Good riddance, SSV.

Sky"Service", what a joke that name was. Those SOBs didn't lift a finger after theft from my checked luggage, preferring instead to point the finger elsewhere instead of where the responsibility lay -- directly with them.

Besides, why did we need a so-called Canadian airline hiring Brit pilots for practically their whole fleet? They were a shit airline, and I'm sure I'm far from the only one who is glad to see them gone.

CTV news just reported "The mounting debt was only half the problem, SSV ran gas guzzling A320 and A380 aircraft while rivals like AC and WJ updated their fleets to avoid the pinch at the pump."

More great reporting. Keep up the good work boys - not!

SSV/Canada 3000 pilots are some of the most experienced and professional pilots I have had the privelage of working with. A lot of those guys suffered through nationair c3 royal etc. Bad luck compounded again and again. Some of the arrogant primo donas I work with now say "well they are only there because they couldn't get on with ac or canadian. BULLSHIT. Everyone makes the best choice they can with the information they have at the time. This could have happened with the early westjet guys just as easily. Luck is the only common divider in this game nothing else.
Sorry for the rant I am thankfull I'm not in that situation and wishing only the best for who are.

Ps. this is basically a pilot forum. For those who want to say good riddance piss the hell off. If you went on a SSV flight you bought a cheap ass holiday. The pilots flying the plane are not responsible for the class of passenger sittting behind them.

the_professor wrote:Good riddance, SSV.

Sky"Service", what a joke that name was. Those SOBs didn't lift a finger after theft from my checked luggage, preferring instead to point the finger elsewhere instead of where the responsibility lay -- directly with them.

Besides, why did we need a so-called Canadian airline hiring Brit pilots for practically their whole fleet? They were a shit airline, and I'm sure I'm far from the only one who is glad to see them gone.

Your bad experience could be replicated by every single airline around the world. I can assure you that a lot of incredible people lost their jobs today. Also, Skyservice actually did the right thing when hiring British pilots. Unlike at least one airline who presently employs foreigners, Skyservice had a reciprocal agreement, ensuring year-round employment for all its pilots up until very recently. Canadian pilots were also well compensated for working overseas during the summer. It's a business model that works for the most part, despite the outcome seen today.

You could also use a little more tact and compassion for the many great people who lost their jobs today.

buss wrote:SSV/Canada 3000 pilots are some of the most experienced and professional pilots I have had the privelage of working with. A lot of those guys suffered through nationair c3 royal etc. Bad luck compounded again and again. Some of the arrogant primo donas I work with now say "well they are only there because they couldn't get on with ac or canadian. BULLSHIT. Everyone makes the best choice they can with the information they have at the time. This could have happened with the early westjet guys just as easily. Luck is the only common divider in this game nothing else.
Sorry for the rant I am thankfull I'm not in that situation and wishing only the best for who are.

Ps. this is basically a pilot forum. For those who want to say good riddance piss the hell off. If you went on a SSV flight you bought a cheap ass holiday. The pilots flying the plane are not responsible for the class of passenger sittting behind them.

Well said Buss.
Here's hoping there is a bit of a silver lining for the folks affected - may you find something better soon.

SSV ran gas guzzling A320 and A380 aircraft

I knew it. I knew those A380's were gas guzzlers. Dam airbus.........

Where exactly was SSV flying the A380's? Ah you can always trust the media.

But in regards to the British pilots: did anyone check the reg. on those airplanes flown by British pilots? Were they British by some chance?

I seem to recall SSV importing AC for the flying season.......

Just a question.....dont go postal....

dashx wrote:

SSV ran gas guzzling A320 and A380 aircraft

I knew it. I knew those A380's were gas guzzlers. Dam airbus.........

Where exactly was SSV flying the A380's? Ah you can always trust the media.

But in regards to the British pilots: did anyone check the reg. on those airplanes flown by British pilots? Were they British by some chance?

I seem to recall SSV importing AC for the flying season.......

Just a question.....dont go postal....

Skyservice operated all aircraft in Canada under Canadian registration. The British pilots were integrated into the Skyservice roster, operating on Canadian licences or validations.

buss wrote:SSV/Canada 3000 pilots are some of the most experienced and professional pilots I have had the privelage of working with. A lot of those guys suffered through nationair c3 royal etc. Bad luck compounded again and again. Some of the arrogant primo donas I work with now say "well they are only there because they couldn't get on with ac or canadian. BULLSHIT. Everyone makes the best choice they can with the information they have at the time. This could have happened with the early westjet guys just as easily. Luck is the only common divider in this game nothing else.
Sorry for the rant I am thankfull I'm not in that situation and wishing only the best for who are.

Ps. this is basically a pilot forum. For those who want to say good riddance piss the hell off. If you went on a SSV flight you bought a cheap ass holiday. The pilots flying the plane are not responsible for the class of passenger sittting behind them.

Well said!

Bad luck compounded again and again??? There is no such thing as luck...it is decisions you make and live with..and if you want to fly for a Canadian charter airline you have to be a complete idiot to not know that the company you are flying for "will" go bankrupt..they all do, no exceptions...

Thanks for the response jetdoc.

Sounds like having the "Skyservice" name at this moment for the business aviation company is a bit of a liability, given the confusion it is causing.

Hey, I didn't know Skyservice had A-380's. Anybody know whether they had any 787's in their fleet also?

palebird. You may be right, but show a little respect. It's hard to survive in this tough industry and every mechanic, pilot, FA has to do w/e they can to survive and put food on the table.

It's sad to hear Skyservice go out of business and i hope all of you guys find a new employer soon. Good luck.

This whole deal isn't similar to any airline demise to date in Canada.

Fist the owners of Skyservice set the wheels in motion when they sold the airline to the equity group in 2007 forcing the airline to take on a huge debt load.

Second - Colin Hunter was a co-founder of Canada 3000 but bailed due to a disagreement, he also co-owned Adventure Tours, Fiesta Tours and Fiesta West Tours which was sold to First Choice - who re-branded the group as Signature Vacations.

Ironically Sunwings Airlines was born when Colin contracted Skyservice to supply two B757's but Skyservice reneged on the deal and supplied only one - forcing Colin to find another plane - thus he leased one and started his own airline. (Though I'm sure the airline would have come eventually).

In November 2009- Colin's Sunwings bought his old company now called Signature Vacations - which was one of two major partners with Skyservice.

Skyservice attempted a merger with their other partner Sunquest - but Skyservice was debt laden from the buyout - and Sunquest forced them into receivership.

The End . . .

Sunwings facts

Colin Hunter Bio

To 'the_professor'

Are you a pilot?As said by another member if not then get the hell off this forum, and go crawl back under the rock from which you came from....IF YOU ARE A PILOT,SHAME ON YOU,we could all be in this position sometime in our career.
Your posting is not factual,and is very disrespectful considering lots of great people have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
This not only affects them but also their families,kids and spouses etc etc

I know MANY at SSV and TRUST me not one of them would lower themselves to 'steal' or go through passengers luggage,what planet are you from?????HILAROUS!!!

As for your statement about SSV employing 'Brits'...this 'agreement' works both ways and the 'Brits' also employ the 'Canadians' in the summer when the season here slows down and over the past few years it has saved many jobs and has worked out very well for all concerned.....so get your facts right before making a sweeping and somewhat racist statement.

One last thing professor....KARMA IS A BITCH...just hope that one day your not in the same position as the 800 plus folks are at SSV.


PS....We DON'T GIVE A TOSS ABOUT YOUR LUGGAGE..

//edit by Sulako

Though your sentiments are shared by many, personal attacks are not allowed. Try to focus on the subject of a post you disagree with, rather than the poster.

I have friends/acquaintances who had a lumpy time with Skyservice on vacations to southern destinations as others did with AC/WJ/AT...... it is unfortunate but bad trips do happen and we all experienced it as fare paying customers. However. there has/should be a degree of sympathy for those employees at this charter company who are now out of work and have families/responsibilities/kids/mortage/ and the like. It is a difficult time for those people so here's wishing them the very best and hope things do work out in their favour as I am sure it will.

buss wrote:SSV/Canada 3000 pilots are some of the most experienced and professional pilots I have had the privelage of working with. A lot of those guys suffered through nationair c3 royal etc. Bad luck compounded again and again. Some of the arrogant primo donas I work with now say "well they are only there because they couldn't get on with ac or canadian. BULLSHIT. Everyone makes the best choice they can with the information they have at the time. This could have happened with the early westjet guys just as easily. Luck is the only common divider in this game nothing else.
Sorry for the rant I am thankfull I'm not in that situation and wishing only the best for who are.

Ps. this is basically a pilot forum. For those who want to say good riddance piss the hell off. If you went on a SSV flight you bought a cheap ass holiday. The pilots flying the plane are not responsible for the class of passenger sittting behind them.

Buss! You are my hero. Really!

Well said on the quote "Pilots not being responsible for the class of the people sitting behind them!" So true. I'm so sick and tired of all the fools posting on this forum about one airline or another screwing up their cute little packaged vacation. You get what you pay for. I've been on Sunquest trips among others, and if the plane was late or something went wrong, I just thought to myself that maybe next time I'd have to consider spending three or four thousand per person instead of four hundred, and then I'd have a right to start complaining a wee bit, but still not much. I wish all the others that complain about something going wrong on their vacation that they bought last minute for under a thousand bucks (which is what the airfare alone should have cost) would shut the heck up about it. If you don't pay for a grade A vacation or trip, don't expect one. Much the same as Westjet limiting their liability for lost bags to 250 dollars... As they told the CTA... They don't force anyone to fly on their airline.

Best of luck to all those at Skyservice! Hopefully you'll all find greener pastures. To hell with all the morons posting crap on here about your company. Everyone I knew from Skyservice was top notch and could likely get jobs anyday if they chose to work at AC or WS.

It’s only been recently that I’ve started to think about what if I were to lose my job and what that would really mean. Being in my career job, I have no interest in going anywhere else, and the thought of starting over turns my stomach. I truly feel for those that lost their seats, and can empathize with them.

What some on here fail to see is when an airline goes under, those very experienced pilots need to go somewhere. They will have first crack at the top end jobs, and that is going to have a trickle down effect will affect everyone climbing the ladder.

the_professor is just some ATC prick in his union job without a clue. Nothing to see or get excited about, just the sort who would be more concerned with his piece of luggage than the livelihoods of several hundred people. More to be pitied than anything.

".....As they told the CTA... They don't force anyone to fly on their airline."


Never know, the fare paying public just may take you up on it(as they have done with others in the past). Then what!!!.

Make it attractive for us to go and we will. If not, that is fine. We won't go away mad, just go somewhere else for a vacation!!

complexintentions wrote:the_professor is just some ATC prick in his union job without a clue. Nothing to see or get excited about, just the sort who would be more concerned with his piece of luggage than the livelihoods of several hundred people. More to be pitied than anything.

I just want to say not all ATC are "pricks"

I being an ATC, and former pilot career seeker, can seriously sympathise with these guys and gals.

Best of luck to all of you. (Not just the pilots!)

the_professor wrote:Good riddance, SSV.

Sky"Service", what a joke that name was. Those SOBs didn't lift a finger after theft from my checked luggage, preferring instead to point the finger elsewhere instead of where the responsibility lay -- directly with them.

Besides, why did we need a so-called Canadian airline hiring Brit pilots for practically their whole fleet? They were a shit airline, and I'm sure I'm far from the only one who is glad to see them gone.

Y'know, every so often I see a comment that really makes me feel ashamed to be a poster on here. Prof, have a heart, dude. People are going to lose homes and marriages over this - people who had no say in the strategic decisions that led to this point, but who showed up every day and, generally, did the best that they could for their company. Deriving pleasure out of their misfortune is perverse.

the_professor wrote:They were a shit airline, and I'm sure I'm far from the only one who is glad to see them gone.

Did you ever think for one minute how many people's lives were shaken by this. I believe that you need to revisit this quote you made. I don't think your far from the only one who is glad to see them gone. I think your one of the only people who is glad. I say, "one of the only" because there is always another ass just like him somewhere in this world.

Upsetting Mr. Prof... to hear of your opinions of Skyservice.

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/03/3 ... pends.html

CBC News wrote:putting 860 people out of work.

I wish all those affected familes peace and success in the future. It could happen to anyone... May God Bless Them this Easter!!

I hear Emirates is having a road show in Toronto.....those from SSV might want to have a look.