Whats The Latest On Focus?

[skywardglance]

Since he's been at TDX, about half of the captains have voted with their feet and resigned.

That’s a pretty bold statement… It takes longer than overnight to rebuild a MGT team/Company. The changes have been continuous! The recent Captains walking have had nothing bad to say about him. They for whatever reason have been proactive and found better situations for themselves.

 

[heilhaavir]

That’s a pretty bold statement… It takes longer than overnight to rebuild a MGT team/Company. The changes have been continuous! The recent Captains walking have had nothing bad to say about him. They for whatever reason have been proactive and found better situations for themselves.

Sky, that's interesting.

Drag, not trying to defend him, just very curious, but would it be possible for you to tell us what R.W. did to worsen the conditions at TDX (which, from what I've heard from the ex-TDX guys here at FKS, were not all that good to begin with)? If you allow me, I have a question on your "voted with their feet and resigned" comment:
A couple years ago, and before R.W.'s arrival at TDX, a bunch of crews resigned to go to FKS thinking the same thing. Did anything get better at TDX since?

Frankly, besides satisfying one's ego in thinking that we've just "showed em" and it's going to "cost em", I don't think management really cares/cared. As Sky said, I think we all look around for something better for ourselves at a certain point in our career, whether it be for a type rating, the fact that we'll be able to fly out of the house, or simply promises that the grass will be way greener at the other place :laugh: . Worse even, there is always the guy/girl who always wanted to fly the whale and will even buy a type, if asked to, to get the job. Just look at the deals Aeroservice in MIA used to try to make with prospective employers "come and get the type and we'll get you an interview"... very sad.

Also a couple years ago, a group of pilots left SAI to join FKS thinking they "voted with their feet" and made a difference. Today, the same group wishes they'd never left.

Bottom line, there will always be someone to replace us. We don't change anything when we leave, except maybe improve "our personal" condition.

Just my honest opinion, no flame intent at all.

 

[mushroom]

Sorry to be hijacking a thread about Focus with talk about Tradewinds.

I have been at TDX for almost 4 years. Since RW arrived I have seen nothing but IMPROVEMENT in the company. Of course, people complain out in the field (what else do pilots do better?) but that is because they have no idea what is happening behind the scenes to make this company better. And believe me, it is happening. That is a DIRECT result of RW and a couple of other people. Upper management and the people who hold the purse strings finally realize that it takes a little money to make money.

If people truly "voted with their feet" and left, it was probably because of the god-awful operations and scheduling practices at the company. Those too are being improved, and sooner than most people think. Not much more can be said about it yet, but just wait a little while.

On the Focus side of things, for all of the pilots' sake I hope the company sticks around. TDX lost a lot of guys to Focus with the promise of shiny planes, laptops, lots of investor backing, etc., etc., etc. At the end of the day, Focus was/is just another startup, and if you go to a startup in any industry, especially because the grass looks greener there, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Meanwhile, TDX is about to be approved for DOD flying, is getting new airplanes, and has what appears to be a very good gameplan for the long term (which also, at this point, can't necessarily be talked about publicly). We'll see.

And good luck to the people at Focus. I have heard some pretty harsh rumors about how much longer they will be around, from some pretty knowledgable people, and I hope they arent true.

 

[Spooky 2]

Heard that the RR 74 sucked in a few birds out of BKK and RR is back logged on repairs and Qantas wants their leased motor (another RR) back. So that's two out of four on the wings for the Focus RR bird.

Also that there are not very many D4s left, four or seven the last I heard.

Shoulda gone with Pratts, dime a dozen...

Maybe not so fast. Not sure what PW engines you are refering to but here is the deal as I know it on the old JT9's that power a lot of the early -200 Classics. PW has stopped overhauling these engines in North America and the only JT9 OH facility is in Singapore with a 4 to 6 month wait time. Air Canada has a JT9 facility but their test cell will not accomodate the higher thrust JT9's.

The RR facilty in Canada along with the joint venture AA/RR facility in Texas has an equally long lead time. Next time your in SFO take a look over by the Super Bay and you might see a UAL 777 minus eninges and taped up all over as to indicate it is in some sort of short term storage. Looks like engines are hard to come by these days and for those that are in the rotables leasing business.....it appears to be a targer rich business plan.

 

[Draginass]

Sorry to be hijacking a thread about Focus with talk about Tradewinds.

I have been at TDX for almost 4 years. Since RW arrived I have seen nothing but IMPROVEMENT in the company. Of course, people complain out in the field (what else do pilots do better?) but that is because they have no idea what is happening behind the scenes to make this company better. And believe me, it is happening. That is a DIRECT result of RW and a couple of other people. Upper management and the people who hold the purse strings finally realize that it takes a little money to make money.

If people truly "voted with their feet" and left, it was probably because of the god-awful operations and scheduling practices at the company. Those too are being improved, and sooner than most people think. Not much more can be said about it yet, but just wait a little while.

On the Focus side of things, for all of the pilots' sake I hope the company sticks around. TDX lost a lot of guys to Focus with the promise of shiny planes, laptops, lots of investor backing, etc., etc., etc. At the end of the day, Focus was/is just another startup, and if you go to a startup in any industry, especially because the grass looks greener there, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Meanwhile, TDX is about to be approved for DOD flying, is getting new airplanes, and has what appears to be a very good gameplan for the long term (which also, at this point, can't necessarily be talked about publicly). We'll see.

And good luck to the people at Focus. I have heard some pretty harsh rumors about how much longer they will be around, from some pretty knowledgable people, and I hope they arent true.

I hope TDX does improve their operation, but so far they have chosen not to. Operations is still bad 9 months after the new DO arrived. Many many things could be changed overnight or in very short time, but have not. Communication with aircrews is virtually non-existent except for the floating of vague rumors of key personnel changes that never come true and fleet increases that never happen. In the meantime, don't stand in the exit door unless you want to get bumped, despite the unfufilled promises of "improvement."

 

[heilhaavir]

Sorry to be hijacking a thread about Focus with talk about Tradewinds.

I have been at TDX for almost 4 years. Since RW arrived I have seen nothing but IMPROVEMENT in the company. Of course, people complain out in the field (what else do pilots do better?) but that is because they have no idea what is happening behind the scenes to make this company better. And believe me, it is happening. That is a DIRECT result of RW and a couple of other people. Upper management and the people who hold the purse strings finally realize that it takes a little money to make money.

If people truly "voted with their feet" and left, it was probably because of the god-awful operations and scheduling practices at the company. Those too are being improved, and sooner than most people think. Not much more can be said about it yet, but just wait a little while.

On the Focus side of things, for all of the pilots' sake I hope the company sticks around. TDX lost a lot of guys to Focus with the promise of shiny planes, laptops, lots of investor backing, etc., etc., etc. At the end of the day, Focus was/is just another startup, and if you go to a startup in any industry, especially because the grass looks greener there, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Meanwhile, TDX is about to be approved for DOD flying, is getting new airplanes, and has what appears to be a very good gameplan for the long term (which also, at this point, can't necessarily be talked about publicly). We'll see.

And good luck to the people at Focus. I have heard some pretty harsh rumors about how much longer they will be around, from some pretty knowledgable people, and I hope they arent true.

Mushroom & Sky, thks for putting the record straight. I only have good memories of R.W. and was really surprised he would have changed that much.

As far as Focus goes and as I've posted previously: Yes, lots of rumors, some true and some far fetched. Lots of wishful thinking too, many would love to see us go and that's fair game. While we're just a start up and many hurdles are still ahead of us, don't count us out just yet

You all fly safe!

 

[Draginass]

Best of luck to everyone at TDX. I hope positive change actually happens before many more decide that the wait is too long.

 

[skywardglance]

Best of luck to everyone at TDX. I hope positive change actually happens before many more decide that the wait is too long.

We will miss you Draginass! Hope the grass is greener wherever your airplane lands!

 

[B747Flyer]

Maybe not so fast. Not sure what PW engines you are refering to but here is the deal as I know it on the old JT9's that power a lot of the early -200 Classics. PW has stopped overhauling these engines in North America and the only JT9 OH facility is in Singapore with a 4 to 6 month wait time. Air Canada has a JT9 facility but their test cell will not accomodate the higher thrust JT9's.

This is really 'thread hijack' (sorry).
There is another overhaul source for the "Scrap and Whitneys". Korean Air Lines overhauls Cargo 360's JT9s (-7R4G2s). They've done three for us in the past year...

 

[freightdawg]

Not to mention another source or rebuilt JT9D's - Connie Kalitta has his own engine shop up in Oscoda, MI, complete with test cell. OK, OK, anyone else would call it an almost-scrap-"it'll never fly again"-pax bird.