COS - New SkyWest domicile...

[Rogue5]

In keeping with an earlier thread about Mesa moving east and SKYW bulking up in the West, we just got a surprise announcement the Colorado Springs will open in September with 43 RJ crews...

 

[Richard]

Amazing!

If true, I find it curious that Skywest has more bases than I have fingers to count them on. Meanwhile, Comair has ONE and goes through all sorts of mental gymnastics and hand wringing at the thought of opening a second! What is the deal?

 

[IP076]

Can't remember if it was brought up before, but is the ORD base for sure opening? I heard June as the start date for the base. Just wondering if anyone can confirm it.

I would assume that SkyWest would pick up the DEN, LAX, and ORD UAL Express routes out of COS and that would give them 5 hubs they could feed with crews from this base. Does Express do SFO or is that Mainline from COS? (after checking the schedule, it would appear no one does SFO-COS)

 

[Rogue5]

ORD opens June 1st with 20 crews.

 

[CaptainBrazilia]

Ack! Where'd that happen?? I can't find it on the employee website.

Do me a favor, Rogue, and point me to where you found that in a PM.

Thx.

 

[ArcticFlier]

We keep pushing PBS, and it's going to suck for us. Too many domiciles for it to be any good for us. Good for SGU, sucks for us.

AF

 

[Anaconda]

Re: Amazing!

If true, I find it curious that Skywest has more bases than I have fingers to count them on. Meanwhile, Comair has ONE and goes through all sorts of mental gymnastics and hand wringing at the thought of opening a second! What is the deal?

couldn't agree more with that statement. then, when we do here discussions about a new base, it is in such lovely places as JFK or BOS...yuk!

 

[Bluto]

Captbrazilia,
Check your company email.

 

[Russ]

Wow, only one domocile. Bidding must be a protracted deal unless your number one or at the bottom. How many crews in Cincy?

 

[Richard]

Russ,

All 1800+ pilots are domiciled here at CVG. It is a scheduling nightmare, especially considering the ancient scheduling software currently in use. The software is so aweful that many lines are simply "hand built"! Life will get markedly better when a new preferential bidding program is introduced at the end of this year.

Don't know what is better in the end? - a dozen bases or just one! Comair has always been blessed with savy management and they are reluctant in the current unstable environment to open to a new base. In any case I wouldn't expect a second base for Comair this year.

 

[CaptainBrazilia]

Thanks, Bluto. I'd checked it before posting. I know of a few others that didn't receive that message either. Actually thought it was a bit of late April Fool's stuff.

Wonder what it'll do to DEN's flying?

 

[RichO]

Can someone explain why you would want to open a base in C.Springs, when you only have maybe 10 flights out of COS to SLC and DFW??


Is there something else in the works or what?

 

[cl65capt]

Russ,

All 1800+ pilots are domiciled here at CVG. It is a scheduling nightmare, especially considering the ancient scheduling software currently in use. The software is so aweful that many lines are simply "hand built"! Life will get markedly better when a new preferential bidding program is introduced at the end of this year.

Don't know what is better in the end? - a dozen bases or just one! Comair has always been blessed with savy management and they are reluctant in the current unstable environment to open to a new base. In any case I wouldn't expect a second base for Comair this year.

Richard, I wouldnt hold your breath on that new PBS system. I've been with Comair five and half years and am still waiting for the new bidding system they talked about during basic indoc. I also wouldnt expect life to get much better even if we do get it, the trips still suck. Far too many one and two leg days with 20+ hours in some garden spot like CAK, FWA or CAE. Just my .00002 cents worth.


ps. nothing against CAK, FWA or CAE, its just with 20+ hours I'd rather be someplace like YUL, BOS or MCO

 

[IP076]

Can someone explain why you would want to open a base in C.Springs, when you only have maybe 10 flights out of COS to SLC and DFW??


Is there something else in the works or what?

I'd be willing to bet with the draw down of Air Wisconsin/Mesa in Denver and them going east, that Skywest would pick up the United Express COS flights to LAX, DEN, and ORD... That should give somewhere like 20 to 30 departures daily from COS.

 

[Anaconda]

I also wouldnt expect life to get much better even if we do get it, the trips still suck.

exactly, what good is a new bidding system if you still end up with the same 17 hour 4 day trips and 24 hour 5 day trips, not to mention the lack (big time the past two months) of commutable trips for those of us that choose to live elsewhere...

anyone heard the rumor about RDU being looked at as a new crew base? that was a new one I hadn't heard until this past weekend. apparently the rational would be that it would be easier to attract and keep pilots in RDU vice JFK...

 

[theskyking]

I have it on good authority that the reason we opened COS was due to mx. Air Wiskey didn't want us doing anything more than line mx in ORD and they just happened to have a hanger in COS. So to keep our mx out of ORD, they gave us their hanger in COS for a very reasonable price.

 

[CHIEEEEFS]

SkW MX

The other 'Eastern" MX base is a race between FSD and ICT.

ICT has a lead in the race right now and Bombardier has facities there. The people in ICT do know this and are not playing cheap.

Remember, where theres MX theres a crew base.

 

[Smoked Toilet]

How will this effect ORD growth - will there no longer be the 70-90 flights a day out of ord by the end of the year?

 

[IP076]

How will this effect ORD growth - will there no longer be the 70-90 flights a day out of ord by the end of the year?

I'd say that any of these base openings, won't affect the amount of daily departures from ORD. It will affect where the crews come from for those depatures though. Works the same as any of the other bases, it seems SkyWest likes to have bases at the outstations...FAT, SAN, PSP, SMF, TUS, and now COS...of course, there are always exceptions...DEN, ORD, and SLC...

 

[General Lee]

I think Skywest is starting this base for the mx base they are buying from Air Whisky. I bet most of the broken planes in ORD will fly passenger flights to COS and get fixed overnight. Air Whisky will probably be full at their ORD or APE mx hangers--so Skywest had to look for an alternative. But, will the DEN bases be drawn down a bit?

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Socalplt]

ORD still seems to be growing. Another RJ class with with 20 captains all going to ORD starts on June 9th. I'd imagine there will be just as many FO's in it. With the transfers that will put ORD at 40+ crews by August. Managenment was saying 55 crews by the end of the year a month ago.

With the 40+ aircraft coming in the next 9 months or so, I'd guess DEN and SLC won't lose any flying. The California domiciles on the other hand -- who knows what will happen.

 

[roadrunner]

All of these little outstation domiciles are just going to make the already lousy schedules even worse. In DEN all we get is 18 or 19 hour credit 4 day trips. The flying will be so spread out that it will just mean less chance to build any variety into the lines, except in SLC of course, where they still have a little bit of everything. I've heard the FSD/ ICT rumour too, which would most certainly take more of DEN's flying.

 

[jrod]

General Lee is right on about the mx. AWAC is buying hangar space @ ORD and selling our COS mx hangar to SkyWest. It's primarily a consolidation due to reduced flying out of DEN for the RJ's. MKE and ORD will handle most of the regular RJ work and ATW will still be the primary 146 mx stop.