After being based at San Angelo for years with both fixed-wing aircraft and (previously) a helicopter, I had one encounter too many with the surly line staff and switched my patronage to the other FBO on the field. In fairness to Ranger, I lost my composure as the final straw snapped and used some descriptive but inappropriate language to register my thoughts that would have been better left out of the conversation. But I spoke my truth about the attitude of the line staff and the overall experience of dealing with them over the past years. Echoing a previous reviewer, the desk personnel are often friendly; it's the attitude of the line personnel (Ranger's actual storefront) that was too often off-putting. And not the junior guys. It is the longer-term line employees that are their customer service problem. Moments after the final conflict, I was called on the phone by their senior-most line manager and informed that "for the ittle amount of fuel you buy" I was not a valued customer all along. I currently fly a 4-place Cessna and it was not unusual for me to spend $350 to $1,000 per week with them over the six months leading up to my choice to patronize the other fuel provider at KSJT.
In the heyday, when the Mitsubishi MU-2 was assembled in San Angelo, Ranger would have been a great place to be. But today they are reduced to operating a paint and interior shop (that does great work, by the way) and pumping a fair volume of Jet A to the military, freighters, and transient biz aircraft.
Today they let me know for the last time what they think of smaller aircraft and I responded by establishing a fuel account next door at Skyline Aviation.
I've tried to write a balanced review and mostly think it's sad that a once-proud company would be allowed to fall under the control of staff who care not for their employer, their employer's reputation in the market and community, or those of us who use light aircraft regularly for business and personal flying. read more
