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Old 02-04-2014 | 04:10 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by jsled
Before ya'll get carried away with the DEN base closing notion....know that DEN has more mainline daily depts than LAX or IAD, and 5x as many as CLE. Denver has deathstar alliance 747 service to FRA and mainline 787 service to NRT. In 2012, UAL and the city of Denver worked out a deal to forgive 100M in debt (not a typo) if certain growth parameters are met. SWA threatened a lawsuit to stop that deal. DEN ain't going nowhere, SEA on the other hand....

JMHO,
Sled
Just to be clear, I was not insinuating that DEN was in any danger of closing. DEN will be viable for a long time, I just don't see TK staying there for the long term.
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Old 02-04-2014 | 04:34 AM
  #12  
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Or,

Denver will be viable until SWA decides they want to increase their footprint. Willis will capitulate and decrease mainline flying and increase RJ's citing "costs". This will actually result in more pax leaving B for the C terminal which will cause SWA to increase their footprint yet again. Willis will re-up-double-down-capitulate and the whole cycle will continue until UA is in the C concourse and SWA is in the B. At some point in the future there will be a faint United image on the TIMCO maintenance hanger. Think PDT and USAir in BWI and PIT.

As we draw down in DEN there will be fewer options for getting pilots to training. At that time, TK will no longer be viable due to "costs" and UAL will sell the sims and farm out our training. We will be receiving instruction from kids with 500 hours, none of it in transport category airplanes. Or if you're lucky, some guy 66+ who knows what's going on. His PBGC pension of $350/month won't allow him to idle away during his retirement so he'll augment his income in the back of a sim. Ultimately, United will sell the land to the highest bidder. The facility will be bulldozed and a Costco or other big box retailer will be built.

DEN - too far from the oceans for UAL and apparently not worth fighting for.

Meanwhile in ATL, DAL will be busy expanding the Kremlin and buying up additional real estate around the facility.

I hope Sled's right, but we sure bailed in MIA and lost a mess of money in the process...and the big maint facility in IND, etc etc. I hope I'm wrong.

There's your daily dose of pessimism. Think of it as a public service and have a swell day.

Last edited by oldmako; 02-04-2014 at 05:03 AM.
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Old 02-04-2014 | 05:25 AM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by oldmako
Or,

Denver will be viable until SWA decides they want to increase their footprint. Willis will capitulate and decrease mainline flying and increase RJ's citing "costs". This will actually result in more pax leaving B for the C terminal which will cause SWA to increase their footprint yet again. Willis will re-up-double-down-capitulate and the whole cycle will continue until UA is in the C concourse and SWA is in the B. At some point in the future there will be a faint United image on the TIMCO maintenance hanger. Think PDT and USAir in BWI and PIT.

As we draw down in DEN there will be fewer options for getting pilots to training. At that time, TK will no longer be viable due to "costs" and UAL will sell the sims and farm out our training. We will be receiving instruction from kids with 500 hours, none of it in transport category airplanes. Or if you're lucky, some guy 66+ who knows what's going on. His PBGC pension of $350/month won't allow him to idle away during his retirement so he'll augment his income in the back of a sim. Ultimately, United will sell the land to the highest bidder. The facility will be bulldozed and a Costco or other big box retailer will be built.

DEN - too far from the oceans for UAL and apparently not worth fighting for.

Meanwhile in ATL, DAL will be busy expanding the Kremlin and buying up additional real estate around the facility.

I hope Sled's right, but we sure bailed in MIA and lost a mess of money in the process...and the big maint facility in IND, etc etc. I hope I'm wrong.

There's your daily dose of pessimism. Think of it as a public service and have a swell day.
That is visionary, Godfather. Except the sale of the training facility... that almost happened in the dark days of bk when UAL was burning the furniture.

Last edited by jsled; 02-04-2014 at 05:37 AM.
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Old 02-04-2014 | 05:27 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by oldmako
Or if you're lucky, some guy 66+ who knows what's going on. His PBGC pension of $350/month won't allow him to idle away during his retirement so he'll augment his income in the back of a sim.
...and he won't be a happy camper.
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Old 02-04-2014 | 05:41 AM
  #15  
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I was at TK when Thomann was giving a group from Alteon (Boeing) a tour. I guess the deal fell though. Thomann jumped ship for Alteon soon after. Heady days!
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Old 02-04-2014 | 06:24 AM
  #16  
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I've had the 500 hr guy and the 66+ guy, I'll take the 500 hr guy any day!
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Old 02-04-2014 | 07:21 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by CousinEddie
Does CLE have many pilots that commute from small cities that would be looking at losing direct service? Just wondering if there are many pilots that will not have a direct flight commute option to CLE anymore.
A few (myself included) but not too many. Transferring to EWR next month, so looks like it was a good time to go.
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Old 02-04-2014 | 05:03 PM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by jsled
That is visionary, Godfather. Except the sale of the training facility... that almost happened in the dark days of bk when UAL was burning the furniture.
Expect a notification soon and I don't think TK is going to be a winner. The winter storms cost us a lot of money so the announcement will get delayed for a while but I see ORD for all training in about 3-5 years.

Disclaimer...nothing changes in the next 6 months and this holds water.

Last edited by flybynuts; 02-04-2014 at 05:47 PM.
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Old 02-05-2014 | 04:20 AM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by flybynuts
Expect a notification soon and I don't think TK is going to be a winner. The winter storms cost us a lot of money so the announcement will get delayed for a while but I see ORD for all training in about 3-5 years.

Disclaimer...nothing changes in the next 6 months and this holds water.
Nothing would surprise me, fbn. But having myself been a commuter to both ORD and DEN, I can tell you there is no comparison. 300+ days of sunshine in DEN makes for an easy commute compared to ugly ORD. Plus, they would be fools to attempt to move that many sims...which probably means they are going to do it.
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Old 02-05-2014 | 06:57 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by jsled
Nothing would surprise me, fbn. But having myself been a commuter to both ORD and DEN, I can tell you there is no comparison. 300+ days of sunshine in DEN makes for an easy commute compared to ugly ORD. Plus, they would be fools to attempt to move that many sims...which probably means they are going to do it.
Moving TK to ORD would be a fail.

The PI's aren't going to move from DEN and they aren't going to commute. They'll go back to the line. Also, they aren't going to find enough PI's in ORD and they won't be able to staff the place.

I'm not even sure why it needs to be moved.
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