Will Great Lakes Survive?

[MONKEY]

http://www.cnjonline.com/2014/01/18/great-lakes-airlines-paring-back-operations/

The link is to an article about Great Lakes dropping out of EAS markets early because they don't have enough pilots to fly the routes. It goes on to say that their CEO stated that last year at this time they had 300 pilots, but they are currently down to 100.

How much longer will they be around?

 

[MONKEY]

I have been reading a lot of different articles and it looks like they are dropping out of roughly 10 different markets. It isn't looking too good for them. Anyone with any inside info?

 

[Kaman]

And, frankly good riddance...The pilots there should have no trouble finding employment elsewhere...

 

[homerjdispatch]

Monkey!!! You are back? When was the last time you posted?

 

[Freebrd]

ASA used to do those routes under part 135. Are they considering that? My opinion (worthless of course, like jenny leigh's) is the gov't stop funding the whole program.

 

[General Lee]

ASA used to do those routes under part 135. Are they considering that? My opinion (worthless of course, like jenny leigh's) is the gov't stop funding the whole program.

I actually agree with you Freeturd, the Govt shouldn't fund those. I might have thought for a second that you had an ounce of intelligence, but then I remembered that you went all the way to Vietnam for SIC time on the RJ..... Wow....


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Freebrd]

As long as our Gov't funds VNam I'm good to o putz!

 

[PBRstreetgang]

I actually agree with you Freeturd, the Govt shouldn't fund those. I might have thought for a second that you had an ounce of intelligence, but then I remembered that you went all the way to Vietnam for SIC time on the RJ..... Wow....


Bye Bye---General Lee

What the government shouldn't fund are the sign shaking classes you have to attend for the Pizza Hut "job". Question, does your mom pop the zits on your back? Is that after she services "Uncle Steve"? Brisket, zits and Steve the DSC ramper, busy woman. Your Freudian Slip is showing.

 

[XPOO]

I love how the General Lee, Freebird and PBRStreetgang circle jerk moves from thread to thread.

 

[Northern Lights]

They are pulling out of Devils Lake and Jamestown, ND this week. It sounds like the whole MSP hub is closing. DVL/JMS seem to think that they can get Skywest to come in there with CRJs out of DEN, but I doubt that will work. Mesaba tried sending the 200 to DVL after the Saab left and cancelled about half of the flights due to the short runway and displaced threshold (only 4866' available on 31).

 

[Freebrd]

I love how the General Lee, Freebird and PBRStreetgang circle jerk moves from thread to thread.

Yet you follow us right, and read it? There is the ignore feature you know. What I like is useless dispatchers post on here as though they're relevant. :laugh:

 

[PBRstreetgang]

I love how the General Lee, Freebird and PBRStreetgang circle jerk moves from thread to thread.

And you sit in your cubicle pounding it like a monkey in a cage....

 

[Mercyful Fate]

Yet you follow us right, and read it? There is the ignore feature you know. What I like is useless dispatchers post on here as though they're relevant. :laugh:

You are that same numbskull who sits around bashing dispatchers until you lose your keys or leave something behind on a swap..Then it is full on panic mode for someone to help you because you are too stupid to make sure you got everything. Funny stuff

 

[Freebrd]

Hey that you again Jennifer (GL), using another one of your screen names? Never have left behind, lost, or whatever else your big mouth is trying to say ever!

 

[SpauldingSmails]

I've always found the term EAS to be somewhat laughable. It's just barely AS, and in the lower 48 hard to imagine it's really E.

 

[CA1900]

I've always found the term EAS to be somewhat laughable. It's just barely AS, and in the lower 48 hard to imagine it's really E.

Couldn't agree more.

As an example, my former company got $1.1 Million a year, plus whatever we could get in ticket revenue, to do two round-trips a day from Utica, NY to NYC. The planes were almost always empty, because those subsidized passengers were driving the 48 miles of Interstate highway to Syracuse airport, which had a multitude of options for air service. It was a total waste of tax money, and it finally ended in 2002 when the subsidy was consistently exceeding $200 per passenger.

More recently, we're paying over $1.6 Million a year to subsidize service into Bar Harbor, ME, when there's plenty of air service to nearby Bangor. At a little over 10,000 annual enplanements, that's a subsidy of nearly $160 per passenger. I'm betting a twice-daily shuttle bus from Bangor would cost a hell of a lot less.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

Couldn't agree more.

As an example, my former company got $1.1 Million a year, plus whatever we could get in ticket revenue, to do two round-trips a day from Utica, NY to NYC. The planes were almost always empty, because those subsidized passengers were driving the 48 miles of Interstate highway to Syracuse airport, which had a multitude of options for air service. It was a total waste of tax money, and it finally ended in 2002 when the subsidy was consistently exceeding $200 per passenger.

More recently, we're paying over $1.6 Million a year to subsidize service into Bar Harbor, ME, when there's plenty of air service to nearby Bangor. At a little over 10,000 annual enplanements, that's a subsidy of nearly $160 per passenger. I'm betting a twice-daily shuttle bus from Bangor would cost a hell of a lot less.

Good point, what are the EAS routes competing with? Someone's station wagon most likely.

Great Lakes and the like, bilk the government, and by extension the taxpayers, to fly around empty planes. Then Lakes, out the of the goodness of their hearts, pays some guy $16,000/yr. to fly their planes.

God Bless 'Merica.

 

[Erlanger]

This is how Great Lakes plans on surviving.
-----------------------------------------

Attention Future Airline Crew-members:

Great Lakes Airlines is pleased to announce on March 18, 2014, the FAA approved our FAR 135
Operation Specifications addition to our current FAR 121 Certificate.

To clarify, Great Lakes Airlines does not have a separate 135 Certificate but an allowance through our Operations Specifications to conduct scheduled airline operations under our current 121 Certificate allowances using the Beech 1900D fleet.

This new undertaking allows us to hire First Officers meeting FAR 135 qualifications. They will gain the
flight time and experience required for the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) or Restricted-ATP (R-ATP)
certification requirements.
Once they meet these requirements they will then have the ability to start building the required time to upgrade to a 121 Captain.

Great Lakes Airlines also offers numerous internal advancement opportunities:
o Chief Pilot office positions
o Recruitment Assistance
o Professional Standards Committee
o ASAP (Aviation Safety Action Program) committee

o Training department positions
o Ground instructor
o Sim/Flight Instructor
o Line Check Airman
o Proficiency Check Airman

Great Lakes Airlines is a Great company with a Great team. Not only will you achieve the experience needed to excel in your career, you will meet a lot of great people along the way!

We look forward to you joining our team.

 

[wms]

Where there's a will, there's a waiver.

 

[BuckMurdock1]

I give 'em 6 months until they're done. They'll have the distinction as the first airline to not survive the "great pilot shortage". (That they and regionals like them actually created over the last 20 yrs).

 

[Crash Pad]

What if, and I'm just spit-balling here, they tried increasing pilot pay? The other day I took a cab from my overnight hotel 20 minutes to the French Quarter for $33 dollars. A guy driving a mini van got payed 33 dollars for 20 minutes.

Yet an FO at the regionals needs to drive a ********************ing jet an hour to get 33 dollars.

Just sayn.

 

[chqflyer]

What if, and I'm just spit-balling here, they tried increasing pilot pay? The other day I took a cab from my overnight hotel 20 minutes to the French Quarter for $33 dollars. A guy driving a mini van got payed 33 dollars for 20 minutes.

Yet an FO at the regionals needs to drive a ********************ing jet an hour to get 33 dollars.

Just sayn.

A topped out FO at republic needs to fly 2 hours to take home $33. Taxes and health insurance take a huge chunk.

 

[livin'thesim]

I see no reason they would no be inundated with low-time FOs willing to work for nothing.

However, keeping them around once they get the ATP is another matter.