Pre-Configured Hardware
NEMA-rated enclosure, Raspberry Pi agent, relay driver, and pulse input — bench-tested before it ships.
About the founder
I’m Jon Kuehler—pilot, airport operator, and aviation problem-solver in the Texas Panhandle. I lead day-to-day operations, grow community events, and keep airplanes (and airports) running smoothly. On calm days I’m a human multi-tool; on windy Panhandle days I’m a crosswind therapist. As a pilot and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, I’m wired for safety, service, and get-it-done grit.
I run Buffalo Aviation at Buffalo Airport (1E7), where we’re building practical, pilot-friendly services—and where Buff Box was born and still runs live. We like our approaches stabilized, our logbooks neater than a parade formation, and our customer service smoother than a greased landing. I run on Unsweet Tea and 100LL (mostly tea).
Buff Box is that same mindset at the pump: practical, pilot-friendly, no gold-plated nonsense. $1,299 one-time, $0 annual software fee to the airport, phone pay → unlock → gallons logged. Built for managers and pilots at the nozzle—not for a software invoice. Easy to adapt as your field changes.
Full story (and who “we” really means): buffalo-aviation.com/about-the-founder · Questions: 720-412-1132 · jon.kuehler@gmail.com
Airport Self-Serve Fuel System (What Buyers Search For)
Airport managers searching for a self serve fuel kiosk, fuel kiosk, credit card fuel kiosk, or full airport self-serve system usually want four things: 24/7 fuel, fewer line-staff hours, a price that doesn’t eat flowage, and a clear view of how much fuel is still in the tank.
Buff Box delivers that as a retrofit control box + website: avgas or Jet-A, day or night. Pilots pay on a personal device (card or ACH) → kiosk unlocks the pump → gallons report live → inventory updates in your airport portal. Same product also fits fleet yards and docks — airports remain the primary design target.
Read the free guide: Airport self-serve fuel guide → · See proof: Live install at 1E7 → · Full system at Clarendon E34 →
Live at Clarendon Municipal (E34) — full small-airport fuel system
This is a complete small-field self-serve setup: tank, pump, hose reel, and Buff Box on the side of the tank. Pilots pay on a phone; the box unlocks the pump. No six-figure farm. Photographed on the field at Clarendon, Texas.
Also live at Buffalo Airport (1E7). Self-serve 100LL at E34 is listed for pilots on FlightAware at $6.29/gal. Buffalo (1E7) is $5.75/gal.
What Is the Buff Box Self-Serve Fuel Kiosk?
A pre-built, weatherproof self-serve fuel kiosk control box at your pump. Customers scan a QR code, pay on the web, and Buff Box unlocks your pump. A flow meter reports gallons in real time. When they're done, payment settles automatically. If power fails or the internet drops, the pump stays off — fail-safe by design. Built by Buffalo Aviation, proven at a working GA airport.
Fuel Website Included
Customer accounts, QR pay-and-pump, live gallons, receipts, and your airport portal — no separate SaaS bill.
Fuel Inventory Tracking
Set tank size and starting gallons. Deliveries and pumped gallons update approximate inventory. Stick-reading corrections and low-fuel email alerts when it’s time to order — built into the airport portal.
Works With Your Equipment
Retrofits existing pump panels via dry-contact enable. Works with pulse meters and enable circuits you already have; we publish wiring guides.
Off-Grid Ready
Solar + 12 V battery at the skid. No airport WiFi? We recommend Starlink — one standard playbook for remote fields.
ACH, Card & Wire
Pilots pay at the pump. Fuel revenue deposits to your bank. Platform cost is built into each transaction — not billed to you separately.
Zero Recurring Airport Cost
No monthly software bill. No annual license. Quiet month with no fuel? $0 platform cost. Busy month? Lower per-gallon rate as you grow.
Built for Operators Who Need Self-Serve — Not a Six-Figure Console
Proprietary fuel consoles can cost more than many fields make in a year. Buffalo keeps the entry point at $1,299 so airports, fleet yards, docks, and independent stations can offer pay-at-pump without betting the farm.
You keep your pump and meter. We handle the brains, the website, and the payments. Commissioning support and QR artwork are included.
One Self-Serve Fuel Kiosk — Many Markets
Same Buff Box hardware and cloud: enable the pump, count gallons, take payment. If you have a pump with a pulse meter (or can add one), you can run modern self-serve fueling.
Airports, Grass Strips & FBOs
Avgas / Jet-A self-serve for GA fields and private turf strips. Pilots pay by ACH or card, enter tail number, unlock at the pump. Tank inventory and reorder alerts in the portal so managers know when to call the fuel truck. Reference install at Buffalo Airport (1E7).
Flying Clubs & Fuel Co-ops
Shared tanks without spreadsheet drama. Members pay before pump unlock; gallons logged per sale. Club / fleet cards on the roadmap for member-only access — web accounts work today.
Fleet Fuel Management
Diesel and gas tanks for construction, municipalities, truck yards, and rental fleets. Account-based access, gallon logs, and less cash-box chaos after hours. Fleet cards coming.
Marine Fueling
Marina and dock fueling with pay-before-pump control. Reduce walk-aways and after-hours staff time while keeping a clear gallon record per sale.
Small Gas Stations
Independent and rural stations that need a self-serve kiosk path without enterprise POS lock-in. Retrofit enable + pulse metering + web pay.
Aviation is our home market. Fleet, marine, and station deployments use the same core product with site-specific wiring and branding. Tell us your market when you inquire.
Massive Savings vs Annual Dues & Big Consoles
Small strips don’t lose on the pump — they lose on annual software dues, support contracts, and consoles that cost more than the field. Buff Box kills the recurring bill.
| Buff Box | Typical proprietary console | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront | $1,299 once | $15,000 – $40,000+ |
| Annual software / license “dues” | $0 to the airport | Often $1,000 – $5,000+ / year |
| Monthly SaaS bill to the field | None | $200 – $500 / mo common |
| 5-year software-style cost (illustrative) | $1,299 total entry | $20k+ hardware + $5k–$25k+ dues |
| Quiet month (no fuel sold) | $0 platform cost | You still pay the annual/monthly bill |
Illustrative savings: If a legacy system costs ~$2,400/year in software/support alone, that’s ~$12,000 over 5 years — before you count the console. Buff Box: no annual fee to the airport. Platform cost only appears as a small per-gallon amount inside each pilot payment when fuel actually sells.
Simple, Honest Pricing
Buffalo Control Box - direct purchase
$1,299
One-time hardware | fuel website & portal included | zero recurring cost to your airport
- Pre-assembled Buff Fuel Kiosk control box
- Device API key and cloud provisioning
- Hosted fuel page at fuel.buffalo-aviation.com
- Airport portal - prices, fuel reports, Stripe Connect
- Fuel inventory tracking - tank capacity, deliveries, auto gallons-out, stick adjustments, low-fuel email alerts
- QR plaque artwork and wiring sheet
- Remote commissioning support
Built into pilot transactions - not a recurring airport charge
| Tier | Prior month gallons | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 0 - 1,999 | $0.30 / gal |
| Regional | 2,000 - 7,999 | $0.26 / gal |
| Growth | 8,000 - 24,999 | $0.18 / gal |
| Hub | 25,000+ | $0.12 / gal |
Airports never receive a monthly or annual platform bill. A small per-gallon amount is included in each pilot payment on ACH and card fills - you are not invoiced separately. No fuel dispensed means $0 platform cost that month. The more gallons you sell, the lower your per-gallon rate becomes.
Buffalo Aviation may adjust flowage tier thresholds and per-gallon rates at any time. The rate in effect when fuel is dispensed applies to that transaction.
Not included: pump, meter, solar, hose, or Starlink (when needed) - you buy locally with our compatibility guide.
How We Differ From the Competition
Legacy fuel-system vendors optimize for high-volume FBOs. Buffalo optimizes for every airport that wants self-serve — especially the ones that could never justify a proprietary console.
| Buff Fuel Kiosk | Proprietary Console | DIY / Manual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $1,299 | $15,000 – $40,000+ | Low |
| Recurring cost to airport | $0 — ever | Often $1,000s / year | $0 |
| Monthly software bill | None | $200–500 / mo common | None |
| Platform cost model | Built into pilot sales | License + modules | Manual / none |
| QR pay-and-pump website | Included | Extra module / license | None |
| Live gallon metering | Yes | Yes | Honor box / estimates |
| ACH & card payments | Built in | Varies | Manual |
| Retrofit existing pump | Yes | Often full replace | Yes |
| Off-grid / solar | Supported | Limited | Yes |
| Vendor lock-in | Open wiring guides | Proprietary only | N/A |
| Scales with volume | Lower flowage as you grow | Fixed license cost | No automation |
How It Works
1
Airport buys kiosk & installs at pump
2
Buffalo provisions website & portal
3
Pilot scans QR & creates account
4
Pay & activate — kiosk unlocks pump
5
Meter reports gallons live
6
Done — charge settles, receipt emailed
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Buff Box?
A weatherproof self-serve fuel kiosk that unlocks your existing pump after the customer pays on the web. Meter pulses log gallons; payment settles automatically.
Do I pay annual software fees?
No. Zero monthly or annual software invoice to the airport. Platform cost is a small per-gallon amount inside each pilot payment when fuel sells.
How fast does it ship?
Build-to-order — typically 3–5 weeks after payment is confirmed.
Where is it proven?
Live at Buffalo Airport (1E7) and Clarendon Municipal (E34) — built by an airport manager and pilot who runs the field (and flies the same kind of GA most of your customers do). E34 photos → · 1E7 case study → · About →
Built for managers and pilots
Legacy consoles often leave the pilot experience behind. Buff Box is designed so managers get simple unattended control and inventory — and pilots get a modern pay-on-device flow at the pump.
Easy to adapt — without the annual trap
At $1,299 and $0 software bill to the airport, you could install a new Buff Box every year if you wanted and still beat typical competitor annual dues. Hardware that can change with your field — not a subscription that never does.
Is this a credit card fuel kiosk?
Yes — pilots can pay by card or ACH on a personal device at the pump. No need for a six-figure proprietary card terminal stack to offer modern self-serve.
What about “airport self serve system” searches?
Buff Box is that system in compact form: payment + pump enable + gallon log + airport portal with fuel inventory. You keep tanks, pumps, and meters you already own.
Does it track fuel inventory?
Yes. Set tank size and current gallons, log deliveries, correct after a stick reading, and get an email when inventory hits your reorder point. Levels drop automatically as fuel is pumped. (Estimates — evaporation and temperature can shift real volume.)
Deeper read: Airport self-serve fuel guide → · Live at 1E7 → · About Jon (Marine Corps veteran) →
Order a Buff Box
Ready to buy? Pay online for $1,299 and answer a short manufacturing questionnaire (pump, meter, power, location) so we build your unit correctly.
Military / Veterans: 10% off — call or email Jon for more info: 720-412-1132 · jon.kuehler@gmail.com
Or send a quick inquiry below — we'll reply within one business day.
Shipping: Buff Boxes are built to order and typically ship in 3–5 weeks after payment is confirmed. Times may vary with demand.
Questions? We're Here to Help.
$1,299 once. Zero recurring cost to your airport. Platform built into every pilot sale.
Call 720-412-1132 Email jon.kuehler@gmail.com Airport Portal