When Checks stop flying !!!!

[captnmayday]

What will hapen to Cargo companies like AirNet, Pac. Express, etc etc when things go electronicly? I like to move into cargo next year ... what is the forecast?

 

[uscpilot]

SMART A$$!!!

... what is the forecast?

TAF KCLT 112321Z 120024 33005KT P6SM SKC
FM0300 VRB03KT P6SM SKC
FM1500 VRB04KT P6SM SCT200

Just kidding, we will be here for a while.
usc

 

[starchkr]

we will be alright for awhile. The new bill only gives the banks the ability to go electronic, and some will not do it. For the ones who don't it is just too expensive right now, and the privacy has yet to be completely established. Even after the banks that do go electronic have changed over, there will still be a need to get copies of the documents to the customers bank. Now it will not be high priority stuff, but we will still need to fly a couple of times a week to local clearing houses for the storage of those documents. "RUMOR" has it that we are looking for larger planes to help carry the larger loads since the need for flights will only be a couple times a week, but the same amount of checks will be written. Now remember, that this is the latest rumor from this last week. We will have to wait and see how it all turns out however, so until October of next year everything is speculation.

 

[StarChecker]

Hey starchkr,

I was in CMH the other day and taxied by Airnet's ramp...saw a bunch of Baron's that carried my butt around many a night. You guys still looking to move to Rickenbacker? Glad you guys are doing well.

 

[Magneto]

Latest word is Rickenbacker by early '05. Supposedly at the price of almost 10 million. To back up what someone said earlier, the piston twins ie. Barons, 310's, and Navajos, are not as effective cargo haulers as the Caravan. So, somewhere down the road they are planning on phasing out these twins and replacing them with the Caravan. Also helps that the Caravan is a pallatable plane.

 

[WrightAvia]

Except for timebuilders that are looking for multi time, I think you guys are going to like the caravan from a safety stand point. Is your company looking at the TKS system for known icing? I heard from guys on carvanpilots.com, that setup is the cat's meow.

P.S. for those at your company that are looking at flying there for a while, they will look at the plane as job security. It's simplicity to maintain and it's dispatch rate, will keep the color of the ink your paychecks are written in, black.

 

[starchkr]

StarChecker,

As far as i have heard we are still planning on Rick in a few years. However i don't know if it will make much financial sense right now after buying $30 mil worth of 60's this week. Kinda cheap for 6 of them. We will see if we can afford both.

Yes caravans are probably a good alternative to the twins, but the kind of larger a/c i was talking about were supposedly larger than the 60's. Again, just rumor until they show up on the ramp.

 

[CMH Floater]

Rick is still a go. We will be breaking ground this spring and move in early 2005. $10M but we're getting $4M for our place now. We just ordered 5 Lear 60's for $30M, not 6. 2 have already been delivered, with the other 3 coming by Dec 31st.

 

[HAZ-MAT]

Is your company looking at the TKS system for known icing?

As far as I know we're keeping the Caravans the way they are. We have leading edge boots, pitot heat, windshield heat and all that jazz for icing approval. As far as TKS, i do know that Flight Express is equipping their Barons and 210's with them.

As far as rumors, here's one i've heard. If you've been a Lear Capt. for 1 year minimum, you can get a preferential interview with Air Tran Airways...

 

[Neal]

Lears

Rick is still a go. We will be breaking ground this spring and move in early 2005. $10M but we're getting $4M for our place now. We just ordered 5 Lear 60's for $30M, not 6. 2 have already been delivered, with the other 3 coming by Dec 31st.

5 lear 60 for $30M If that is the case I'll take 5 too! A lear 60 is 12m airplane! Even used you couldn't get them for under 8.5m let alone 6m each.

Mark

 

[starchkr]

The 60's were old Flexjet birds that Bombardier couldn't unload in todays market. So it was a bulk package deal. Apparently they had been trying for awhile to get rid of them. I thought i heard it was 6 coming onboard, but 5 is still pretty good for $30M.


Good news is, that 2 of the charter 35's will most likely be gutted and canned for freight early next year. We have been getting lots of new business, with not enough capacity to carry it all.

 

[TxPilot0878]

TKS???

I know I have heard of this somewhere in that murky gray past? Isn't that a type of weeping wing? How do they retrofit the 208's for them?

Thanks,

Tex

 

[WrightAvia]

I know I have heard of this somewhere in that murky gray past? Isn't that a type of weeping wing? How do they retrofit the 208's for them?

http://www.flightice.com/caravan.html

Try that informative link up there. Also be sure to click the hyperlinks for the caravan certification photos, as they give more detail. Very informative website.

 

[TxPilot0878]

Great pics!

Where was TKS on the lance when I needed it???!!! Those Bastards!

Tex

 

[WrightAvia]

I hear ya! I think tomorrow, I'll be getting caravan pilot's neck looking out the pilot's window and carpal tunnel from working the boot switch, wishing I had TKS on my van.

 

[uscpilot]

The 60's were old Flexjet birds that Bombardier couldn't unload in todays market. So it was a bulk package deal. Apparently they had been trying for awhile to get rid of them. I thought i heard it was 6 coming onboard, but 5 is still pretty good for $30M.


Good news is, that 2 of the charter 35's will most likely be gutted and canned for freight early next year. We have been getting lots of new business, with not enough capacity to carry it all.

Any word on where the new ones are going? What will happen to the 35 crew's, transition to the 60? Are they going to replace the 25's in the cargo fleet with the 35s? Sorry not CMH based, so out of the loop.
usc

 

[starchkr]

i heard there are 2 to replace the 35's coming over to our side and then there are 2 or 3 going to those new locations they had on that last big bid sheet they sent out about a month ago. The 35's are replacing 25's because they are just to antiquated to do us any good. I would just guess that a lot of the 35 charter crews will upgrade to the 60. It would be nice to bring a couple over to the freight side, but those stupid 24 in. doors just $uck. And could you imagine them actually giving us an all glass airplane for the freight side.....that's a good laugh(but i wish they would). Oh well.