Are they going to have their own airplanes initially or will they just pay someone to fly for them?

 

5 years? You think that PE will turn a wheel, much less last FIVE years?
Skybus lasted less than a year and they flew fuel efficient aircraft in and out of an airport with six times the O/D traffic PLUS significant local corporate sponsorship.

Newport News? I could throw a dart at a US map and come up with an MSA with higher O/D traffic than Newport News. Richmond has triple the O/D traffic of Newport News and that's only an hour and 15 min down the road.

Personally, I hope that PE starts operations. Unless they've got a large bankroll, I doubt that they'll outlast Skybus.

Eaglefly, just FYI. Startups initially hire high time pilots with a decent amount of time on the airframe due to insurance restrictions. You'll likely never be called for an interview prior to them going chap 7.

 

Yes, it's no secret this business is filled to the brim (no pun intended) with B.S. artists. Anyway to make maximum bucks, they'll represent anything. Sadly, this country is also chock-fill-o-saps (pun intended) who'll believe almost anything.

A fool and his money..................

 

Exactly, they found out that pilots can be resourceful little devils!

 

Maybe they will end up buying Frontier. (de jevu all over again)

 

I'm not a pessimist, but I am not too optimistic about the new PE. The 400's they want too use are great planes, but are not as cost effective as they once were.
I heard they are gonna run it like ryanair in europe, Skybus tried that and it sucked for the employees and passengers. That concept doesnt work well in the states. Nickel and diming everyone for everything is a huge turn off for passengers. Skybus chargged everyone for everything, including the pilots ($2 for a can of soda! 1.50 for coffee).

Extreme cost cutting also leads to unsafe ops (believe it or not it's true!). When managers and directors dictate to pilots how much fuel they can carry or how much de-ice fluid should be used, I can tell you it leads to a bad situation. This happens ,and I hate to say, I can't make this stuff up!

My only advice is, be skeptical if you want to fly there, it is a gamble with poor odds. Don't believe anything that is promised or offered, trust nothing and no one.
One thing to know about big shiny jets, they break and that costs money, and guess what you will still have to fly them at a cut rate price. Big Shiny jets turns into Big POS jets when they are not maintained properly or safely. For every rule, there is the exception around that rule. If there is a way to fly the plane, management will make you fly that plane. If you want to offer an opinion about safety concerns, they will be well heard at the unemployment office. This is how many ultra low cost start-ups work.



Take it from someone who has been there and done that.