Story ID: 
Pilot Steps In To Operate Kansas FBO
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The facility pays tribute to the airfield’s WWII service
Word Count: 216
The sole FBO at Great Bend Municipal Airport (KGBD) in Kansas has been renamed BeckAir—a play on the name of new owner Dirk Becker, a professional pilot and flight instructor. He acquired the facility after former operator Coulson Aviation declined to continue its lease.
With its 7,852-foot main runway, KGBD began as a WWII bomber base, and the lobby of the FBO’s 5,000-sq-ft terminal harkens back to that era with historical photos and period memorabilia decorating the walls. It features a refreshment bar with fresh cookies and coffee; an eight-seat conference room that doubles as the pilot lounge; a flight-planning area/business center; and a crew car.
The World Fuel-branded facility has a 26,000-sq-ft hangar that can accommodate up to midsize jets, along with a 1,600-sq-ft maintenance hangar. A full-time A&P mechanic is on duty on weekdays and available on-call on weekends.
Thanks to KGBD’s location in the middle of the U.S., the FBO can offer quick turns on refueling stops.
“We pride ourselves on quick, professional, and personal service for each and every customer,” Becker told AIN. “Our goal is to get you back in the air as quickly as possible by providing quick turns in 15 minutes or less.”