An Airport To Avoid-Sugarland, Tx.

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:40 pm

I went out to Sugarland airport southwest of Houston today. I have been flying for about 30 years, all over the US, New Jersey, Hawaii, in Canada, the Bahamas, in England; yet I don't think I have ever found a more hostile and unfriendly place. A good bit of land; not much sugar. I was there about 15 years ago, bought a plane from a lady based there, and had it inspected and did a test flight. Sure is different now, not the Texas I grew up in. Maybe that's what happens when people get more new money than manners.

kmiles · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:02 pm

Bill,
that is the one of the very few airports in the country that have the facility to host a stop of the Wings of Freedom Tour, but will not do so. I am glad that it is not just me that feels they are not very accommodating. At most airports the city/county realize that good press about small airports is hard to come by. The tour really helps the local community see that something good can come out of local airports.

For those of you that are not familiar with The Wings of Freedom Tour it is the tour of the B-17, B-24, B-25 and P-51 that The Collings Foundation takes to about 110 cities each year. We do it at no cost to the airport. If we were to take all of those aircraft to an air show, the appearance fee would be upwards of $20,000. The tour allows us to visit far more cities than we could by going to weekend only air shows, and allows a lot more people to visit the aircraft by going to their local airport, rather than going to a static museum or air show that may be much further away. The tour is supported by the small walk through tour donation, and the revenue from the flight experiences that we offer at each location.

b29flteng · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:54 pm

What happened Bill?

SuperGuppy · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:04 pm

All the neighbors sure used to bitch when we'd launch out of Sugarland in the middle of the night on Air Ambulance flights in a Lear 25.......

RNDMTRS4EVR · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:29 pm

Bill;
Let me guess there is a lot of corporate aviation around right? I think that’s were Tom Freidkin keeps his flight department, they moved all the jets out that way some where after they sold Cinema Air to JetSource out Carlsbad, CA. Which is another airport that is on its way to corporate jets only status. I can't say much since that is where my boss keeps the jet when his not in Wyoming.
Scott......

RickH · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:45 pm

Bill, I tried to tell you that you needed to stop in at Ellington.

Sugarland was different before Don Hull sold it to the city.

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:06 pm

Rick I do apreciate the invite from you and Ryan, but haven't been in that part of town yet. Where is your hangar if I happen to get there? I hope to go to GLS tomorrow,Thur am if the wind is not too much.

Elroy13 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:59 pm

b29flteng wrote:

What happened Bill?

Yeah,... So what did exactly happen there in Sugarland, Bill??

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:27 am

Maybe, like Hitchcock, he wants our imaginations to do the work for him...

More seriously, poor 'customer' service should be spotlit, IMHO, having fought for years to instil a bit in shop workers. (Did you make someone's day, or did you just pay forward your poor attitude?)

skymstr02 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:52 am

About 25 years ago, I worked at a Piper dealer in CXO, and the FBO at SGR needed some parts AOG. I flew the parts down in my C-150 to help them out. When I landed, they charged me a landing fee. I added that landing fee plus 15% to the parts bill. What goes around, comes around.

RickH · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:24 am

Bill we are in the big T hangars on the right as you come into that area off of taxiway JULIET. You could park at the end of the hangar, can't miss it, there is a helicopter dolly parked against the building.

Bill Greenwood · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:15 am

Elroy, long story don't want to write it all, ask me in person at Gls..

>>>>Edited by Moderator<<<<

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:06 am

I just went to Airnav and read the feedback pertaining to the FBO. It seems that Bill isn't the only one who's had such an experience at that airport.

On the other hand, we tied down our old Mooney at Heber City, Utah a few years ago. Unbenownst to us, the Sundance Film Festival was going at that time, and we were parked in a forest of airplanes belonging to the "special people". The staff at the FBO treated us absolutely fantastic, going so far as to pull one of the elite's jets outside so we could defrost our humble spam can on departure morning.

Scott

DB2 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:03 am

From personal experience, if you've got props on your plane, you're a second-class citizen at Sugarland, and that includes being in a King Air 350.

Michel C-GNCJ · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:05 pm

Just like one FBO in Burlington who's lineman will put the red carpet in front of the stairs of small jets before the occupants deplane, but will never, oh never do the same for prop planes...

Some people... :roll:

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An Airport To Avoid-Sugarland, Tx.

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