Bill Cope's business requires that he keep his head in the clouds and his feet on the ground. That would seem to require quite a stretch. And it's a position made all the more awkward by the talk of a new airport, which could well be a pie-in-the-sky project - and a long term one, at least.
In short, as manager of fixed base operations (FBO) at the Conway airport, Cope can certainly make the case that he's being pulled in a lot different directions at once.
Just last Monday, he flew a plane to Florida and back before lunch, then took off his pilot's cap and settled in behind his desk in the terminal building.
Asked to explain simply an FBO, Cope likens the business to an old-style service station, but instead of serving the automotive public, his customers are aviators and their aircraft. He employs a staff of six.
"We fuel 'em, we fly 'em, we hangar 'em," said Cope, whose first solo flight came at age 16.
There is, however, little that is simple to managing an airport - or so Cope would spend the afternoon trying to show to a couple of Conway alderman visiting the facility.
Until recently, Cope's contact with city representatives had been limited to a monthly back-and-forth exchange of checks, with the occasional "past due" notice passed along.
The business relationship began in 1999 when Cope's Aircraft Services, Inc. paid $280,000 to Acxiom Transportation Services to take over the Conway airport lease and management contract.
The lease basically assigns Cope the right to utilize the city's assets at the airport for about $2,400 per month plus another 5 cents for every gallon of fuel sold. In turn, the management agreement pays Cope about $1,900 per month to keep the city's property clean, neat and safe.
But in April the council voted to give Cope notice that the contract would be canceled in 90 days because of slow payments on the lease, sometimes running months behind.
A sharp letter from Cope's attorney pointing out the city's tendency to be a slow on its payments of Cope's management fee brought the matter back to the council for further discussion May 11. At that meeting, Cope assured the council that procedures would be in place to guarantee timely payments.
Cope's explanation of the difficult business climate for airport operators, along with a heart-felt and business-sensible plea from his wife and partner Tina Cope and other supporters, prompted the council to ask the mayor to work out any differences with Cope.
Cope characterized the process as "very stressful" and "difficult," but still managed to find the silver lining in the thunderhead that had built ahead of his small-business dream.
"We've worked out all of the issues," Cope said. "Nothing but good things have come out of it. We communicated very little in the past - my talks with mayor and aldermen have focused on that."
Mayor Tab Townsell agreed, saying the new contracts essentially didn't change much other than the attitudes of both sides.
"The largest change is a confidence by me and the council that Mr. Cope is committed to paying his obligations on time," Townsell said. "We agreed to take another shot and let's just do our jobs."
Last week, the council reviewed the draft agreements and voted 5-2 to withdraw officially the termination order. Cope took the opportunity to invite the council the visit his operation to see what the city's money was paying for - and, in turn, how the city might help Cope with needed improvements.
Ward 1 Aldermen David Grimes and Andy Hawkins, who had reservations about ambiguous language in the draft and had voted in the minority, took Cope up on his offer.
The two are not aviation novices: Grimes and his company, American Management Corporation, own a plane at the airport. Hawkins has a pilot's license.
And much of what they saw wasn't new to them. The heart of the facility is the 5,000 square foot terminal building where they found the basics for any small airport: An information desk, a large, open waiting area with a work station for filing flight plans over the Internet, a pilots' lounge featuring a treadmill and television, and even an upstairs bunk.
Aircraft ranging from 1940s Piper Cubs to the latest Falcon jets are housed in the 10 buildings around the facility.
Standing in the shade of the main hangar, Cope offered a lesson on the basics of the operation - essentially fuel sales and hangar rentals - and said he tries to lure aircraft owners from Little Rock with promises of convenience, better service and lower prices.
The problem is, with hangar space about 95 percent full, Cope said he can't grow his business without more and improved facilities. Uncertainty as to plans for a new airport means he's constantly fighting to keep his business out of a stall and eventual tailspin.
"I've had a dozen people in the last year ask why there isn't more hangar space," Cope told the aldermen. He noted particularly the dilapidated tin structure at the airports west end of the field, saying the location would be ideal for a new hangar, but no one including himself is willing to build one, as long as there's a chance a new airport will be available before such an investment could pay for itself.
He also took the aldermen for quick spin around - and above - the facility, offering a pilot's eye-view of faded runway paint, high trees on approach, and a taxi way that's so narrow and bumpy Cope turns off the lights on it so pilots won't try to use it at night.
"We're basically staring at a wall until somebody says 'yes, we're moving' or 'no, we're not,'" Cope said. "If it moves, great - let's get it done. Indecision has stifled people from relocating airplanes to Conway."
Industry trends
Denver-based Randy D. Bisgard is senior vice president for Airport Business Solutions, a firm that provides management consulting services for airport operators. He backs Copes assertions that times are tough for the industry, especially for smaller operators and after 9/11. He cited rising fuel prices and soaring insurance costs as a "double whammy."
"Fuel is by far the prime generator for an FBO," Bisgard said. "But full service has really gone by the wayside. A lot more are picking and choosing niches."
Bisgard said that it's not all uncommon for pilots to want to get into FBO management - what's difficult for many is having to spend enough time on the ground to look after a very "hands on" business.
He compared running an FBO to running a good restaurant: The manager simply needs to be there because there are so many details, from personnel and training to many regulations that govern the industry.
And regardless of an FBO manager's skill, some small facilities simply cannot meet the demands of the corporate client: Long runways, instrument guidance systems, even convention facilities and community amenities are important lures - but completely outside the realm of the FBO.
"If you're an FBO, one man can pump 500 gallons into a jet in a few minutes, or the same man can spend the same time on a small plane," he said. Therefore, big planes mean bigger profits.
Cope would like for the city to understand that there's no waiting around when it comes to airport safety, and he plans to present the council with a list of basic needs. He also wants the council to understand how important the airport is as a symbol of the community.
"What every citizen in Conway needs to realize is the airport is the gateway to the city," Cope said. "When a company comes to visit a business, those people don't drive -they fly their airplanes. We are the first impression that people get."
And while Grimes says he can appreciate Cope's position, he notes the city is in a bind as well.
"Basically, something as important as the location of the airport takes time," Grimes said. "Conway needs pretty quickly to figure if and where it's going to move, or make the best of what we've got."
Townsell agreed, and said he will give Cope's requests due consideration.
"Obviously, we cannot let a dip in safety happen," Townsell said. "There are things that we could do if we weren't going to relocate that would be very beneficial.
"The delay unfortunately is stringing out everyone."
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