Pilots discover that without an FBO, Cape May Airport is running on empty
Jan. 27--LOWER TOWNSHIP -- A charter jet landed to refuel at the Cape May Airport last week but was temporarily grounded because the gas tanks were empty and unattended.
The jet stayed for four days, its pilot trying to find fuel, but then flew on to an airport in Trenton.
Jet fuel is a product supplied by a "fixed-base operator," or FBO, and the Cape May Airport has not had one since the fall, when Millville-based Big Sky Aviation left.
Joe Salvatore, who directs the Naval Air Station Wildwood Museum at the airport, has been sounding alarms about the lack of an airport operator for several months. He said he is worried about its effect on businesses at the airport.
"They don't have a fixed-base operator anymore. Nobody seems to be able to make it here," Salvatore said.
Along with other aviation tasks, an operator sells fuel, clears runways, performs mechanical work on airplanes, and sometimes even offers flight training. Salvatore says an airport must have a FBO to be successful. The Delaware River & Bay Authority, which operates the airport, agrees.
"We don't disagree with Mr. Salvatore. You need a fixed-base operator at an airport that size," DRBA spokesman Jim Salmon said.
The Millville Airport, another DRBA facility, has Big Sky Aviation as its FBO. The authority's airport in New Castle, Del. has four FBOs.
Salmon said the authority is searching for an FBO and hopes to have one by May 1 so the airport can have jet fuel by the busier summer season; it has not had any since Sept. 30.
"Steve Williams, our director of airports, has met with a number of fixed-base operators who do this at airports across the country to try and solicit interest," Salmon said.
One question is whether the airport is busy enough for it to be economically viable for an FBO. Salvatore thinks that is an issue. Thomas Berry, assistant airport operations manager, is not sure if a lack of business is why the airport has had a hard time keeping one here.
"I don't know if there's been an evaluation of that," Berry said.
Cape May Airport sees relatively few jets among the 39,000 airplane and helicopter takeoffs and landings each year, but Salvatore noted Oprah Winfrey, whose boyfriend, Stedman Graham, grew up in Middle Township, is a regular visitor who arrives by jet. In the summer, jet traffic picks up. The 1,000-acre airport has two runways and can take a medium-sized jet such as the F-18 Hornet fighter that drew crowds for a U.S. Navy pilot's lecture in 2009.
An FBO also has to have trained workers familiar with fueling jets and working on aircraft.
"You need trained people for an FBO. You have to have an FBO to pump fuel," Berry said.
Pilot Corey Price doesn't know the economics of the situation, but he landed the Sky Limo charter jet here Monday, Jan. 16, and found out he couldn't get fuel.
Price said he understands the airport is largely seasonal, but said there was no reason for the airport's phones to go unanswered.
"We thought they were going to have fuel. We called Monday every number we had for the airport, and nobody answered. It's just a real inconvenience. I think it's probably a lot of lost money to the township. They have good runways. The problem is no services when you get there," Price said.
Salmon said he doesn't know what phone number Price called, but if it was former FBO Big Sky Aviation's number, then that is probably why nobody answered, he said.
The airport still has a self-serve pump for smaller aircraft that take 100-octane low-lead gasoline. Price said there is a tank for jet fuel, which is more like a diesel fuel used by turbine engines, but it was empty.
Regardless, nobody is there to pump it.
Salvatore said a typical fixed-base operator brings a fuel truck to waiting jets.
"Jets have to leave because there's no fuel at the airport," Salvatore said.
Price, who flew here from the Bahamas, ended up flying on to Trenton to get fuel. Price said he would have purchased 600 gallons at the Lower Township airport this week. The company's larger jets take as much as 2,000 gallons.
Price said the side trip to Trenton cost him more because of the added fuel needed to land and take off. But he was impressed with the $7-per-day charge to park the jet here. He said some airports charge $250 per day.
"We'll go to Trenton but we'd rather buy fuel here," Price said shortly before taking off.
When he left, his business went with him.
Staff writer Michael Miller contributed to this report.
Contact Richard Degener:
609-463-6711
Copyright 2012 - The Press of Atlantic City, Pleasantville, N.J.