Ricci is out at FLOPS!!

[boxcar]

Re: Can play too

From what I have heard your MEC and union aren't doing much for you. Do you think it will be ratified by the two-year mark. Hey that sounds like a good question for a poll. What do you say?

If you know anything about RLA contracts, you know two years is not a long time to hammer out a major amendment. I for one will be surprised if there'a a TA at the two year mark. How long did it take Comair (ALPA) or Horizon (IBT)?

 

[flexlrpilot357]

Quote:

Ponder this:
Why does Bombardier’s website (ie…History) not mention who the first large Learjet order came from? 10 of the first 12 Lears built went to EJA.
_____________________________________________

Excuse me???? Didn't know EJA was around in the early 60's. EJA had Lear 23s, huh? Wow, cool

 

[flexlrpilot357]

Oh, wow, I guess you're right. But what's the point? EJA circa 1964 has about as much to do with present-day Netjets as Bill Lear did with present-day Bombardier.

So Netjets won't ever have any Bombardier products, and Flexjet will always have the best-looking aircraft on the ramp. That suits me fine.

By the way, was the Excel inspired by a platypus, or was the design stolen off the drawing boards of some forgotten Eastern-Bloc design bureau?

hey, relax, I'm teasing!

 

[NJA Capt]

Quote:

Excuse me???? Didn't know EJA was around in the early 60's. EJA had Lear 23s, huh? Wow, cool

EJA operated Lear 23, 24, 25, 35, 36, Falcon 20s, Jetsars, and 707s.

If you ever go through Lewisburg, WV, they have a lot of '70s era pictures in the terminal/FBO. In several of the pictures you'll see EJA Lears and Falcons (-EJ tail numbers at the time....big red and blue vertical stripes).

What I was getting at in the previous post was this: Corporate operators are very brand loyal, right? People always want to stay with the same manufacturer (given good history) when they buy new aircraft. After 20 years with Lears, I'd say EJA was pretty loyal to Lear/Gates/Bombardier. EJA would have gone to Bombardier first, with the plans for the fractional in 1984. Something very bad must have happened for us to ditch the Lears and change everything to Cessnas. Otherwise, NJA would probably be flying Lears today.

 

[Semore Butts]

They talk about the Lear purchase in IND

Hey Flexlrjetpilot357, hope you had a great holiday! I haven't spoken to you for awhile. I've been a little busy.

Yeah they talk about the Lear purchase in INDOC during the company history. It's a pretty cool class, the future will be interesting.
In light of recent history, it's great to be a fractional pilot. My buddy at Flex recently upgraded and said he will be the last for awhile.
I Talked to KP the other day and she said you all will be doing some hiring whenever the Challenger 3 comes online.
What is Flex saying about pay on the 300?
One thing is for sure, things never remain the same.
Time to put on my little green suit and go defend the right to free speech.

Have a *&$&^%#$&^0*(^*&^ nice day!

 

[Semore Butts]

Gunfyter,

Flex was setup to be a marketing tool for Bombardier, it was not designed to make a pile of dough (or so I was told).
When Montreal saw what Ejay was doing they leaned on Flex to run in the black.
They did this through various ways, many of which had to do with items relating to the pilots (not good ways, my opinion).
Keep in mind however, one management blunder, can erase any gain you got by cutting costs regarding the pilots.
If Flexs was competing with EJAY it seems to me they would be buying a sh#tload of new airplanes and hiring at least briskly.
The inabilty to guess what was in my future at Flex is one of the reasons I left.

 

[flexlrpilot357]

Thanks for the history lesson. You know what they say, Gunfyter... if your aunt was "otherwise equipped", she'd be your uncle.

So I guess the moral of that story is that EJA preferred to have Learjets, and when we wouldn't whore ourselves out, you went with the second choice. Too bad for you.

Semore, the green suit is repetetive, you're a booger either way!

Hey, relax!!! I'm kidding!!!!

 

[flexlrpilot357]

If Flexs was competing with EJAY it seems to me they would be buying a sh#tload of new airplanes and hiring at least briskly.

How would they do that and remain in the black? We're not operating on the "build it and they will come" philosophy. Unsold airplanes in inventory are a money drain. The last Berkshire Hathaway report I saw said Netjets was losing money. Everyone and their Grandmother knows that our friends in Cleveland are losing money. We haven't done that for over a year. (Not losing money is good, by the way.)

When Montreal saw what Ejay was doing they leaned on Flex to run in the black.

I don't think Montreal (or Dallas) is interested in following the Netjets business model to the last letter. "Management Blunders", as you say, are way down, as illustrated by low charter rates, meeting or undercutting budgets in every operational category, and a year of black numbers at the bottom of the page. We're quite healthy, thanks, just waiting on the economy (and sales) to turn around.

 

[LR45JI]

So I guess the moral of that story is that EJA preferred to have Learjets, and when we wouldn't whore ourselves out, you went with the second choice. Too bad for you.

Flexlrplt,

How is the view from the 4th floor?

It’s not that Bombardier didn’t want to “whore” themselves out – they weren’t willing to take a chance on an unproven concept and provide the venture capital to get it off the ground. Montreal is now wishing they would have; I don’t see the production line on the Cessna side being shutdown in Wichita.

So, I guess you can say EJA went with the 2nd best [at the time] and it worked out for the best. Just look at the residual values we are providing to our owners when compared to FX; but that has more to do with difference of business models.

Would I like to fly the Lear 45 again? Sure. Would I like to fly the new 300? Sure.

I believe Bombardier makes a great product that would work great with EJA operations. However, our mgmt. is too loyal after the run around Montréal gave them years ago. Bombardier said they would “never sell to the competition” ….all I can say is: Avolar

If EJA decided to buy Bombardier products tomorrow you would see half-dozen execs form Montréal in Columbus in about 2 hours in Challenger 300’s and Lear 45’s.

 

[flexlrpilot357]

have fun!