List FBO freebies here
December 13, 2011 by Alton K. Marsh, Senior Editor, AOPA Pilot
No, the deadline is NOT past. Thanks for asking. — In the January issue of “AOPA Pilot” you’ll find my article, “FBO Freebies: Mooching your way across the USA,” on how to score neat gifts at FBOs. Do you know of any additional FBOs giving away free gifts, or selling funny or otherwise cool airport-related T-shirts? If so, let us know what it is, where it is, and the FBO offering the freebie or selling the T-shirt. Keep’em coming until January 31.
Tags: Airport freebies, FBOs, free steaks, freebies, funny T-shirts, giveaways, Mooching your way across the USA
December 15th, 2011 at 12:29 am
Eagles Of America-KMGR-Moultrie GA. Free chocolate cookies every day-Free hot digs and fixins on saturday. Unique Cotton Shop gift shop. Great people
December 15th, 2011 at 9:59 am
Thanks, Herb. Perfect! That’s what we are looking for. I will make up a list of all the responses and publish it.
December 16th, 2011 at 7:01 am
David Wayne Hooks in Houston, TX, sells T-shirts for $1 if you buy gas, and you can get a meal for either $1 or $2 (I can’t remember) with a gas purchase as well.
December 16th, 2011 at 8:31 am
free hotfogs, soda chips cookies + every friday at fmy
December 16th, 2011 at 8:32 am
free hotdogs soda chips popcorn coookies every friday 11-1 at fmy
December 16th, 2011 at 8:33 am
free maple syrup and brownie at btv heritage
December 16th, 2011 at 8:34 am
free cappachino ( 3 flavors) at santa fe nm. used to be apf was best but they lost their cappachino machine in renovations
December 17th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
GVE- Gordonsville Airport, VA.
Short, challenging runway (2300 x40 with a 400 ft displaced threshold), but a welcoming crowd on Saturdays and Sundays. Faith Glick cooks up anything from BBQ to pasta pretty much every Saturday/Sunday. Don’t be surprised to see anything from Cubs to Coast guard helicopters to RVs. Lots of cool stuff going on there.
December 18th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
free cookies (otis spunkmeyer i think) and bottled water at Flightcraft at PDX!
December 19th, 2011 at 10:30 am
Free Ice cream at Jet Aviation PBI. Free warm cookies and coffee at Avitat BCT. Free slushies and cookies at Jetscape FLL.
December 28th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
BIA (Bohlke Airways): Captain Bohlke will take care of you with friendly service and a bottle of Cruzon rum for each crew member at TISX (St. Croix, USVI). I don’t recall the amount of fuel but you probably need some.
December 29th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
By far the best freebie I’ve encountered are the free burritos at Pecos Air Center (KPEQ). They’re home-made, meaty, delicious, and best of all FREE.
Fuel prices at KPEQ are also pretty reasonable. It’s a perfect fuel stop halfway between Houston (where I live) and Phoenix (where relatives live). Leave Houston in the morning, stop for fuel and burritos at KPEQ for lunch, and be in Phoenix in mid-afternoon. Perfect.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
America Jet at SLN- Salina, KS has great steak, wine, t-shirts, or Phillips 66 Wingpoints on top of getting fuel discounts. Free popcorn is available for pilots and passengers. Staff is friendly and very helpfull!!!!!!
January 6th, 2012 at 5:43 am
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is a great place to visit. Fly into KHXD and get free [packaged] Otis muffins in the morning or, worse yet, warm cookies through the day — or even baked to order, as we found when my daughters (and I
cleaned them out. I just learned that Signature worked with the local authority to not implement a proposed landing fee, which is an awesome bonus and not surprising considering how great everyone was when we stopped in.
January 6th, 2012 at 6:24 am
Lane Aviation @ KCMH Columbus, Ohio has the best warm cookies, friendliest staff and good looking receptionists in the midwest. Their crew car is usually a Jaguar or better.
January 6th, 2012 at 7:51 am
Meridian, MS (KMEI): hotdogs, popcorn, one of those neat Starbucks’s coffee machines, and ice cream!
January 6th, 2012 at 7:52 am
LBO. Lebanon, Missouri. Free lunch, every day. Great stop on way to Oshkosh. Very helpful when you have an airplane malfunction
January 6th, 2012 at 7:55 am
TY R. Tyler Jet, Tyler TX. Fresh cookies on the countrr
January 6th, 2012 at 9:08 am
Bay Minette Aviation, Bay Minette, AL. Free cookies, free soft drinks, and cute ramp staff.
January 6th, 2012 at 9:20 am
A Chattanooga KCHA at TAC Air North (there are multiple FBOs there) you can get a car for free without any purchases for a few hours…I usually tip them…go get some BBQ down the street at the Rib and Loin
January 6th, 2012 at 9:47 am
I’m with Jim Little. Meridian, Mississippi! KMEI “Key Field”, has a nice little cafe overlooking the ramp and runways with FREE hot dogs including chili or cheese toppings, ice tea, and ice cream! And the fuel is reasonable. My regular stop heading westward from Florida.
January 6th, 2012 at 9:54 am
Ok Pete after reading your comment, let me add about MEI: cute military flyboys training.
January 6th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Each year I have been fortunate enough to be able to fly from my home airport in Maine (KLEW)
to Oshkosh (OSH). En route I always make it a point to stop for fuel at the airport in Claire, Mich.
I think it’e 48g or 48d, look it up.
Apart from the least expensive fuel prices on my whole route ( yeah, I know, I’m cheap), they also offer free cold, bottled water, windscreen cleaner, courtesy car, coffee, clean restrooms,computer usage and a just plain comfortable place to be.
Very good value.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Mountain City, Tennessee – 6A4 – You get a bag of local roasted coffee with a fuel purchase (I’m in a C172) and the best, friendliest service I’ve found. The fuel price isn’t bad, either.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:29 am
US Aviation in Denton Texas has a spectacular free snack bar. Featuring Single cup fresh brewed coffee, Fresh made popcorn and fresh baked cookies of different types. All of this sits just outside of a great little pilot shop that resembles shopping at an aviation Nordstrom’s! What a great Midwest FBO.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:49 am
If you stop at desert skys fbo Lake Havaseau City AZ (HII). They have Nice Red T-shirt with a pocket which advertises thier fbo. Cost about $15.00. They also offer cold slush drinks in 2 flavors, coffee, and a bottle of water for your trip. PS they have the least expensive 100LL West of PHX that I have been able to locate.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Dessert Skys fbo Hake Havaseau City AZ. (HII) $15.00 red t-shirt with pocket. Free slush drinks, 2 flavors, Coffee, cookies, and bottled water for your trip. Also lowest price 100LL west of PHX that I have been able to locate.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:56 am
Hey – there is more of a story to how Frogmore ‘Intranational’ got its name and why it was called Frogmore International . . . it seems that in the 1970s ARW [the 73J] was a sleepy unattended at night airport right near the ocean and without radar service. An ideal smugglers airport – and the gentlemen smugglers did just that . At least weekly the airport was used by smugglers bringing ganja into the country – a bust here caught many local men of high social standings, a doc, a lawyer, etc., which led to the joke that given all the international air traffic into this airport when no one was looking – it needed to be called an international airport. Frogmore now has DEA cameras all around the terminal and parking areas and they have been installed now for DECADES. There is no theft or vandalism at this airport – and – since about 2006 – there has been a Beaufort County Sheriffs substation at the field as well.
Look it up . . . I do not lie . .
January 6th, 2012 at 11:58 am
Lake Tahoe Airport (KTVL) – Patrons regardless of fuel purchase receive complimentary food & beverages! From what we’ve heard, significant fuel purchases get a free ball cap or t-shirt, but we cannot confirm that. Very friendly people too! The airport has a great restaurant onsite. Prettiest airport I have ever flown into.
January 6th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
In addition to the t-shirts mentioned in the article, the FBO at Telluride, CO has a big cookie jar on the counter, as well as coffee, tea and hot chocolate. No purchase required. Check out the views from the pilot lounge upstairs. Fans of Coors beer may recognize one of the mountains!
January 6th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
At Salina, KS the best choice is AMERICA JET. Bacon wrapped fillets from Kansas raised cattle; processed and flash frozen at the local meat market – FANTASTIC! – for jet pilots. (nothing like the cardboard steaks we get at other stops) Other freebies: great popcorn, ice tea, coffee, lemon aid, assorted candies and fresh baked cookies. Great stop!
January 6th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
RE: “cleanest dirty shirt reference”
“Sunday Morning Coming Down” was written by Kris Kristofferson and covered by Johnny Cash.
musician and pilot
January 6th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Waycross, Georgia’s (home of the Okefenokee Swamp) airport, KAYS, is like stepping back in time with the cool retro-looking FBO. The FBO has a pilots’ lounge with restrooms, kitchen, and televisions. Free popcorn and coffee are available to all. An antique coke machine is available for purchasing 8oz drinks. Also available for pilot use are a golf cart, flight planning room, real-time weather updates, radar, and wireless Internet. A courtesy car and courtesy van are also available.
If you come during Fun N Sun you will get free BBQ, chips, and sweet tea. If you come during a Saturday or Sunday when the local pilots meet you will get free cake and ice cream (or hot cocoa during the winter months).
January 6th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Million Air Yuma AZ (KNYL).
International airport and as safe as only a Marine Corps. Air Station can be!
Beautiful new FBO building, free golf cart rides with no tip hands out from the on the spot courteous employees, free: Parking, Popcorn, pop, bottled water, coffee-tea, a $1 meal at the restaurant for pilots. Competitive fuel delivery to your plane, and cheap (relatively) fuel at the self serve.
January 6th, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Free popcorn at SheltAir, ORL. Taxiway F
January 11th, 2012 at 8:23 pm
By the way, here’s the list all of you came up with.
http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2012/120111-readers-list-fbos-with-freebies.html
January 15th, 2012 at 11:35 am
Free cookies & coffee at KUNU. Open 7/365 from 0700-2000 or by request
January 16th, 2012 at 4:12 am
X-Jet at KAPA has an open bar for pilots (done flying for the day) and pax.
May 8th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
I used to fly into BFI a lot and loved getting salmon from Galvin Flying services. Not sure if they still do
May 8th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I used to love getting free salmon at Galvin Flying services at BFI. Does anybody know if they still give out the free fish with gas purchase?