Many owners and managers of these businesses predict economic troubles in the near future, although some see bluer skies and opportunity in the long term.
'I'm sure that a lot (of aviation companies) are not going to make it because they depend on (revenues from students) for insurance, airplane payments and payroll,' said Bonnie Gilbert, co-owner of Air Charter Service Inc. at the Washington County Airport in South Franklin Township.
Air Charter Service last week opened a $750,000 facility with a maintenance hangar, fuel service facilities, a pilots' lounge and training areas. The company typically sells $2,000 worth of fuel a day to pilots visiting the airport. For the last 12 days, the company has used fuel only for its charter flights, which are down.
On Thursday, the FAA allowed pilots to resume flying under visual flight plans from airports outside major metropolitan areas. That includes the Washington County airport. Pilots of most small planes fly by visual flight rules, while larger aircraft use instrument flight rules.
However, the FAA left in place the temporary ban on training flights using visual flight rules as well as flights by news-reporting aircraft, hot air balloons and planes pulling advertising banners.
Airport officials, including Washington County Airport manager Ken Krupa, said most pilots have accepted the restrictions, although not without a degree of frustration.
'People know that things have changed,' Krupa said.
Some operators say the flight restrictions could drive firms out of business if they are not lifted soon.
Kathryn Moore, owner of Moore Aviation, a mom-and-pop flight school at the Beaver County Airport, is not sure how long her company can survive without revenue from students. The company's seven airplanes are grounded, interrupting the flight lessons of 25 students.
The company's five employees 'are not doing very much,' she said.
Revenue for Beaver Aviation, also at the Beaver County Airport, is down by $30,000 a week, said Janice Wagoner, the company's office manager.
'So far, we haven't laid anybody off,' Wagoner said. The company has 200 students and 20 airplanes.
Students seeking a basic private pilot license pay an average of $3,800 for 35 hours of training, according to Kevin Daw, co-owner of Pittsburgh Flight Training at the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin.
Daw said the company's 200 students are grounded. The restrictions are costing the company between $30,000 and $40,000 a week.
Brad Barnes, who does aerial photography from his base at the Finleyville Airport in Washington County, said he checks with the FAA by the hour for permission to take to the skies.
Because Finleyville is a Class B airport - within the airspace of a major metropolitan area - only instrument-based flying is permitted under the temporary FAA rules. Barnes' Piper Supercub is not equipped for that.
Also, a necessary part of aerial photography is the ability to circle over a city. That, too, now is prohibited.
He said as much as $10 million in local real estate deals could be put on hold until aerial photographs, which are required by many lenders, are completed.
John Waltrowski, who runs an airplane repair shop at Finleyville Airport, said he is unable to deliver two airplanes for payment because of the ban on visual flight to and from class B airports.
Although short-term prospects for charter companies are bleak, some owners predict a long-term boom as business travelers encounter the inconvenience of flying out of larger airports with more stringent security procedures.
Bonnie Gilbert, co-owner of Air Charter Service in Washington County, predicted that charter air service will boom once the industry overcomes 'a low confidence level.'
'A lot of corporations are not interested in flying now,' Gilbert said. 'But when they discover that they do have an option (to use charter services), I think the confidence level will come back.
'We must get the word out.'
David Faulk can be reached at dfaulk@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5615.
