An Airline is Buying RegionsAir

[taildragerpilot]

the fact that an airline is looking to buy us once a contract is in place has nothing to do with possible island charter flying with some of those saabs. it's just something to do with them until the CRJ sims open up.

 

[Tram]

oh, just go to skywest with the rest of your jball clan!

Yeh.. I've considered it...

I am in the same boat as you man, I just wanna know what's going on...

 

[ContractFlyer]

An island airline was trying to buy Regions a couple years ago...it all fell apart. The small airlines in the islands are having a tough time competing with American Eagle. If Regions declares bankruptcy and shuts down, you will all wait a long time for your money.... if you have the time and the offer,,,,move on. Or just go to MQY and ask what the devil is going on.

 

[Tram]

They won't tell us in MQY.. I've tried that..

 

[CopilotDoug]

Hey Contract, are you talking about VIVA? Wasn't that "company" comprised of 3 or 4 guys in Michigan that didn't have the money to buy Regions? Did anyone ever take them seriously?

As far as WHO is buying Regions...aside from Mesa, here's another potential buyer: American Eagle.

We know Eagle operates turbo-props, and they're even pulling more Saabs out of the desert to put them on some of the JungleJunk-135 routes. A 34-seat Saab operates at under half the cost as a 37-seat Brazillian Coffin. BUT, with the current contract in place for the next 35 years (More like 9 or so) Pilots starting out in the Saabs start at $24/hr. Compare that with:

Colgan (Saab) ... I think $21/hr
Skywest (Bro) ... $19/hr
Regions (Saab) ... $17-$19/hr

Eagle can't compete with these rates. We know Eagle is trying to cut costs...why not cut costs by purchasing Regions and shuffling the Saabs to Regions certificate? Heck, maybe Eagle will buy a few Saab 200's for Regions. Just another possibility, discuss amongst yourselves

 

[Tram]

I heard Oprah was buying us..

She is going to take the Saabs and use them to fly her guests into the show, to save on.. um.. airline tickets..

She is going to use the Streams to start a new aerobatics demo team called the "Black Screams" who will be flying the 5 of them in stunning formation/aerobatic flight.. the other 8, currently sitting in MQY will be used for.. spares.. I hear, that right now, the biggest issue is fitting the smoke systems onto the jetstream.. They are having trouble distinguishing between "stock" smoke and the smoke they have added..

If you want to fly for the Black Scream's, there will be tryouts.. You must be able to:

1. Do a load manifest, by hand, no calculator in under 2 minutes, with 2 last minute changes and perhaps a "you have X bags.. we have Y pax.. Can you take them" question thrown in there, just to keep you honest..

2. Start the most wide spread rumor within the company..

3. Manage to fly an entire sequence without being canceled..

If you can do this, you may be an elite Black Scream..

Uniforms will be $750, as they are nomex flight suits. Helmets are $925.. Don't fret though, Regions will graciously pay for your shoelaces and half of the "Black Screams" patch.. The rest, you can pay off with each paycheck!

Should be pretty exciting..

 

[Smiliner]

If Regions declares bankruptcy and shuts down, you will all wait a long time for your money.... if you have the time and the offer...move on.

I agree...get out now. You guys don't want to get stiffed on a paycheck, and have to file papers in bankruptcy court to fight for your $.10 on the dollar.

 

[taildragerpilot]

I agree...get out now. You guys don't want to get stiffed on a paycheck, and have to file papers in bankruptcy court to fight for your $.10 on the dollar.

the operating cert. will get sold, whether in bankruptcy or not. the op cert has a lot of value. the union will most likely keep the pilot group with the cert, per RLA rules. this buyer seems to want the crews, the op. cert., and the general infastructure, not, repeat, NOT the aircraft (and hopefully not the CEO and the rest of the knoxville mafia). what this means for anyone left, i don't know. could mean casa 212's, could mean CRJ's. whatever it is, there must be some deals going to use the cert. and crews somewhere, flying something for somebody, for something different than EAS. i think the EAS gravy train left the station back in Dec.

if you are a captain with less than the magical 1000 PIC, then i would hang on for the ride. remember the USAir wonder FO's with little or no PIC 121 time? 9/11 furloughs screwed them for years.

 

[PRINCE AKEEM]

Whooo...paycheck cleared today.

 

[ContractFlyer]

Eagle is a good airline but they are phasing out the turbo props...Saab and ATR's. Atr's are only in MIA and SJU now and the Saabs are up for sale. I know a broker who is trying to buy 16 of them. The 340B's are much better than the 340A's... As far as the hourly rate you guys are getting, I get $30 an hour right now. Doug and Tram know where I am... I am telling you Saab folks...move on. Regions still owes me over $1500 and another person who left recently over $500....We both have claims filed against them.