FBO Services
Do you have self serve fuel?
We have 24 hour self-serve fuel at Livingston (KVLM) but not in Big Timber (S60).
Do you offer membership discounts or contract pricing on fuel sales?
Not at this time.
Do you have in house mechanics?
We have relationships with mechanics in the area that can assist you, but we do not have on-staff aircraft mechanics at this time.
Can you accommodate an order for catering?
We are happy to meet your catering needs with local vendors.
What are the runway conditions?
Both airports (KVLM and S60) are monitored 0800-1700 local, seven days a week, however NOTAMs may not reflect the current conditions. Runways are generally plowed early in the morning following a snowfall event, but they can also be cleared during overnight hours upon request. Please don't hesitate to call for the latest conditions!
Ouch! The landing fees are expensive in Livingston!
We don't care for the fees either. However, we hope that as you compare Livingston to nearby airports, you'll take advantage of our quick turn-around times, minimal ATC delays, short taxi times, and outstanding family service! We encourage our customers to provide feedback on the existing fee structure to Park County, City of Livingston, Livingston Chamber of Commerce, AOPA, and NBAA.
CHARTER FLIGHTS
Can I bring my spouse or child along on a tour flight?
We would like to accommodate additional people in the Super-Cub, but it only has one passenger seat. Please consider taking a flight in our Cessna which has three passenger seats.
I'm afraid of turbulence, is it safe to fly today?
Encounters with turbulence are a possibility on every flight. Truly hazardous encounters with turbulence are extremely rare because pilots are taught to avoid it altogether, or to minimize its effect on the aircraft and occupants, and because airplanes are engineered to sustain a certain amount of turbulence without any negative outcomes. Our pilots understand your concerns are are happy to help you navigate them.
That's a small airplane. Is the weather too bad to fly?
Each operation is unique, and sometimes the weather looks bad but isn't prohibitive at all. However, if the pilot says the weather is too bad, then the weather is too bad and they won't fly.
I understand that there are weight limitations in a small airplane, what does this typically look like?
In general we can carry passengers weighing up to 210 pounds without any additional constraint unless we are carrying significant amounts of cargo, baggage, or planning for a maximum range flight. In the Cessna, we can carry heavier passengers but we have to be conscientious about where certain passengers sit, especially if we are talking about significant variances in passenger weight, such as a 240 pound father flying with his 55 pound, seven year old daughter. Don’t be afraid to call us with questions.
Why do you request a 50% deposit on charter or tours?
We’re approached by lots of people and we pride ourselves on serving our customers with high quality experiences. Putting down a deposit ensures that your reservation is in good order and that we can continue to prioritize the sharing of our backyard with people like you.
You canceled my reservation, what happens to my deposit?
If Yellowstone Air Service has to cancel your reservation for reasons beyond your control such as weather, maintenance, or pilot availability, our first priority is to get you re-scheduled and meet your goals to a satisfactory level. If we cannot successfully re-schedule with you, and the cancellation was our decision, your deposit is 100% refunded.
I got busy with work (or something else) and decided to cancel my trip. Do I get my money back?
Generally speaking if a reservation is canceled, the reservation is non-refundable. In certain unique situations (evaluated on a case by case basis) we will refund deposits if the customer cancels.
Flight School
Why choose Livingston airport to start or continue my flight training?
Livingston is an uncontrolled, low traffic density airport. You'll experience the benefits of a more efficient time in the aircraft, instead of long taxis and inefficient traffic patterns (at a towered airport).
Livingston is windy, it seems like a hard place to fly an airplane.
We believe there are no bad days in Livingston, only some days are better than others. We'll teach you how to handle the wind, and this experience will be valuable as your career advances. Of course, some days there is too much wind, and that presents an excellent opportunity to use our simulator, conduct ground instruction, or self study in our library.
I want to learn how to fly so I can carry my family and friends, are your instructors safe and experienced?
Our instructor pilots come from different backgrounds, however the majority of them have flown in many challenging environments such as Alaska and beyond. All of them will prioritize you during your training, we don't hire 'time builders.'
I own, or am about to buy an airplane. My insurance company says I need a certain amount of instruction from a qualified instructor, can you help?
Yellowstone Air Service has experience across many manufacturers and types. The answer is more often Yes than No. Give us a call to discuss your unique situation.
Do you provide high performance or complex aircraft endorsements?
We are happy to help you with your owned or borrowed aircraft At this time, we don't offer high performance aircraft for rental or instruction.
Do you provide multi-engine instruction?
Not at this time.
Do you have experience in other unique operations?
Some of our instructors have experience on skis to include straight, penetration, and retractable wheel skis. We can also help provide you with a glider tow endorsement and are uniquely qualified to discuss you goal of flying to Alaska.
I want tailwheel instruction, or want to rent that cute little champ.
If you’re a new student pilot and you start off in the champ, you can expect to solo the champ once the base requirements have been satisfied.
For rated pilots seeking tailwheel endorsement or recurrent instruction, the bar for performance is safe aircraft operation in all corners of the envelope and in all slow flight, takeoff, and landing maneuvers. Generally a proficient pilot who is new to tailwheel can make the transition and receive the endorsement in 10 hours or less.
If you’re an experienced tailwheel pilot and want a champ checkout, we’ll spend a little bit of ground discussing your experience and nuances of the champ both in preflight and operationally. This is followed by a thorough checkout that typically does not exceed 90 minutes if each maneuver is performed successfully.
The champ is rented on dry tach time, and more thorough discussion of that can be found farther down.
May I pretty please fly the super cub solo?
Nope! As much as we’d love to let you rip the cub all by yourself, it’s the only one we have and we have to keep it healthy in order to serve our charter clients at a high level. If you’re a candidate for dual instruction (including advanced tailwheel) in the cub, we’re happy to work with you to meet your goals.
I own a persnickety airplane, can you satisfy my insurance needs for a flight review or other training?
Let’s talk. Our chief CFII and charter pilot, Austin, has experience in a wide variety of piston singles from fire breathing slippery beasts like the V-Tail Bonanzas, Mooneys, & Comanches, to tailwheel aircraft ranging from two seat tandems through high performance six seaters like the Cessna 185. This is not to mention all the airplanes ‘in between’ such as the Piper Cherokee, Cessna 182, or Grumman Tiger. If you need training for a TSIO-520 or TIO-540, own a Cessna 206, or are interested in buying a LARGE single like a GA-8 AirVan, you’ve come to the right place. If you have a geared engine or manual wastegate turbocharger, we can even talk eye to eye about that.
Wet Rate? Dry Rate? Do I need an umbrella?
A wet rental rate is the ‘all-up’ cost associated with renting most flight school airplanes on an hourly basis via the ‘Hobbs’ meter which turns in 1/10ths of an hour. Every 1/10th is six minutes. Wet rates also include fuel, and are a very simple method of charging for an aircraft. If you rent the Cessna for 1.3 hours you have had the master switch on for 1 hour and 18 minutes, and you’re charged $201.50 for that time and don’t worry about putting fuel in the airplane. Hobbs time is typically what is logged in a pilot logbook.
Alternatively, a dry tach rental rate is usually reserved for airplanes with large high performance engines and corresponding large ranges of fuel flow and wear & tear. It can also be used in instances where the aircraft does not have an electrical system (such as our 1946 Aeronca Champ). Since the tachometer (RPM gauge) is mechanically driven by the engine, it rotates the corresponding meter at different rates according to engine speed. The renter is charged for the ‘tach’ time, and at the conclusion of the flight, they refill the gas tank in the champ for the next user. However, instead of logging tach time in their pilot logbook, they use clock time (wristwatch) to keep track of the time between engine start and shutdown.
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Example 1: Student with an instructor going out for traffic pattern work
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Givens: Tach time turns slower at low RPMs. Fuel burn is conservatively estimated to be 6 gallons per clock hour in normal operation. Engine start at 13:00, shutdown at 14:12. Dry tach rental rate of $110/hr. Dual rate of $65/hr.
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Total cost: (0.7 tach) + (1.2 hours of dual flight instruction) + (6 gallons AvGas @ $5.85/gallon [on personal credit card after flight]) = $190.10 for 1.2 hours loggable dual flight time equalling $158.33/flight hour
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Example 2: Cross country solo rental flight to eastern montana.
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Givens: Tach time turns faster at cruise RPMs. Fuel burn is conservatively estimated to be 6 gallons per clock hour in normal operation. Engine start at 13:00, shutdown at 15:30. Dry tach rental rate of $110/flight hour.
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Total cost: (2.0 tach) + (13 gallons AvGas @ $5.85/gallon [on personal credit card after flight]) = $296.05 for 2.5 hours loggable flight time equalling $118.42 total cost/flight hour
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Example 3: Comparison against Example 1 & 2 except using Cessna 172 at $155/ wet
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Example 1 total cost $252.00
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Example 2 total cost $387.50
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Do you travel for instruction or ferry flights?
Yes. Generally if in the local commuting area, we charge the standard IRS mileage rate for a light vehicle to round trip from KLVM to your airport. Assuming there is no significant standby time involved, there are no additional charges.
For travel outside the commuting area, overnight trips, and special situations, we typically charge a daily rate, rounded to the nearest half day, plus all expenses related to travel and lodging. Contact us for a quote.