Support Worldwide: In general, what are some of
the biggest differences between GSE needs for commercial air
travel and FBOs?
Jeff Davis: Airlines have a limited number of aircraft models
and variants compared to general aviation (GA). Delta Air Lines
currently uses five OEMs, with 28 models or variants of a model.
Many of the variants have similar ground handling characteristics.
Delta can focus their GSE on their current fleet. They can focus their
ramp agent training on their current fleet.
I stopped counting at 148, the number of general aviation aircraft
models I have seen come to us for service. We also offer into-plane
services to federal, defense and state aircraft.
Rare is a day that goes by without a Department of Defense
aircraft on the ramp. If it is a T-38, you must be able to offer
an air start cart. The FBO must be able to service all and tow
most of them.
And, if you are a professional FBO at a Part 139 commercial
airport, you are usually offering back-up services to the airlines.
GSW: What can an FBO do to accommodate rarely seen aircraft?
JD: Being a full-service FBO with heavy maintenance and avionics gives our FBO resources to handle rare aircraft. Maintain good
relationships with other tenants on the airport and rent or barter their
equipment. Every airline and general aviation tenants at our locations
know our equipment and help is only a phone call away. And so, when
our FBO needs help, it is just as easy for us to get it.
GSW: On the other hand, what types of equipment do most, if not

AUGUST 2019

AviationPros.com

13



http://www.AviationPros.com

Ground Support Worldwide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ground Support Worldwide

Business Buzz
Industry Expert Column – Ground Handling
GSE Through the Lens of FBOs
Securing Baggage Tractors with Bluetooth
inter airport Europe 2019 Preview
Eastern European Growth Benefits GHSPs
Not Your Parents' Boarding Bridge
Information is Power
JBT's Developments for Deicing
Product Hangar
Editor's Note
Ground Support Worldwide - 1
Ground Support Worldwide - 2
Ground Support Worldwide - 3
Ground Support Worldwide - Business Buzz
Ground Support Worldwide - 5
Ground Support Worldwide - 6
Ground Support Worldwide - 7
Ground Support Worldwide - 8
Ground Support Worldwide - 9
Ground Support Worldwide - Industry Expert Column – Ground Handling
Ground Support Worldwide - 11
Ground Support Worldwide - GSE Through the Lens of FBOs
Ground Support Worldwide - 13
Ground Support Worldwide - 14
Ground Support Worldwide - 15
Ground Support Worldwide - Securing Baggage Tractors with Bluetooth
Ground Support Worldwide - 17
Ground Support Worldwide - 18
Ground Support Worldwide - 19
Ground Support Worldwide - inter airport Europe 2019 Preview
Ground Support Worldwide - 21
Ground Support Worldwide - 22
Ground Support Worldwide - 23
Ground Support Worldwide - 24
Ground Support Worldwide - 25
Ground Support Worldwide - Eastern European Growth Benefits GHSPs
Ground Support Worldwide - 27
Ground Support Worldwide - 28
Ground Support Worldwide - 29
Ground Support Worldwide - Not Your Parents' Boarding Bridge
Ground Support Worldwide - 31
Ground Support Worldwide - 32
Ground Support Worldwide - 33
Ground Support Worldwide - Information is Power
Ground Support Worldwide - 35
Ground Support Worldwide - 36
Ground Support Worldwide - 37
Ground Support Worldwide - JBT's Developments for Deicing
Ground Support Worldwide - 39
Ground Support Worldwide - Product Hangar
Ground Support Worldwide - 41
Ground Support Worldwide - 42
Ground Support Worldwide - 43
Ground Support Worldwide - 44
Ground Support Worldwide - 45
Ground Support Worldwide - 46
Ground Support Worldwide - 47
Ground Support Worldwide - 48
Ground Support Worldwide - 49
Ground Support Worldwide - Editor's Note
Ground Support Worldwide - 51
Ground Support Worldwide - 52
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