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Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/818811
May 2017 airportbusiness 57 FBO MANAGEMENT Regardless of who holds the office, what assets are fig- ured into the cost of a weekend vacation for a commander in chief? Typically that would include the cost of Air Force One, one or two C-17 Globemaster III support aircraft, a UH-60 Blackhawk (acting as Marine One) and various ground sup- port vehicles- the motorcade. Plus of course, manpower costs of the Secret Service and other security personnel must be factored in. According to estimates, the average price tag is about $3 million per weekend getaway. And that excludes hotel and the minibar. Yet, to local airport business like FBOs, as well as aircraft operators affected by the attendant Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), the cost is much, much higher. TFRs can be quantified in lost revenue, lost jobs and an eerily quiet airport. Despite the rhetoric that seem to accompany presidential TFRs, the issue is not partisan by nature. Bush vacationed at his ranch in Texas, Obama in Hawaii. TFRs have now affected the aviation industry for some time; and a great many airports in the US are affected by the movement of POTUS each year. What is different in this case is that no previous president had a personal retreat in a major vacation come and gone by the time this article goes to print. In the first 10 weeks of his presidency, Mr. Trump's vacation budget eclipsed that of Mr. Obama's first two years. At least if Bernie Sanders had been nominated and won the presidency, there'd be a few Weekend at Bernie's jokes to spice up the unending political commentary regarding presidential vacations. LEKTRO 1-800-535-8767 1-503-861-2288 sales@lektro.com Models Ranging 15,000 to 280,000 lbs. The Original Aircraft Tug www. .com LEKTRO Easy to Use Simple to Maintain Electric Towbarless Rugged Universal Certified Since 1945 www.aviationpros.com/10017532 SkyVector