Airport in trouble.............need your help

Howdy from Yankton,SD.......

I peek in from time to time but haven't posted for, well...a long time. So I'm feeling a bit guilty about asking for help now....but here goes a condensed version:
3 1/2 years ago we contracted with a new FBO/Airport Manager after 30 years of a retired Col. who ran off more business than he had. We went from the worst airport in the state to the best in this short time span.
Fuel sales are closing in on 4X what we had.
More positive comments on Airnav (KYKN) and any other airport.
South Dakota's airport of the year 2 years in a row.
Gary and Katie Carlson, Carlson Aviation www.carlsonaviation.com , is a team that any community would love to have........except maybe for ours.

It's politics at its best and we are in danger of losing this fine operation by the end of the year. I won't go into details but I'm still in shock by what may take place.
I would be most appreciative ( 2 beers max) if we could get a large number of members to email or call our city administration with a short note supporting Carlson Aviation and the renegotiation of their contract. Hell, lie to 'em a bit if necessary.........about the fine service you received ( Katie tells all the transients "If it's legal, I'll get it for ya Honey".)

The contact information:

Doug Russell, City Manager
drussell@cityofyankton.org
605-668-5221
605-668-5265(fax) Anybody got impressive letterheads

David Knoff, Mayor
dknoff@yanktonlawyers.com He's part of the problem
605-260-1750

Those who know me think I may have a problem with authority........but they are all wrong. I have a problem with the abuse of authority which is, in part, our current issue.

Set yer brew down, hop off momma, or whatever..........and shoot a quick email. It may just be the kick we need.

Thanks a bunch..........and please, no responses like "Hey, back from the dead" or crap like that.

You guys rock !

Dave Tunge
Yankton, SD
605-660-0840

Glad to see your still kickin'. 8)

Yep me too...^^^^ will send a note!

coming thru that way in a few weeks. Want me to go knock some sense into em?
I've seen what pissy politics can do to an airport.
Miles City should have one of the better airports in Eastern Montana and its a vacant if there are no fires.All because its run by people that have no clue about aviation.

Dave,

I'd be happy to write a note, but it's hard to write anything intelligent or pertinent if we don't know what the issue is, or what city management is trying to do.

How about taking some time to inform us as to what the issue is specifically, so we can write an INTELLIGENT note to management, so that we'll have a better shot at getting this turned around?

Also, I'd contact AOPA Airports, and see if they'll get in touch. They know politicians....

MTV

Mike.......
It's a long, long story. This issue, which is the professional operation of an airport by qualified and hospitable hosts, is what Brian referred to. In a nutshell, Gary pissed off the "wrong" local guys (a/c partners) who carry a big hammer in town. Everyone else loves Gary and Katie. City officials are of the mindset that they can park some city employee out there to man the office and pump gas. They don't have a clue......and, as a lot of elected officials when it comes to airports, they don't really care and would like to see a zero budget. After all, it's just a bunch of rich folks who use it, right?

AOPA Airports is a great idea. I have also put us on the agenda for the next commish meeting. We plan to fill the place with support and I've called in a favor with the areas TV station. Politicians work best in dark corners......and hate public pressure in front of news media. I'm still hoping for a mutually agreeable solution but we're not gonna take a knife to a gun fight.

I've talked long and hard to the city manager about how he can weigh a complaint or two against hundreds of positives.......but he may just be appeasing the mayor. Hard to figger when one doesn't have all the information.

I'm looking for some " it would be a mistake to lose the Carlson's" type comments. I'll keep ya all posted.

I've stopped with them, great operation...consider it done,

Kirby

SJ, What about the data you gathered for New Holstein on what pilots prefer in an FBO? Might be some good data for Dave to give to his city administrators.

Dave,

If you start posting again I'll write a letter

behindpropellers said:

Dave,

If you start posting again I'll write a letter

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It is nice to have grandpa back, isn't it?

I do have that data, but I think this is more of a politics deal than a facts deal.

sj

Dave,

I'll send a note along to know it all city hall for you. A couple of years back my wife and I got weathered in at Yankton in a pair of Citabrias. We were VERY well taken care of and I believe it was you that was kind enough to give us a lift to town.

SJ said:

It is nice to have grandpa back, isn't it?

I do have that data, but I think this is more of a politics deal than a facts deal.

sj

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It might show the powers that be what makes people want to stop at an airport. It certainly isn't a city worker sitting on his butt collecting a pay check. You can come here and see how well that works.

Politics and egos won out at my home airport. All the commissioners lined up like little ducks behind our city manager. None of these "community leaders" have a clue regarding airport operations. The city manager convinced the commission to hire a city employee to run our airport, saying the city could do just as good a job and be profitable. You're not gonna believe who they hired............a current city worker who rides the back of a garbage truck..........has zero aviation/airport knowledge. Should be fun watching this fiasco.........just hope no one gets hurt or birds damaged. Thanks to all who lent support.

You have just been handed a blank mind that's tired of being a nobody riding on the back of the garbage truck. Load him into your Cub and show him a good time and how much fun it is to hang with the pilots. moldable clay, you have a blank slate see what you can do with it.

Glenn

You have just been handed a blank mind that's tired of being a nobody riding on the back of the garbage truck. Load him into your Cub and show him a good time and how much fun it is to hang with the pilots. moldable clay, you have a blank slate see what you can do with it.

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I'm with cubdriver2 on this one. Just don't wait to long and do it on a really nice day.

I flew into Yankton a bit with my Dad (Arthur Wikle) and Harry Hibertson when I was a kid. We did a bunch of aerial spraying around Sioux Falls and the like. Yankton was a pretty neat airport. The last time I went through there was summer before last on the way back to Alaska in Pop's new old cub. I hate to see those issues pop up. They are some of the same issues and generally are of the same ilk as many around the country. We had them up here in Wasilla. The growth was cut short for this or that reason and someone didn't like someone else, etc. One thing remains common in all of them. They will cease to exist if you don't get the right line of thinking back in control of the airport. Usually a great manager with no airport experience still trumps a bad, ineffective, manager with a little airport experience. It proves itself all the time around the country.

I fly into all these little fbo's around the country and I love those things. It is my favorite part about being a so called "aviator." If they (FBO) are successful it is generally part of the airport doing a good job to support them. How? Low fees on parking, gas, keeping everyone from killing each other and all with a sense of non-militant security. (If a guy has a gun and is threating your dog at an airport and claims to be a airport manager, the whole airport is one step from having big white x's on the runway I assure you) No one likes to be pushed is the lesson there.

Anyway, I will help with the word. It pains me to see all the airports shut down to lack of funding and poor management. It takes a pile of local traffic to keep one going. Use the FAA flight plan/Flight service stations and get weather for that airport. It becomes proof of traffic for that airport and generates numbers that can be used to facilitate funding thus keeping the airport alive. Also, make friends. Get involved in your local airports. Just landing at your 2nd nearest airport will help it stay afloat. People recognize airplane traffic.

Good Luck
Artic

That, Guys, ain't happenin'..............
Me, the airport board, Carlson's, and community have spent 4 1/2 yrs. rebuilding our airport from one of the worst ( bad operator) to one of the best in the state.
The city manager and commission was presented with all the facts to make an intelligent decision......they chose to make a dumb one.
We've all decided to make this endeavor fail as quickly as possible so hopefully we can get back to an aviation experienced FBO in the near future.

I feel like a friggin' Republican in the Senate

Get to several city councilors independently, make your case and under typical Roberts rules of order you can get a motion to reconsider and get it back as an action item.

Stopped there the last 2 yrs to/from KOSH and made sure it was a stop. Great people and service! Provided fuel for a great price and fuel for the pilots to. 2 yrs ago I even got a T shirt which came in handy about day 7. Love KYKN and Carlson Aviation and will for sure call those SOB's for some education.

Brandon

cubdrvr said:

That, Guys, ain't happenin'..............
Me, the airport board, Carlson's, and community have spent 4 1/2 yrs. rebuilding our airport from one of the worst ( bad operator) to one of the best in the state.
The city manager and commission was presented with all the facts to make an intelligent decision......they chose to make a dumb one.
We've all decided to make this endeavor fail as quickly as possible so hopefully we can get back to an aviation experienced FBO in the near future.

I feel like a friggin' Republican in the Senate

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Dave,

Best of luck and let me know if there is anything else we can do to help. Carlson was a fantastic visit and a great asset to the state of South Dakota. I referred several friends there, one of whom stopped in his Wilga and enjoyed it.

PS saw you in the AOPA magazine!

--Amy

Wait a minute . You mean we have a genuine movie star here?
I missed it. Was it the "Center Fold" pic?

Wat cool Dave, another great shot and cool read as well.

Steve Pierce said:

It might show the powers that be what makes people want to stop at an airport. It certainly isn't a city worker sitting on his butt collecting a pay check. You can come here and see how well that works.

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When did you take a city job?8)

T.J. said:

Wait a minute . You mean we have a genuine movie star here?
I missed it. Was it the "Center Fold" pic?

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Quite the write-up!

aktango58 said:

When did you take a city job?8)

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That would never work, too many altercations over the years.

Having formerly run a municipal public works department including the refuce service for a small city I've been thinking about his one a bit. If the city's chosen employee is really off the back of a refuse truck I'll venture he's not lazy (refuse is hard work) although perhaps he has been injured on the job. As I recall, refuse collection is a very high workers comp risk, right behind the fire department and just ahead of the police.

Sounds like the Yankton is in the revenue crunch most cities are especially if they live off of sales tax (seems like I remember that SD municipalities get a portion of the sales tax and property taxes) like municipaliites here in Oklahoma do... want to help, don't order on line, buy local when you can and trade where they employee your neighbors and pay a reasonalbe tax to fund the general governmental services.


If this comes to be, I'd suggest the airport gang give him a break, could be a good transition too. But then again I'm not the municipal employee hater that some are around here.