Great Plains Pulls The Plug

[FurloughedAgain]

According to Mike Boyd (airline smart a$$):

Financial Gravity Strikes Again. Great Plains Airlines has filed for bankruptcy and ceased scheduled service, inconveniencing perhaps as many as a dozen passengers. For those playing the home game, Great Plains was the outgrowth of the second coming of Ozark, which almost literally went nowhere before selling out to some investors in Oklahoma. The investors got their bucks from selling tax incentives Oklahoma gave them to begin service to the east and west coasts. Unfortunately, the carrier's little Fairchild 328 jets would need mid-air refueling somewhere over Tennessee if they tried to go to New York from Tulsa. That was a leeetle point the over-eager politicians in the Sooner state seemed to have missed. Then Great Plains wangled financial incentives from the folks at Mid-America, the reliever airport outside STL that, like Great Plains, has become an aviation parody

My condolances and best wishes to all of the good people at Great Plains who were just trying to make a living -- a fact that Boyd seems to have forgotten.

 

[Skull-One]

What an a**hole...

If the financiers had any b*lls GPA would have six XR ERJs (at least). But 9-11 scared everyone off... It's certainly not GPA's fault they got stuck with Dorniers. Just a quirk of fate...being at the mercy of history.

I have a lot of friends over there and they are a good bunch. I hope they reorganize and come back strong.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Dork

Whose Dork you flying Skull?

If you're using the sim in Dallas take a few minutes to go over to the American Airlines museum. They have a fantastic IMAX presentation and an amazing DC3 restored to like-new condition that they actually let you climb aboard!

I figured you would be with GPAir since you're livin out there. Sure hope thats not the case.

 

[Wile]

I hate to see more guys on furlough, but it's not like you couldn't see it coming. AA started running the non-stop flights to LAX and the northeast just after Great Plains announced their intentions. That kind of squashed the Great Plains thing. They aren't doing it anymore because Great Plains doesn't have the equipment to do it. Tulsa is not going to put anymore money into them, they have to worry about AA and their problems.
Skull One, I am intereseted in your wrongful termination deal. I guess your union wasn't much help, and who are you flying the DO jet for.

 

[Skull-One]

The Union never is any help at CHQ in the initial stages. CHQ pretty much does what it wants when it comes to disciplining pilots. Our contract to them is basically toilet paper. The Union is then forced to file grievances and that takes forever. Frankly, when this sort of B.S. gets pulled the pilots should walk out for a day in protest. It would stop this crap from happening.

The Chief Pilot had a personal and vehement dislike for me after I called him a lying SOB in front of the Company Vice President (W. H.). He supsended me twice on drummed up charges and fired me on a third manufactured allegation to seal the deal--the day I came back from a 30 day leave of absence. His wife was presiding over the proceedings along with him--there's a fair jury! Many due process violations were committed along the way.

It's a LOOOOOOOOOONG story and most people think I am guilty simply because it's easier to believe the worst about someone than to wonder if they're getting the shaft. Especially someone who isn't part of the "cool" crowd at CHQ High.

Whether or not our Union is worth anything on something like this will have to be seen down the road. I will give them credit in that they are following the contract and appealing my termination... But I can tell you that I am *NOT* a priority in any sense of the word. I've even been threatened with criminal charges if I don't stop my grievance!

So... I would have to say the jury is still out on how effective they are in helping me get my job back. If they fail, I have six law firms fighting each other to take my case. I'll probably sue them and win, effectively ending my airline career. Isn't that a Pyrrhic Victory?

Oh, well.....

I don't know why I keep shooting my mouth off about this. I'm certainly not helping my case by giving the enemy free intel...

 

[Swaayze]

Ahem, well yeah.

Even I had to chuckle at the dozen passengers thing though.

We're still running bunches of sports charters for the next month or so. After that we'll know one way or the other IMO.

I am hopeful that we'll be back flying scheduled stuff soon, but I'm afraid I probably should update my resume.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Swaayyze

No chance at a jets-4-jobs gig or not interested?

Drop me a PM if you want.

 

[Skull-One]

Well count me as someone pulling for Great Plains. Living near Tulsa it would be a perfect fit. I hope you guys make it, Swaayze. I really do.

Don't feel bad. CHQ was in dire straits ten years ago and look at them now! GPA could do the same thing!

 

[TWAER]

The Union never is any help at CHQ in the initial stages. CHQ pretty much does what it wants when it comes to disciplining pilots. Our contract to them is basically toilet paper. The Union is then forced to file grievances and that takes forever. Frankly, when this sort of B.S. gets pulled the pilots should walk out for a day in protest. It would stop this crap from happening..

Do you know why the company gets away with this? Well, let me tell ya. On many occasions, let say landing at wrong airport, forgetting passwords, flying over Whitehouse. OH and lets not forget that when they got the call to go to INDY nobody calls for Union representation. These are just a few cases where fellow pilots want to go it alone without the Union's help. And now all of a sudden its the big bad unions fault that individuals get repremanded. Give me a break. The Union is only going to help if you use it. They don't read minds and they sure don't have an office next to the chief pilot.

Skull, I hope you were represented in EVERY meeting with the CP. I also hope you get your job back. BUt, if you went into ANY meeting with the CP without your Union, you sold yourself down the river. The company will get away with whatever they can, Anywhere at any company.

Again, good luck to you and I hope you get your job back.

 

[Skull-One]

I realize I am hijacking this thread, and I apologize for that.

I definitely had Union Rep there. T.M. and Tiffany M did a great job for me. But the Company does what it wants. At one point the Captain Rep told the CP straight up: "This is pure hearsay, you can't punish him for this." CP's response: "I don't care, I'm pissed off." Needless to say, I got punished.

The Union just doesn't have a lot of teeth in a disciplinary hearing (mine were never termed disciplinary--they were "to get your [my] side of the story." Clear contract violation.

Oh well... I hope I get my job back. I hope all the great people at Great Plains get theirs back, too. In fact, I'll trade my CHQ job to get all the GPA people back off the street if God will take the deal. (Forgive me, I'm Catholic. It goes with that "offering up your suffering for those in need" upbringing... I'm not saying my job is worth all those people at GPA.)

Thanks for the support TWA. I appreciate it.

 

[350DRIVER]

Skull- 135, DO-328 jet?

good luck,

3 5 0

 

[Skull-One]

Dornier 328-100 Prop. Not the jet.

I was in Tulsa today and saw FOUR 328Jets there. Two with GPA markings, one bone white, and one with SkyWay (Midex Connex) paint. What is that about? Did GPA have two more DoJets ready to come on the line?

Dang! What a bummer.

I also heard the two jets in GPA paint are going back to the bank. I hope they get a lot of props to replace them, or maybe ERJs... We're pulling for you GPA.

 

[Swaayze]

The 2 non-Buffalo jets were originally planned for GP but the financing never came through. They are just collecting dust. GP is scheduled to receive more props in Feb, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the jets are finished. Bankruptcy is being utilized to refresh the books and hopefully attract new money.

Of course, other internal problems exist at the moment.

As to J-4-J, it seems to have stopped for the time being. MidAtlantic is on hold for the certification issues and the current U conundrum. Mesa has exhausted the FO slots (very few takers there) as has TSA. The turd, uh third, option of PSA has stopped for now as well (no offense to PSA, just chuckling at a past raider of U).

I just updated the resume and am trying to figure out what now - school, career change, or keep trying in this crappy industry? Problem is that I sure enjoy flying for a living.

 

[Smoking Man]

?????????????????

As to J-4-J, it seems to have stopped for the time being. MidAtlantic is on hold for the certification issues and the current U conundrum. Mesa has exhausted the FO slots (very few takers there) as has TSA. The turd, uh third, option of PSA has stopped for now as well (no offense to PSA, just chuckling at a past raider of U).

J-4-J at PSA has stoped only for the reason that the 50/50 raito is out of wack. More U.S. Airways furlough pilots than PSA pilots on the RJ. Dorniers are still going away at 2 a month. Training is still continuing. Just PSA only pilots in the next few classes.

 

[Skull-One]

So I guess all the DoJets out there are going to the desert, huh?

 

[Smoking Man]

They are Do Props, and as of the last few have gone to the company who purchased the Do-328 Jet production rights headquartered ic CAK-Akron Canton have taken the last four or six.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Hopefully those of us who chose to avoid J4J will not come to regret our decisions.

Occasionally I feel a little pang of jealousy when I realize that I could have been in the left seat at a number of carriers and still wear the Airways uniform.

Then I remember that USAir is only a shadow of the company we once worked for, and probably isn't worth the heartache of watching her slowly lumber along under incompetant leadership.

Fond memories though.

 

[Swaayze]

Yep, good folks, good times.

But I feel serious hesitation to again count on a U group airline to provide for my family. Will PSA survive? Will I end up at Mesa if I go there? As far as MidAtlantic, it seems to be going more senior, though I don't really understand why; and again, will it exist in 2 years (assuming it ever gets off the ground at all)?

I'm certainly not holding my breath in anticipation of returning to U.

 

[Long-Gonner]

PSA will not be sold to MESA. Perhaps a holding company or something of that nature, but MESA is not in the ball game.