Glens Falls Pilots and Owners Association

Dear Mr. Lamy,

On behalf of the Glens Falls Pilots and Aircraft Owners Association (GFPOA), I am pleased to offer the following suggested questions for candidates for the Airport Manager’s position.  I have followed the questions with the answers that we would be listening for in a successful candidate.

1. Are you a pilot? 

GFPOA:  We would prefer that the Manager is an active General Aviation (GA) pilot.  If not, we suggest follow-up questions to see if the candidate understands GA.  For example:

  1A.  Have you flown in private plane?  What sort of experiences have you had in small planes?

GFPOA:  We’re looking for somebody who “gets” GA.  The answer isn’t important here, only the attitude.

2A.  Do you think it’s fair to provide public support for the hobby’s of rich people?

GFPOA:  We really don’t want somebody who views pilots as rich people with toys.  Most of the pilots and owners have airplanes that are valued less than an SUV, a boat on Lake George, or a hunting camp in the Adirondacks.  I use my airplane to fly to work.  It allows me to live where I want but to work in Buffalo.  Support for the airport is a quality of life issue for all the local residents.  It is comparable to providing sheriff’s patrols on Lake George or a trolley for tourists.

1. What types of airplanes constitute the majority of the planes that are based here? 

GFPOA:  Most of the planes (look at the outer tiedown) are older single engine piston planes, many flown less than 50 hours a year. 

1. What types of airplanes spend the most amount of money here?

GFPOA:  of the money is spent by transient charter planes (jets and turboprops) and on maintenance of the more actively used local planes.

1. How do you feel about the use of the airport for non-aviation events (e.g. a car show)

GFPOA:  Activities that close the airport for aviation use are not appreciated by the pilots.  Even the balloon festival is a disruption and we’ve wished for years that runway 30-12 could be kept open during the festival.

1. What would be your top priorities for the airport?

GFPOA:  Our top priorities are: 

1) hire a good Manager;

2) develop a long-term contract with the FBO;

3) allow for Owners to wash their planes;

4) maintain the high standards for snow removal and maintenance we have enjoyed;

5) encourage the FBO or others to develop a flight school;

6) attract more aviation service businesses like an upholstery shop, avionics shop, paint shop;

7) complete the self-serve fuel farm;

8)  upgrade safety features, such as the repaving project for 30-12, runway safety area projects, and return the VASI to service;

9) add runup areas at the departure ends of Runway 1-19.  Consider a parallel taxiway for Runway 12-30.

1. How would you expect to participate in the community?

GFPOA:  Hiring laws restrict you from asking questions about the candidate’s family but this is an opportunity to let the candidate expand on how they expect to fit into the community—schools, churches, etc.  We all want somebody who wants to make Warren County home for a long time.

1. What would you do to encourage more visits to Glens Falls via the airport?

GFPOA:  we assume that the rationale for a publicly owned airport is that it promotes businesses and improves the Quality of Life of residents.  Consequently the core of the Manager’s job description is to promote more visits to the area.  Some ideas the pilots have to promote visits include:

1)      Keep fuel costs competitive with other regional small airports;

2)      Expand the seating area of the café;

3)      Encourage club fly-ins like the very successful American Yankee fly-in

4)      Offer a crew car for visiting crews (charter crews often have discretion about which regional airport they use to pick up customers);

5)      Make arrangements with local hotels for pickups at the airport and discounts to crews;

6)      Offer a well equipped crew lounge upstairs in the FBO;

7)      Encourage the FBO to expand the shop by hiring another A&P mechanic;

8)      Encourage more aircraft-related businesses as described above;

9)      Keep FBO management that stresses friendly customer service.

Thanks very much for the opportunity to participate in this process.  We look forward to working with whomever you select to achieve the goals listed above.

Sincerely,

Robert Singer, Ph.D.

Secretary, Glens Falls Pilots and Owners Association

cc:  Larry Reinstein, Ph.D.

       President, Glens Falls Pilots and Owners Association