I have personally been involved with a startup airline from the beginning, looking for the office space up to the end to drinking crystal champagne as we gazed upon our trophies.... our DOT and FAA certificates.

After reading Creighton Chan’s Memorandum, I don’t know what planet he’s from. Either he is delusional or clueless to think the airline is going to carry passengers this year. It’s now approaching March. Manuals can be in the design stage, but nothing is going to happen until the FAA approves time table of events, and the DOT approves the fiscal responsibility of Best Air Holding Corp. doing business as Virgin America. They can have a billion dollars in the bank ready to go. The DOT must do perform their due diligence when reviewing the background of the officers and directors of Best Air Holding. The FAA isn’t going to waste their budget reviewing the manuals let alone start the formal meetings with Best Air Holding until the DOT gives them the green light. In our case after DOT approval, certification took us 8 months with a 727. That was in 1999/2000. With economic conditions as they are, especially in the airline industries, getting a certificate is not going to be as easy as getting a prescription from your pharmacist for hemorrhoid ointment.

Oh yeah. Before the airline can fly, the initial cadre of pilots, and check airmen have to be trained under the supervision of the FAA. After the initial cadre has been trained, then training can commence for new hire pilots. So far, Best Air Holding has enough committed cash to get going, hopefully they will stay in the game and don’t pull out. Hopefully Best Air jumped on the Jet Fuel Futures band wagon to hedge the cost of their initial operating costs.

Bottom line, don’t give up your current jobs just yet. If offered a job with Best Air/Virgin American, and before you give notice to your current employer, make sure you ask where they are in their certification process. You may be able to obtain information from the FSDO where their certificate is going to be held as well.