Stan Pate Asks for City’s Blessing to Pass Bama Dixie FBO on to New Young Owner

Businessman Stan Pate is seeking the city's permission to transfer his fixed-base operator, Bama Dixie, to a Wisconsin family that aims to take advantage of upcoming upgrades at the Tuscaloosa National Airport.

The request was one of several significant pieces of business Pate brought before the city council's committees on Tuesday.

During a Projects Committee meeting, Pate said he has enjoyed owning Bama Dixie for the past two-and-a-half years.

There, he has housed and fueled countless aircraft, hosted celebrities and politicians, offered flying lessons to would-be pilots, brought skydiving to Tuscaloosa on a few occasions, and more.

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Now, Pate said he wants to focus on his real estate developments at the McFarland Mall site and the Leland Shopping Center, and to also work as a lobbyist to expand and improve the Tuscaloosa airport.

"I hate to say it, but I get called an old man more often than I want to be," Pate told the committee. "Sometimes I go home and look in the mirror and say, 'Am I really an old man?' Because what they see is obviously different than what I see."

As he enters what he called the end of his career, Pate said he wants to pass Bama Dixie's reins to someone else.

"I love airplanes, and I've loved them ever since I was a little boy, but it's time for me to focus on some things I can focus on that will really be big for the airport," he told the city.

Pate wishes to give the FBO to a family from Wisconsin whose daughter is studying at the University of Alabama.

They own a string of car dealerships and got into aviation for business reasons, then began flying into Tuscaloosa National Airport for her studies. They already own an FBO in Wisconsin

Pate said they fell in love with the Druid City and are excited to take over Bama Dixie and continue to grow the brand even as major upgrades are planned at the airport.

That will allow him to focus on his real estate developments but also efforts to bring freight operations to the airport as plans get underway to expand the runway, add a new terminal lobby, and more.

"I've taken it to where it is. I think it's time for somebody younger to take it on to the next level," Pate said. "I'm at the end of my career. We need somebody who is in the middle of their career to take it and continue to represent Tuscaloosa the way we have."

The committee voted to move Pate's request to the full city council, who could vote on it in January.