Ricci/Rossi coming back to FLOPS?!

[Voice Of Reason]

Kinda agree, but we forget where Reinholt, Timmy twins and anyother bad, yet promoted, guy came from. They were products of Ricci. So on one hand I'd love to see Mikie and Sanjay go, but the alternative, Ricci and Rossi.

So which set of morons do you want?

I still say Ricci & Rossi, minus R***hold who is only there because he convinces mgt he is a gruff old grandpa, when in fact he is an evil, satanic individual who will ultimately cause the place to shut down.
D*mn though, maybe he's a split personality/double agent...he sure looks and sounds like he could be the Ole Gardiner, come to think of it!:nuts:

 

[dime line]

yea but there a lot more morons there from the old ricci reign, not just r****holt.

 

[shanes123]

Ricci is still at Flops..Hes the one that started the culture of the secret squirrels club. And we still have it today. Ricci rewarded snitches and Brown nosers. Thats how most of the leftover mgt got there to begin with. Sh$tfinger and Babbo have just embraced the culture. Riccis still roaming the halls of CGF everyday. Just look at your Chief Pilot. He spent his time under Riccis desk making him smile every morning.

 

[dime line]

Ricci is still at Flops..Hes the one that started the culture of the secret squirrels club. And we still have it today. Ricci rewarded snitches and Brown nosers. Thats how most of the leftover mgt got there to begin with. Sh$tfinger and Babbo have just embraced the culture. Riccis still roaming the halls of CGF everyday. Just look at your Chief Pilot. He spent his time under Riccis desk making him smile every morning.

could not have been said any better. Good job

 

[dash_trash]

Just look at your Chief Pilot. He spent his time under Riccis desk making him smile every morning.

:laugh: :laugh:

 

[Whoosh!]

You're right its true, shanes. According to this rumour though HIG would bring him back in a more "help us make this thing look good so we can sell it and get it the hell out of our portfolio" fashion. After all, he is a master of deception and con.

 

[HSDriver]

I hope everyone remembers that under Ricci we were going broke fast!!!! Even if it did look pretty. Then again I would like to get a second crack at that SFO position. If I ever roll onto the ramp and see all the Flops planes with their beacons on I'll know the rumor is true!

HS

 

[50Pesos]

If the doors closed under Ricci with a smile or the Close under M, disgruntled. They are still closing on the current stage. I would rather have a smile and say I made some good friends, and had a great time.

 

[ProFracPilot]

Lord knows much of what Ricci did in the past doesn't deserve to be defended. That said, some of what follows will read like I'm defending him. Just my opinion, take it or leave it.

It is certainly true that when Ricci and Rossi were summarily waltzed out the door, we were losing BIG $$$. The original business model failed at the point where share sales slowed significantly, compelling the company to make money on the operational side or at least not lose the vast dollar amounts we were hemorraging every month. This was a problem for all fractionals, not just FlOps. However, it was exacerbated here by our utilization of maintenance intensive, "previously enjoyed" aircraft as the core of the business model. The combining of the RTA and FlOps fleets was not handled well. Much of the schenanigans that went on with parts swapping, etc was not only unethical, but probably illegal.

But there was some genious in the original business model. By discounting fractional shares in the manner FlOps did, it opened up private jet access to a completely new tier of clients that were very reluctant to pay the high cost of admission being charged by NJA, Flex, et al. I think one would agree that once people of means get a taste of private jet access, it is addictive like crack. And the FlOps business model gave a lot more people a taste, if you will. So in that regard I see the original FlOps business model as being very good for the industry as a whole.

The other thing Ricci figured out was that he was going to sell "service", and that his pilots were the front line marketing people. Keeping the pilots happy was and (as MS knows but won't accept) is still important from a business standpoint. One need look no further than the NJA contract ratification and their subsequent business gains for confirmation of this philosophy.

Had Ricci been able to navigate the business through the tough times I believe he would have been successful at keeping the union out. He would have found a way to maintain his philosophy of keeping the pilots happy, therefore no union would be needed (again, HIS philosophy). But those days are gone as we're getting closer every day to our first contract. (I believe this is good thing)

The next CEO (and, there WILL be a next CEO) will have it much easier. The pilot labor issues will be resolved for a time and he will only have to manage the results of the bargaining agreement. In a perfect world, the cost of pilot labor will be an easy number for him to budget (although, we know that until they figure out how to properly schedule and follow the requirements of the contract they will spend a lot of needless $$ in OT and greivance payouts). This will leave him in a position with more time to find new and creative ways to expand the business, thereby increseasing the revenue stream. But frankly I don't think the person I just described is either MS or Ricci.

 

[Publishers]

Pro really made his point well. Over the years, companies started by pilots treated the pilots really well but failed miserably on the business side-- can anyone remember KIWI. Visa Versa, it is hard for the business people to understand the crews and all their whines to a guy working 70 hours a week, 50 weeks a year trying to make a business work.
I think FO failed because the world of fractionals puts so much strain on aircraft and crews, used aircraft do not work. I harp on here all the time about the importance of a good plan and model being more critical than the crews or other issues. Many think then I am anti pilot. I have just found if you do not have a workable business plan that can be successful on all fronts, you are dead in the water union -no union, good employees, mediocre ones.