Flops

[hawkerpilot]

For what its worth, we used to do several (5+) vendor ops for them each week until they were put on cash only(were into us for several hundred thousand)and now we have been doing almost nothing with them. Doesnt look good....I have been doing vendor ops for them for about 3 years and this is the first time this has happened.

 

[mike]

I was doing good vendor business with FLOPS too. We received a late payment on November 7th that brought the account current. I think you are witness to several economic forces at work here.

Hope the make it. I know some good folks that work there.

Mike.

 

[Fed Magnet]

How about the Flight Options Falcon held for non payment? Anyone have details on this? Facts only please.

 

[GooseHZ]

Whats Up??

I have been reading all this cash only bull for awhile now on here.....


Fed Magnet you ask about Facts...why dont you gove US some Facts. Where was the Falcon held up? Who did the work? Where you THERE?? give me a break.......step off....


Mike, Im glad you got paid....i have seen your post on the other page.

I worked for a 135 outfit that did trips for EJA,EJM.......it took 90-100 days to pay EVERY TIME......i did not go on the net and strart running my mouth... Why are u pissed at FLOPS....u get turned down?

Hawkerpilot,
what do you do for us? at what airport? do you do a good job? mabye you do, mabye you dont......mabye thats why you dont get paid.....

If FLOPS is bad news......why do you still work for/with them???

Fly safe....

 

[mike]

The facts. Ok here are the facts. EJA aka/ Netjets pays in 30 days. They have for the past two years I have done business with them. Flight Options paid within 30 days til last January. I don't know if they will return to promp payments in the near future.

We have some very strong economic forces at work here. The nations manufacturing and financial markets have not recovered from a slow down that began in the third quarter of 2000. Those are the people that buy shares and travel. It is a business.

Many companies have cancelled expansion plans and curtailed expenses. Others have run into cash flow problems. From what I read and what I experience, FLOPS falls into the later category.

There are a lot of good folks that work at FLOPS, and I sincerely hope they find a way through this. This is a management problem.

 

[GooseHZ]

Mike,

Like i said im glad you got paid.....but why share FLOPS slow pay with the world...not only on this board but others???

Your are right, Flops has lots of great folks working for them, out on the road and in CGF. Seeing the constent bad mouthing some gets me pissed. Did not mean to offened.....just wonder why you chose the net to vent your problems on the net, i dont see how that is productive at all to your company.

fly safe......

 

[mike]

Again, these are very hard economic times. The object is not to piss on Flight Options. It is to share information. I don't think you can solve the problem, but I do think the guys looking for jobs on this board should know what they are stepping into.

The real damage would have been if the Companies with large past due balances sought a solution through the courts. Nobody I have talked with wants to do that. So, we shut them off and call for payment. When they pay, the large credit limit is gone and you have them on a trip to trip basis.

This makes it hard on FLOPS because they lose flexibility in dispatching airplanes for clients. The aviation business has always operated on slim margins. That is why nobody can absorb a large loss, or you find yourself hit hard by a 10-20-30 cent fuel increase. There is no room for mistakes. It is a very unforgiving business.

Mike.

 

[jpilot]

options

It is necessary to post information, good, bad, or indifferent about a company in this type of forum. Rumors are usually based on some type of fact and eventually dry up. This board is useful for those that need information about companies they want to work for. Yes, you can talk to the pilots at that company, but as I found with Flight Options, people there say, everything is great and they get highly upset if you tell them what you heard. Of course, most people won't tell you the truth on the road, but they will in an annonymous board like this. I defend this board entirely. I have used it for years and found it to be a wealth of information.

 

[fracman]

Flight Time.Com

If someone would have taken the time to post warnings about Flight Time.Com similar to those Mike is posting about Flops(seemingly honest and sincere) it possibly would have saved some folks out there a lot of $$. Flight Time went bankrupt and left a lot of good operators holding the bag.

 

[ArmyPilot]

I have to add my 2 cents...

First of all I have never seen any indication what-so-ever that FO has been unable to pay any bill. My rooms are always paid for, my check always comes in, the maintenance contractors continue to suck up to us pilots to get FO to give them more work, etc. etc. etc.

Posting on a public message board that you have not been paid in a timely manner is in my opinion extremely un-professional, slanderous and out of line.

My question to you sir is this, if you felt wronged then the first person you should have called is Mr. Ricci himself, did you do that? I am sure he would have taken your call and set whatever problems you had straight.

Also, the only place I hear about any financial issues or let me say vendor disatisfaction is on web boards. Isn't that funny, no one has ever said anything but outstanding comments about FO to my face.

I would imagine by the lack of your professionalism that you had more "issues" then you are telling us in this public forum. Could it be possible that your billing wasn't in in a timely manner? Or maybe you did not perform the service to the satisfaction and standard of FO? There could be a thousand reasons why you where not paid in Net 30. I will tell you this though, if you are unable to manage recievables at Net 60 you are in very, very poor financial shape. I would have to say sir, you are the one with "cash flow" problems not FO.

Last but not least a word of advise, follow the golden rule .....


"He who has the gold makes the rules"

And sir I would have to say FO has the gold.

Gooday

 

[jpilot]

Flight Options

You now have proved my point about the pilots at Flight Options. They feel the need to "set the record straight" as they see it in their eyes. It's almost a "cult" following. As a former pilot for Flight Options, I could post here to tell "my side" of the story including bills not being paid, etc. I choose not to. But, this forum is for those that read through the b.s., etc. to form their own opinion. As others have posted on the corporate board, regionals, and the majors, the good and the bad, about companies people are inquiring about, only helps those to read into the bad that maybe others can't deal with. I have been reading this website for years. It seems the only people that get uptight about talking "badly" about their company is Flight Options.
This board is insightful, full of vast information, and any question good or bad, you care to ask, will be answered. It's up to the reader to decifer the truth. We certainly don't take this board as gospel. To sprout off people seem to have agendas to talk badly about your company, only seems to prove you have an agenda to defend your company. I choose to read through the good and bad and form my own opinion. To each their own and thank goodness for free speech.

 

[hawkercpt]

Re: options

" Yes, you can talk to the pilots at that company, but as I found with Flight Options, people there say, everything is great and they get highly upset if you tell them what you heard. "

And you wouldn't take a defensive posture if someone were to make slanderous remarks about your employer? That is assuming you have an employer and like your job.

I find it difficult to believe that Options is having financial trouble when they are purchasing 5 Citation X's and just announced an increase in the compensation packages for their pilots.

The question again comes to you. Have you contacted Kenn Ricci with your financial delema?

"Rumors are usually based on some type of fact and eventually dry up"

How about the rumor that Flight Options is going bankrupt? I've only heard that every six months for the last three years. Rumors are exactly what they are, rumors.


"To sprout off people seem to have agendas to talk badly about your company, only seems to prove you have an agenda to defend your company"

I'm noy "sprouting off" about anyone and have no agenda, I will however state for the record that the defense of ones employer when attacked is only natural.

 

[jpilot]

Flight Options

Did you ever stop and think how the rumor got started about Flight Options going bankrupt? It started from a small grain of truth as vendor bills were being paid late, etc. I certainly don't care to discuss with you when and where that happened, as I have seen for myself, as you would probably want dates, times, etc. and still defend it isn't true. But, you started your defense of this poster stipulating his charter bills being paid late was possibly untrue, was possibly someone posing here, etc. It is entirely possible what Mike says is true as I have witnessed it with my own eyes.

As for defending one's employer, I know the good and bad from my company, so when someone says what I know to be the truth, I certainly don't get on the defensive to dispute what they are saying. I listen.

As for calling Kenn Ricci, who in the right mind would do that? Is that your response to everything over there? Call Kenn Ricci? I wouldn't call Kenn Ricci, who is such a smooth talker that he could probably sell ME land in the everglades.

And, by "getting" five used Citation X's, one's Flight Options doesn't even own yet until sold to owners, the look of a good financial picture? Geez. I feel bad for you people over there. You all are walking around with blinders on. Maybe when the ship starts sinking, you all will open your eyes and jump off.

I certainly have no intention of continuing this conversation on this board as I know how it works. We will just keep posting and posting and go round in circles. Let's just say that maybe people don't like Flight Options and the reason "stuff" gets posted about them. It certainly has nothing to do with any semblance of truth of what people are saying. LOL!

 

[FracMonster]

Can't we all just get Along.

 

[FracPilot]

Funny thing - whenever somebody claims to be a representative of some company that has not received payment, put FO on a cash only basis, etc., they will never say exactly what company they represent. Very credible. Give me some substantiated facts and I'll listen to your story. Simple enough?

I have been with Flight Options for well over 3 years, and have never been to one of these places that supposedly has us on a "cash only" basis. A Falcon being held for unpaid MX bills? Funny, I have been to the very facility that supposedly held one of our aircraft for months due to non payment - and they worked on my airplane, did not require "cash payment", and did not attempt to hold the aircraft until obtaining such payment. Wouldn't they do such a thing if they had been severely burned as some claim? A smart businessman would.

This BS is getting old. If you have proof to back up your claims - AND YOU MAKE SAID PROOF PUBLIC RATHER THAN SAY "CALL SO AND SO IN THIS DEPARTMENT" - people might be more receptive. If you don't have said proof, keep your allegations to yourself.

If you think I'm getting all worked up and defensive, think again. I'm sitting in a hotel, bored out of my mind, and looking for something to kill the time until I can go home to my family. This board has kept me entertained for a few minutes, at least.