Narrative:

Early in the morning I was practicing lndgs at mth. The winds were calm, unicom was closed, no other traffic in pattern so I used runway 25. After 40 mins in the pattern, unicom opened and the lady on unicom at the FBO told me 'she was using runway 7.' the FBO always prefers runway 7 because traffic on rollout after landing would end up at their FBO and not the one at the other end of the field. I still used runway 25. When an aircraft on the ground called for an airport advisory, the lady on unicom told him to use runway 7, and didn't even mention there was traffic in the pattern (me) using runway 25. I feel FBO's should train the people that use the unicom and not have the attitude that they are a control tower, and act like the runway in use regardless of traffic should be the one to benefit their business. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was using runway 25 specifically to avoid the glare from rising sun. His main concern is that the unicom operator never gave him as traffic to the pilot calling for airport advisories. Reporter was giving position calls at all position in the pattern even before the unicom opened. Reporter discussed situation with local accident prevention specialist. The accident prevention specialists spoke to FBO who claims that it is local policy to use runway 7 when winds are less than 5 KTS. However, in discussing problem with local pilots and commuter pilots, reporter finds that unicom usually waits until the winds are up 15 KTS before changing runway to 25. At one point the FBO chewed out a commuter pilot for using runway 25 for landing when winds were calm. Apparently the FBO forgets they are not a tower and that they give only a preferred runway and need to advise of other traffic in the pattern. The airport manager was recently fired (apparently political) and the FBO has kind of taken over.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP PLT TRAINING AT NON TWR ARPT. SECOND ACFT CALLS UNICOM AND IS GIVEN OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY WITH NO ADVISORY OF TFC IN PATTERN.

Narrative: EARLY IN THE MORNING I WAS PRACTICING LNDGS AT MTH. THE WINDS WERE CALM, UNICOM WAS CLOSED, NO OTHER TFC IN PATTERN SO I USED RWY 25. AFTER 40 MINS IN THE PATTERN, UNICOM OPENED AND THE LADY ON UNICOM AT THE FBO TOLD ME 'SHE WAS USING RWY 7.' THE FBO ALWAYS PREFERS RWY 7 BECAUSE TFC ON ROLLOUT AFTER LNDG WOULD END UP AT THEIR FBO AND NOT THE ONE AT THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD. I STILL USED RWY 25. WHEN AN ACFT ON THE GND CALLED FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY, THE LADY ON UNICOM TOLD HIM TO USE RWY 7, AND DIDN'T EVEN MENTION THERE WAS TFC IN THE PATTERN (ME) USING RWY 25. I FEEL FBO'S SHOULD TRAIN THE PEOPLE THAT USE THE UNICOM AND NOT HAVE THE ATTITUDE THAT THEY ARE A CTL TWR, AND ACT LIKE THE RWY IN USE REGARDLESS OF TFC SHOULD BE THE ONE TO BENEFIT THEIR BUSINESS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS USING RWY 25 SPECIFICALLY TO AVOID THE GLARE FROM RISING SUN. HIS MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THE UNICOM OPERATOR NEVER GAVE HIM AS TFC TO THE PLT CALLING FOR ARPT ADVISORIES. RPTR WAS GIVING POS CALLS AT ALL POS IN THE PATTERN EVEN BEFORE THE UNICOM OPENED. RPTR DISCUSSED SIT WITH LCL ACCIDENT PREVENTION SPECIALIST. THE ACCIDENT PREVENTION SPECIALISTS SPOKE TO FBO WHO CLAIMS THAT IT IS LCL POLICY TO USE RWY 7 WHEN WINDS ARE LESS THAN 5 KTS. HOWEVER, IN DISCUSSING PROB WITH LCL PLTS AND COMMUTER PLTS, RPTR FINDS THAT UNICOM USUALLY WAITS UNTIL THE WINDS ARE UP 15 KTS BEFORE CHANGING RWY TO 25. AT ONE POINT THE FBO CHEWED OUT A COMMUTER PLT FOR USING RWY 25 FOR LNDG WHEN WINDS WERE CALM. APPARENTLY THE FBO FORGETS THEY ARE NOT A TWR AND THAT THEY GIVE ONLY A PREFERRED RWY AND NEED TO ADVISE OF OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN. THE ARPT MGR WAS RECENTLY FIRED (APPARENTLY POLITICAL) AND THE FBO HAS KIND OF TAKEN OVER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.