Big Sky going out of business?
 

FOR SALE: Beech 1900's, hardly flown, fresh paint (in Delta Connection scheme), located in Boston. Best offer

So is this true? Here are the facts I have:

On January 7th, Big Sky will cease all East Coast and Midwest operations. This was according to their reservations 1-800 line.

The RUMOR that i heard circulating is that Big Sky told the feds that they weren't making any money on their East Coast EAS routes, so they were terminating them. Then the feds came back and said "Well, if you bail on those, you forfeit your right to participate in the EAS program" or something to that effect, and the company's response as "Well, then the company is going to be liquidated in January."

If any Boston/Mass.-based pilots need a flying job, PM me and I'll give you the gouge on Cape Air. Good luck!

There is no money to be made in subsidized routes, and Big Sky really screwed themselves by signing the deal that was offered up by Delta. (no fee per departure, no fuel protection, etc.) In other words, the Boston based Big Sky thing was not a money making venture to begin with and when fuel prices skyrocketed again without protection from Delta, it turned into a money losing one.

How is the KRUT thing working out for you guys over there at Cape Air?? I can't believe that the Feds are allowing you guys to operate in and out of there with the 402's. Pretty touchy in the winter, and the terrain is a little bit high and a lot too close for me to be single engine in a piston twin with ice and a load of pax. We are in there all of the time, but we use King Airs and Citations and the last 121 Operator, Commutair, used the 1900.

It's sketchy. Your scenario-based assumption of pucker-factor-TEN is dead on with regards to the single-engine extraction in turbulence, picking up ice, loaded with pasengers and their stuff...doing a climbing right turn, all levers forward proceeding direct to an NDB.

But, that's the stuff Cape pilots are made of, so it's just another day of MoCHa HaGoTDi!