Airport Tie Down Policy

[swoeric]

At KGMJ in Grove Oklahoma the coffee crowd has decided that is is best to pull up the first 8 tie down chains in front of the fuel pumps and FBO for transient traffic.

Now the FBO will have to tug planes down 2 hangars to tie up aircraft that are shuffled in and out. The airport does not have a tie down or ramp fee. Through the summer there is a student home from school that uses a spot and another aircraft that was left without a place to go when the city tore down a T Hangar.

Is this a common practice to regulate open parking spaces etc. Does the airport manager have the authority in this manner.

[OLDCROWE]

Eric,

You see many signs to the effect of x days free and X$/day/week thereafter which seems vedry fair... While I agree GMJ could use some close transient spots I think 8 borders on dellusions of grandure. Maybe 4 and then add some more if necessary. If you pull the chains (and please do as I hate chains) be sure to have good ropes with a hook to catch the pavement embed.

Kirby

[swoeric]

I hate the chains and always use my own ropes as well...I didn't get the FBO..they decided to go with a guy from Cassville... I just couldn't quite believe they pulled the chains... Other than use tailwheel guys I rarely see anybody that brings their own tie downs anywhere.

[bob turner]

Welost a bunch of city tie downs and about half our pre takeoff runup area to new FAA airport regs. That's okay; we are down to about half our activity of three decades ago, so all we really need is space for King Airs and Citations. We have had a good run- I have enjoyed it. Too bad for your kids, I guess.

[aktango58]

Airport managers are pretty free to move stuff around, as long as they keep the space 'aviation'.

Chains going away is a great thing, tiedowns not so much.

Maybe take a doughnut and coffee into the manager and talk to him. Sounds like the fuel guy has done this already. Could be that the fuel guy knows something you don't, like a DC-3 bird coming to fuel...

[swoeric]

Its a member of the airport board really...the manager cant believe it..a member of the morning coffee crew is who pulled the chains...the fuel guy is also the mechanic and would much rather have parking in front of his hangar since there is plenty of room to get anything the size of a conquest or t33 that we regularly have in and out of their anthing bigger gets the truck..