New Jet for Chautuaqua?
 

I was waiting for a flight and noticed a shiny new jet, lacking a "normal" paint job

Then I noticed a guy in civvies - thought he was J/S, but then he performed a walk around after the FO.

After the walk around, he was signing paperwork.
Is this a new bird, with a company rep along for the ride? The guy was definitely jump seating.

OMG! It's a generic paint job probably flying a United route with an FAA INSPECTOR WALKING AROUND, probably doing an observer flight! Unheard of! Rabble rabble rabble

Chautauqua Airlines N296SK (Embraer 135/145) - Airfleets
delivered 2001 to chq

If that clapped out 145 with a bastardized paint job looks "shiny and new" then you need to leave the house more often.

After a exhausting 15-second search of Airliners.net I discovered that Chitaco has been flying N286SK since March 2003, if not earlier.

But a few things that initially led me to doubt that this would be a new delivery aircraft are...

Any new jets Chitaco gets will be 99 seaters, probably certificated to 130+ seats. this is a 50-seater, and nobody is getting new 50-seaters.

A company rep would perform a walk-around before the FO and/or with an FO, not after.

The FAA has probably approved green preflight medical shirts for their inspectors.

The FAA is interested in Republic for various mechanical infractions (see thread titled "Republic Fined Billions")

Airlines usually don't load passenger baggage for acceptance flights.

Sorry
 

I did not do a good job of labeling the thread, nor should have I tired to guess what was going on. Just saw something out of the ordinary and wanted opinions - that is how I should have presented this.

BTW - I fly a 1966 Mooney, everything else is shiny and new.

thanks!

I hope you can get a refund on those 15 seconds, the above tail # is 296SK not 286SK.

Generic paint scheme formerly flown for United. IIRC, CHQ does not currently do any 50-seat flying for United.

Cut the guy some slack guy...he didn't know.

296 is an old United bird. Stripped off the white logo markings and left the blue belly and tail when our contract expired. This is how all of our Midwest/Frontier 50 seaters look. They are scheduled for Frontier paint starting next fall. If I had to guess this is some small town in the upper midwest and that it was about to turn and go back to MKE with the fed hitching a ride.