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FBO SPOTLIGHT December 2015/January 2016 airportbusiness 33 can recall the last time they fueled one. These are employees that seldom take vacation, but when they do, it is to Oshkosh or Reno. And, they are who a savvy FBO manager wants the most when the chips are down. In short, lifers have a ramp presence to rival a Gulfstream. The next third in the line service dream team formula is straightforward: former or current military personnel. Whether reservists, recent- ly retired or in transition, those with a military background bring something uniquely special to line service. Unsurprisingly, they're easy to pick out at an FBO. They are always on time, in uniform, and, it would appear, having the time of their life. This is a group who knows how to follow the rules and have fun at the same time. Their punctuality is a model for the other employees within line service, their story telling is second- to-none, and they can parallel park a Piaggio with their eyes closed. While anecdotal, former naval flight deck personnel sometimes gravitate to line service, and their inherent spatial awareness is unrivaled. "Sure, it will fit in the hangar," they'll say, and it always does. Finally, the last third are those for whom line service is a stepping stone. Future pilots, mechanics or those merely interested in aviation but unsure where to start make up this category. It is also this group of employees that has the highest rate of turnover at the FBO level. It is this turnover that gives them the moniker "newbie." To dispel a commonly held myth turnover isn't bad, especially if it means the employee leaving is moving toward a long-held career goal. Said another way, line service is aviation's front door. Without turnover that door would remain closed. Still, FBO managers or HR personnel may be reluctant to hire a pilot-in-training because they realize that within a year or two that employ- ee will inevitably move on. However, what the hiring manager misses in doing so is hiring the most engaged employee possible; one who when they leave the FBO as an employee will become the FBO's customer. For those presently working line service and on the path to becoming a pilot or a mechanic, every customer visiting the FBO represents a potential future employer. For this reason alone, no one working the ramp has more of a vested interest in doing well than this group of employ- ees. Yet, because this group by definition has higher turnover among their ranks, they need the mentoring and watchful eyes of the lif- ers. Newbies learn the importance of a strong work ethos from the middle third—the former mi l it a r y. A nd yes, newbies contri bute something even the grizzled veterans of line service occasionally need: inspiration. Bright eyes and constant questions aside, newer employees of line service are excited to be there, for they are at the start of their avi- ation careers looking ahead. That wonderment can provide a renewing energy to a line service department. Plus, of course, sending a newbie on ridiculous errands such as searching "for 50 feet of flight line" never gets old for lifers. These varied groups of employees each con- tribute in a complementary way to line service, and to each other. Expressed as a formula, repre- sented in even thirds, lifers, those with a military background and newbies may be the most per- fect assemblage of a dream team ever to grace an FBOs ramp. Respectively, they are the glue that holds the FBO together, the esprit de corps, and a constant source of renewable energy. Douglas Wilson is the president and founder of FBO Part- ners LLC, an aviaton consultng frm that provides asset management of hangar facilites for FBOs, and ofers specialized consultng in due diligence, contract life-cycle management, and other FBO disciplines. Wilson can be reached at douglas.wilson@fopartners.com. 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