The Game's the Thing
By John F. Infanger, Editorial Director
January/ February 2001
Each fall,
Corporate Wings becomes Notre Dame's FBO
SOUTH BEND, IN - Randy
Jones, general manager of the Corporate Wings fixed
base operation at Michiana Regional Airport here, relates
that all new employees are instructed up front that
there are six weekends each fall during which they will
work: Notre Dame football game days. After all, it is
these days which stretch the FBO's commitment to customer
service, often taking care of Fortune 500 clientele.
NOTRE DAME GAME DAY: Taxis waiting in a row and a buffet for pilots are standard fare at Corporate Wings during game day. This season, the big game was when top-ranked Nebraska came to town, attracting 172 business aircraft at kickoff.
Explains
Jones, "Those six weekends are undoubtedly the
biggest days of the year for us. Go back to the Florida
State game in 1993 - we pumped 40,000 gallons of transient
fuel in one day." This year, the big weekend came
when then top-ranked Nebraska visited South Bend, attracting
some 172 corporate aircraft at game time. On average,
says Jones, the Notre Dame game day brings in some 100
transients.
To airport director John
Schalliol, A.A.E., the game days provide the FBO and
the airport the opportunity to see how well what they
have put in place works. In particular, he says, it
is a chance to show influential transients what the
region has to offer. In North-ern Indiana, which markets
heavily into the Chicago market to attract business,
follow-through is top of mind.
Says Schalliol, "The
Notre Dame grads really care about coming back here
and being involved in the South Bend area; they gravitate
back here. A lot of them retire and live in the area.
It's all about the relationship they have with the university
and the community. Our relationship here with the FBO
can play an important role in that.
"We're really are
in this situation together. I recognize that Randy has
a special concern on a day like this. These are not
just football fans; they're Fortune 500 businesspeople.
They're not just going to be customers here but in the
overall aviation system as well. The better they're
treated here, the more favorable impression they'll
have of South Bend and of the system as a whole. We're
ambassadors."
On the busiest game days,
the director will pitch in and drive a shuttle bus and
help move customers. It affords him the opportunity,
he says, to see if his airport is meeting the needs
of Corporate Wings' customers.
Randy
Jones,
GM, Corporate Wings
Explains
Schalliol, "The general aviation ramp is a common
use area, though it's adjacent to Corporate Wings and
they are the only FBO. But it's our ramp, and the projects
were paid for with AIP (Airport Improve-ment Program)
dollars. The last project, we strengthened a portion
of it to handle charters. So, now we can handle the
Notre Dame team charters on the north side of the field,
away from the terminal, making it much easier for Randy
to handle and much better from a security standpoint."
Schalliol points to Corporate
Wings' assistance it putting together a hangar deal
which eventually led to Chicago Express (dba the ATA
Connection) putting in a maintenance base at Michiana
Regional, with which Corporate Wings has a contract.
"Once they had the maintenance operation here,"
says Schalliol, "it made sense to have (airline)
service between South Bend and Midway Airport. It was
a win for everybody."
"We have some very candid review sessions, where sincerity is really the deciding factor. We need employees who take our guiding principles to heart and who play a role in ensuring that the company lives up to the promises we've made to our customers and our employees - that we understand the value of integrity. That's what the Senior Staff Program is all about."