Originally Posted by
captfred
A couple of negatives: I never understand how FE could get so big without obtaining a Part 145 repair certificate. Second thing is that they do not have a ASAP program. Perhaps these things changed by now.
The policy of not reimbursing tips was irritating. They had some pilots who never gave a line crews a dime because the company would not reimburse them. Most of us tipped them anyway- they have families also. When one of them drives you 10 miles to a hotel you can not just jump out and say thanks for the ride.
JS did have a failed Hawker 1000 operation known as Pegasus Air Elite that folded on no notice. I think this one survives.
Hey Fred,
Hope that you are doing well and enjoying AVL, I think that we talked last year if you remember me...
Anyway, the good news is that the Part 145 program is in the works, just like ASAP was, and we have had the ASAP program for several months now (although I haven't used it yet, LOL). I believe that they want it to coincide with the grand opening of our new facility, in which building has continued this whole time and is going up fast. I don't know if it is anywhere else online, but Mike's videos show the progress of the facility over the period as well as seeing a good bit of the fleet all in one place.
Yeah, we were hoping for tip reimbursement on the last round, but it didn't happen. It's not a deal breaker for most of us though, as I always tipped since I was an FO. I think most of those guys are now gone, or were shamed by FO's tipping but not the Captain. Having worked line, I know those guys and girls appreciate it. I will also bring the occasional pizza or Del Taco pack to our frequently visited FBO's, to show them our appreciation.
I was in the Doubletree lobby in PDK, where I saw an obvious flight crew in plainclothes waiting for the shuttle to grab a bite to eat. I jingled the crew car keys in front of them and offered them a ride. It turned out that the Captain was the former Chief Pilot for Pegasus, so we had a great conversation. He said that the whole thing wen't down during the heat of the Great Recession, and that a lot of angst came from that tough call on the shutdown. He was very excited to see how well we were doing and that Jim had succeeded.
If I didn't tell you, I'll be honest with you.. I didn't apply here for about a month and a half because of what I read about Jim and this Company on this very forum. There was nothing good on here about us, and the posters made it sound like a dumpster fire train wreck. And there was certainly nothing nice written about Jim. While I read negative posts on this and another forum about Jim and the Company, I waited to apply. Finally, this well-spoken guy, Amphibian, just posted facts about the Company, soft spoken with little emotion, and he could spell and punctuate unlike the the other posters. Anyway, I reached out to Amphibian, I'm glad that I did, and the rest is history. Good history for me.. While I don't see Jim that much, I have seen nothing but kindness from him personally and for his employees... And I promise that he is not standing over my shoulder while I am typing this or if he has ever even read APC, LOL.
Take care Fred.