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We’re about to give new meaning to the term “fixed base operator”! This week’s blue ribbon doesn’t go to a business, organization, or building, but to a single individual – a woman named Betty Easley at Hawthorne Industrial Airport (KHTH) in Hawthorne, Nevada.
Brace yourself for what has quickly become our favorite “FBO of the Week” nomination, courtesy of AVweb reader Roland Lamer:
KHTH is a city- or county-owned airport that, with its very low usage, would likely never be able to support a for-profit FBO. They don’t need to. They have Ms. Betty Easley. Betty is … lives nearby [the airport] – everybody does in this very little city. Betty, though, has a two-way radio with which she is able to monitor HTH traffic. When she hears incoming traffic, she drives to the airport and normally meets the incoming traffic. She may start with a simple greeting such as, “I am the official airport greeter here at Hawthorne.” If you intend to get fuel, she will probably hand you the static line. (She won’t attach it to your plane, but she will hand it to you.) Anything you may need she probably has available to you. … Need a car? She has three of them, just in case things get busy. If you use one of her cars, be sure to put gasoline in it for her. You see, these cars belong to Betty. She pays for the cars, she buys the fuel, and she’ll never ask you for a single cent. Be sure and take care of her. She will invite you into the airport building, [where] there is snack food and a computer with internet capbability. If you are tired, there are a couple of cots. Television, refrigerator, couch with recliners – and yes, Betty pays for all of this. Betty loves aviation. When you are all finished with your reason for having flown into KHTH, with your approval, Betty will be standing somewhere parallel to your dpearting runway with a camera. She will take several pictures of your departing airplane and then e-mail them to you. There really is something special about seeing yourself in your airplane just as you have rotated.
By the way, if you are anywhere near the west central part of Nevada, you can relay a “hello” to Betty on 122.8. She loves to hear from her aviation friends.
Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.
AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!
