In America’s Strategic Midpoint, Hole-in-One Service Drives Trego Dugan Aviation

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. – Transportation has always been fundamental to North Platte, perched on the edge of North America’s most extensive sand dune formation. After all, this Midwestern city, strategically positioned in America’s midpoint, hosts the world’s largest railyard. It’s also home to Trego Dugan Aviation (TDA), a true family-run company that’s taken off from modest beginnings on a cattle-pasture, grass runway to become a coast-to-coast force in air cargo services, ground handling, and air charter, while serving as the gateway for golfers seeking Nebraska’s world-class fairways.

Located at North Platte Regional Airport (KLBF), the fixed-base operator (FBO) is living up to its family-focused values and the city’s historical transportation precedent by concentrating intently on driving memorable, hole-in-one customer experiences.

Trego Dugan Aviation’s focus on service excellence has earned it a loyal following in the golf world. Amateur and professional golfers, international celebrities, famous athletes, and even a United States President have flown into Trego Dugan Aviation, eager to experience the rippling, native grass-ringed fairways of Sand Hills Golf Club, an hour’s drive from North Platte.

Hole-in-One Customer Experience

“People fly in here not only for Midcontinent fuel stops, but also to play golf at high-end golf courses, and they come here expecting great service,” explains Scott Baker, General Manager for Trego Dugan Aviation at KLBF, a Phillips 66^® branded FBO.

Baker says, “It’s about providing the best, top-notch service – from the guys out on the ramp to our front desk supervisor, who is just amazing.”

That service-focused approach, says Baker, is what draws golfers into Trego Dugan instead of Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and other Nebraska airports, for easy access to North Platte’s top-ranked courses, including Sand Hills, CapRock Ranch (Golf Digest’s #72, “Greatest Golf Courses”), the Prairie Club Dunes Course (Golf Digest’s #36, “100 Greatest Public Courses”), and GrayBull (“Best New Private Course” by the Robb Report and Golf Digest).

“We pride ourselves on providing excellent service and valuing our customers,” Baker explains. “We try to take care of people the best we can. Whether flying in on a big Gulfstream jet or a single-engine piston aircraft, you’re still going to get the same great service, delivered with a Midwestern work ethic and a commitment to integrity.”

Ask Baker, who’s also a flight instructor for the FBO, about the FBO’s business model, and he’ll say it’s all about family.

“Trego Dugan started as a family company, and it’s still a family company,” Baker explains. “Our culture represents that. We treat our customers like they’re family, we work to make sure they feel valued and appreciated.”

From Livestock to Stocking Aviation Fuel

More than 50 years ago, Gary Trego convinced his cattle-raising dad that he could handle his vital ranch duties all while starting a flight school. His dad flew Super Cubs over the ranch and Gary loved aviation. Gary and his wife, Terry, founded Trego Aviation in 1970, focusing on flight school, FBO operations and aircraft maintenance from a Nebraska ranch with six employees.

It didn’t take long for the budding FBO to trade its cow-pasture landing strip for the 8,000-foot and 4,400-foot concrete runways at KLBF. The company became Trego Dugan Aviation when Gary’s daughter, Traci, and her husband, Vincent Dugan, took over operations.

All three family members share a lifelong love of flying, logging extensive miles as experienced pilots. In fact, when Traci was just 16, before even getting a driver’s license, she earned her pilot’s license from her safety-demanding flight instructor father. Now, as TDA’s Vice President, Flight and Air Cargo Logistics, Traci oversees cargo handling for millions of packages coast-to-coast, facilitating Amazon’s overnight shipping. See TDA Cargo in action at its Nashville facility here.

Vince Dugan leverages his former aviation law practice as TDA’s President, directing a burgeoning national footprint and upwards of 1,000 team members – growth that speaks volumes for a visionary, family-run company with modest beginnings on a Nebraska ranch.

Taking Care of Business

Whether it’s fast quick turns or driving a customer’s forgotten golf clubs, Bakers says his team does everything they can make the FBO and airport a great place to fly into.

Each year, TDA Cargo also handles some 80 million customer packages, while TDA Ground Handling supports over 50,000 commercial flights and TDA Charter manages thousands of private flights, all built on the same customer-first mindset that defines its FBO operations.

“It’s our work culture; the heart of our business is our people,” says Baker. “Our teams are diligent, dedicated and have purpose.”

A longtime Phillips 66^® branded FBO, Trego Dugan Aviation keeps safety and security top-of-mind for its NATA Safety 1^st-trained team. The FBO relies on the refiner’s safety and fuel handling webinars, staying current with industry best practices, explains Baker. When it comes to fuel, he appreciates Phillips 66^’s commitment to quality and, importantly, the company’s responsiveness.

“If we face any issues, we can call someone at Phillips 66^® Aviation and it gets resolved immediately,” says Baker. “Our branded sales rep has done an amazing job. It’s been great working with Phillips 66.”

Trego Dugan Aviation is not the flashiest FBO, says Baker. But like seasoned caddies skillfully guiding pro golfers to victory without fanfare, the FBO is attentively focused on helping its customers.

“Come into our FBO, and it’s cozy, you get that warm feeling that people care about you,” he says. “No matter what you fly, we’ll take good care of you.”

For more information about Trego Dugan Aviation, visit their website or follow them on Instagram.