Expert: Jeff Davis - 10/16/2011

Question
when calling an fbo on the radio what do you refer to them as . . . or call them . . .        give me an example such as . . . west ga fbo?, cessna 1234a, 10 miles west, 2500, for landing L35, do you have 100LL self serve available, west ga.

Answer
The short answer is, it doesn't matter.  They know who they are and they aren't particular about you phraseology the way air traffic control is.  However, I know you want to sound like you know what you're doing, so the longer answer is, it depends.  If they're the only FBO on the field, and there's no tower, you would typically say "Anytown Unicom, Cessna 1234A, we're about 10 north, inbound for landing, do you have 100LL on the field?"  Or "Request Airport advisory" if they don't have a recorded advisory service.  If there's a tower, or more than one FBO on the field, use their name, such as "Signature Aviation, Cessna... etc."  If you're not sure about the name, just call in with "Anytown radio..."  You're on their frequency and they know who you're trying to call.  I hope this helps, please feel free to ask a followup question if you need more specifics.