I've been hearing rumors...

[Narrow Bridge]

A pilot the other day told me he heard the numbers were going to be between 50 and 100. Hope it's not true.

 

[993_Pilot]

Unfortunately, you got your answer today. . . 63 more pilots on the street. Sorry for all who were affected.

 

[Captain Dork]

Layoff scare complete. Show concern and sadness for those affected.

Keep in mind gloom and doomer's.

What has FO purchased lately?.....Nothing, very little debt, made good money selling those Legacy's however.

How many contracts are out there where the customer has a monthly commitment (avg $9,000 per month)?....Do we still have 950 contracts?

What is the payroll for the pilots?.....Say 450 x $70000 per year.

Do you know of any pilots earning less than FO's, even at little FBO's in rural areas?......AHHH...

Does the negotiating committee look at audited financials from an outside firm or is it FO company generated stuff?....most likely FO generated stuff

Is FO proceeding to make cosmetic improvements to existing aircraft?.....Yes, teal color, not great for resale

Have we purchased charter lately?.....Yes

Have we purchased banked charter?....It is a rumor which began spreading January 2nd.

Have we been asked to fly overtime lately?.....Yes

Were we working consistently the last several tours?....Yes

Does the company have motivation to talk poor?.....Yes, Star Trek's-End of Negotiation-The Final Chapter

Has there been an anouncement of the consolidation of any management posts?......No, in fact we have a VP Flight Operations I, and VP Flight Operations II

Has any portion of the sales staff been laidoff?.....None known

Has there been any admission the management salaries and bonuses have decreased?..... None known

Who has their primary US office in Miami?.....HIG, Ford and Harrison, and Embraer

Who's writing style attempts to be folksie, but actually reads like-"Dear Chumps?".... VPFOI

Does the general economy suck right now?.....Yes, but if you stop paying your management fee on your airplane, we treat you like the ordinary civilians that don't make their car payments.

How many layoffs at the mature fractionals, beside
FO?....Not many. Perhaps we just suck.

Who is sometimes naive, highly fractious, loudly opionated (amongst our own), and often completely over our head outside of the cockpit?.....the line pilot (of which I am one)

 

[HSDriver]

Tru True True

Keep in mind gloom and doomer's.

What has FO purchased lately?.....Nothing, very little debt, made good money selling those Legacy's however.

How many contracts are out there where the customer has a monthly commitment (avg $9,000 per month)?....Do we still have 950 contracts?

What is the payroll for the pilots?.....Say 450 x $70000 per year.

Do you know of any pilots earning less than FO's, even at little FBO's in rural areas?......AHHH...

Does the negotiating committee look at audited financials from an outside firm or is it FO company generated stuff?....most likely FO generated stuff

Is FO proceeding to make cosmetic improvements to existing aircraft?.....Yes, teal color, not great for resale

Have we purchased charter lately?.....Yes

Have we purchased banked charter?....It is a rumor which began spreading January 2nd.

Have we been asked to fly overtime lately?.....Yes

Were we working consistently the last several tours?....Yes

Does the company have motivation to talk poor?.....Yes, Star Trek's-End of Negotiation-The Final Chapter

Has there been an anouncement of the consolidation of any management posts?......No, in fact we have a VP Flight Operations I, and VP Flight Operations II

Has any portion of the sales staff been laidoff?.....None known

Has there been any admission the management salaries and bonuses have decreased?..... None known

Who has their primary US office in Miami?.....HIG, Ford and Harrison, and Embraer

Who's writing style attempts to be folksie, but actually reads like-"Dear Chumps?".... VPFOI

Does the general economy suck right now?.....Yes, but if you stop paying your management fee on your airplane, we treat you like the ordinary civilians that don't make their car payments.

How many layoffs at the mature fractionals, beside
FO?....Not many. Perhaps we just suck.

Who is sometimes naive, highly fractious, loudly opionated (amongst our own), and often completely over our head outside of the cockpit?.....the line pilot (of which I am one)

True, True, True,

Pilots that are still working at Flops, Don't get scared for your job, that is the intention. Get a good contract and make this a good place to work and bring many of your buddies back. They are counting on you not to fold to management.

 

[Narrow Bridge]

I don't think the furloughs had anything to do with negotiations. We just arent very busy. I think the company realized they didn't furlough enough the first time around.

 

[skyismyoffice]

HIG had enough?

I hate to start the rumor mill turning again but...I heard that HIG is sending an outside group of aviation consultants to CGF this week to evaluate the current status of FLOPs. Their goal is apparently to tell HIG what the best course of action is for this sinking ship. I also hear that there is NO love between Ricci and HIG.

Anyone else hear this?

 

[SilverSurfer]

Can you say Hummmmm!

I don't think the furloughs had anything to do with negotiations. We just arent very busy. I think the company realized they didn't furlough enough the first time around.

I disagree with you on this one. Layoffs were for the most part to influence negotiations. Management and F&H are going to do everything they can to paint the doomiest and gloomieset economic picture they can and hope that our negotiators fall for it. From the comments I have been hearing out of the leadership/negotiations committee, singing the company’s woe is me tune, they have.


On the original post in this thread, lets consider a few things.

2003 Riccie was forced out, and when he left it was with a large chunk of RTN’s change.
2004-2008 During his absence RTN puts cut and slash management in place reducing the size of the company by half thereby making it more attractive for a sale to a larger number of potential investors. HIG our current majority stock holder comes into the picture expecting Schreeinga to turn a profit with the company he has been systematically destroying. Along with the reductions in size there is a corresponding reduction in quality of services and a move away from focused customer satisfaction. All of this reaching our current crescendo of questionable viability.

2003-2008 During the time when the company was being destroyed by interim management, Riccie was building his wealth and influence looking for partners to help him retake HIS company.

2008 to present. Riccie reacquires a managing stake at the Flight Options table using the wealth and influence acquired in the interim years. Riccie’s return is filled with lots of positive speak, feel good gestures, half hearted commitments to work with the Union and complete negotiations. Things are marginally better pilots are not as down trodden and are now helping to keep the company afloat. Riccie and F&H continue to stall at the negotiations table telling our Union reps how poor we are and what they can’t do. Then low and behold, comes the luck of the Irish, the world economy crashes. This truly does have a dire impact on the company and management is truly crying poor mouth at the table.

Riccie is simultaneously is trying to sell the same doom and gloom to HIG the current majority stock holder of Options in order to persuade HIG to accept a drastic devaluation of the company. He does this because he wants to buy HIG out with a coalitions of investors that he controls.

Jan 2008 Riccie makes a offer to buy Options at fire sale prices for all of the above reasons. HIG does not dismiss him out of hand and instead, surprise, surprise, makes a counter offer. This past week HIG and Riccie meet for further discussions and while we do not know the precise out come of these meeting it is reported that all parties involved were leaving the meetings with large smiles on their faces.

Draw from this what you will. I think Riccie would make a great Chess player

 

[clickclickboom]

Guys some of the best flying of my career has happened during my 8 years at flops. I made friends to last a lifetime. Unfortunately too many of my friends are currently out of work due to the gross mismanagement of the company.

Back in the early days options could sell a used beechjet and make nearly 1 million dollars.. Ricci made millions in the early days.

Beyond that options has never been profitable ever..

I really hope you have taken the time to get your ducks in a row over the last 3 to 4 years as the days of flops are over.

They will not make it unless a mircale happens. At a point having over 900 pilots flight options has been trying to shrink to profitability and in the meantime has shed critical infrastructure. This is all very upsetting. I remember how proud we were in the early days.....

Best of luck guys

 

[skyismyoffice]

I disagree with you on this one. Layoffs were for the most part to influence negotiations. Management and F&H are going to do everything they can to paint the doomiest and gloomieset economic picture they can and hope that our negotiators fall for it. From the comments I have been hearing out of the leadership/negotiations committee, singing the company’s woe is me tune, they have.


On the original post in this thread, lets consider a few things.

2003 Riccie was forced out, and when he left it was with a large chunk of RTN’s change.
2004-2008 During his absence RTN puts cut and slash management in place reducing the size of the company by half thereby making it more attractive for a sale to a larger number of potential investors. HIG our current majority stock holder comes into the picture expecting Schreeinga to turn a profit with the company he has been systematically destroying. Along with the reductions in size there is a corresponding reduction in quality of services and a move away from focused customer satisfaction. All of this reaching our current crescendo of questionable viability.

2003-2008 During the time when the company was being destroyed by interim management, Riccie was building his wealth and influence looking for partners to help him retake HIS company.

2008 to present. Riccie reacquires a managing stake at the Flight Options table using the wealth and influence acquired in the interim years. Riccie’s return is filled with lots of positive speak, feel good gestures, half hearted commitments to work with the Union and complete negotiations. Things are marginally better pilots are not as down trodden and are now helping to keep the company afloat. Riccie and F&H continue to stall at the negotiations table telling our Union reps how poor we are and what they can’t do. Then low and behold, comes the luck of the Irish, the world economy crashes. This truly does have a dire impact on the company and management is truly crying poor mouth at the table.

Riccie is simultaneously is trying to sell the same doom and gloom to HIG the current majority stock holder of Options in order to persuade HIG to accept a drastic devaluation of the company. He does this because he wants to buy HIG out with a coalitions of investors that he controls.

Jan 2008 Riccie makes a offer to buy Options at fire sale prices for all of the above reasons. HIG does not dismiss him out of hand and instead, surprise, surprise, makes a counter offer. This past week HIG and Riccie meet for further discussions and while we do not know the precise out come of these meeting it is reported that all parties involved were leaving the meetings with large smiles on their faces.

Draw from this what you will. I think Riccie would make a great Chess player

Definitely seems plausable to me...

 

[gutshotdraw]

Management and F&H are going to do everything they can to paint the doomiest and gloomieset economic picture they can

No, that would be our new President and his allies in Congress so they can jam a trillion dollars in new big government down our throats in a so-called stimulus package that will do ZERO to improve the economy....