Wait! What? How'd I miss this?! Liberty University scrutinized over fuel contract with Pentagon

[Roland99]

March 28, 2019 - 11:26 AM EDT
Liberty University scrutinized over fuel contract with Pentagon
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/436252-liberty-university-landed-pentagon-contract-after-inauguration-report

A company owned by Liberty University has a contract with the Pentagon to provide jet fuel.

The contract was scrutinized on Thursday after The Daily Beast reported that it was signed shortly after President Trump's inauguration. Trump has close ties to the university's president and delivered a commencement speech there in 2017.

The Defense Department signed a contract to buy jet fuel from Freedom Aviation, which is wholly owned by the university, in May 2017, according to the publication, and has since bought more than $400,000 worth of fuel from the company.

In a statement, Freedom Aviation President Andrew Wallace told The Hill that the Daily Beast's story was "misleading."

I don’t care how long the contract has been in place. Wtf?

[CDerekGo]

1. Freedom Aviation

How much does anyone want to bet that contract was signed immediately after the Inauguration, which was a handshake deal when Falwell, Jr 'endorsed' Dump?

Wondering what the mark-up Freedom Aviation has over market rates compared to other Fuel Companies? Anyone have ability to compare?

[FBaggins]

2. Your second paragraph illustrates why there probably isn't an issue here

Freedom Aviation is the only remaining FBO at the Lynchburg airport. If you're going to fly out of LYH, you're going to buy fuel from them. I know the Blue Angels did a show there in 2016 along with multiple other military aircraft. $400k in fuel would probably just cover that show.

[jmowreader]

4. "Remaining" FBO?

Their Airnav page says Lynchburg Regional has under 300 "aircraft operations" per day. I can't imagine them having ever needed two FBOs.

[FBaggins]

6. I would have assumed the same thing

Not enough business for two.

But when I looked them up I found a story from 2014 when they merged with the other FBO at that airport. The other had been purchased out of bankruptcy in 2011 and still wasn't turning a profit.

[jmowreader]

5. You could go to airnav.com and look at the prices

This FBO charges $5.16 per gallon for Jet A if you are too stupid to open a fuel contract with a petroleum company.

That's not what's happening here. When you sell fuel to the government, you sell it at the government price.
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Energy/Standard%20Prices/Petroleum%20Prices/E_PetroleumStandardPricesFY19_181001.pdf?ver=2018-10-01-131358-203

If you have a contract with the Defense Logistics Agency, you receive $2.96 per gallon and are blessed as the Official Fuel Supplier at that airport.

If you don't have a contract with them, you receive $3.65 per gallon, and you'll be given "second tier" status - meaning that you only get business from the government if the contracted FBO is unable to provide. There's probably a good chance every FBO on an airport has a contract, because it makes no sense NOT to.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. 30 years ago, I worked for a similar outfit - an FBO owned by Bob Jones University...

I was fired for saying "fuck" in front of co-workers. Context was seeing a puddle of avgas under an aircraft recently refueled and exclaiming, "what the fuck is this?"

Boom, I was fired on the spot.

[Brainfodder]

7. Promise kept?

Another log on the dumpster bonfire?

It's difficult to compete with porn stars, so I've heard.