Unfortunately, at the flight times published 0800 out and 1830 back, Brize will not be operating (they are now LARS 0900-1700 - 7 days per week!) so it'll be APC to and fro Airways! Also, due to the relatively short flight times from CPT & DTY, Oxford work most of the commercial traffic both to and from Airways; unless Brize or Benson wish to work the traffic if they have specific (deconfliction Service) traffic to affect.

Traffic loading at these times is 'normaly' light. The only conflictor will be the 'Traffic Survey' C172 :-).

Cloud 1 / Capt. Sunshine

It's not learjet50's first offence; just see some of the posts in other threads.

Cloud 1 / Capt. Sunshine

It's not learjet50's first offence; just see some of the posts in other threads.

Varsity is a 'pay-to-fly' scam.

Co-pilots are all being drawn from Cabair. 10 Co-Pilots interviewed recently and all offered the chance to pay £15,000 for a Jetstream 31/32 rating. They will then be bonded for a further £15,000 over a period of 2 years. Moreover, paying and bonded for what? Varsity is at most a ticketing agent. They are using Linksair to fly the route. Varsity do not have an AOC or any of the other required aviation paraphernalia, like an aeroplane.....! But who cares? Give them £15,000 and you'll get a type rating! Right now it's all ideas, paper and other people's money. Martin Halstead will also be a Co-Pilot. So with 10 flights a week and 11 Co-Pilots, I'd suggest the new chaps aren't going to be doing much flying.

It seems to me that this is an interesting example of what is happening elsewhere. However, this time it seems that the airline has been set-up as a carrot to merely attract inexperienced pilots to pay to fly. Whilst the co-pilot is paying to be there, Varsity can afford to sell seats at £149 and only operate twice a day! The current schedule is not sustainable otherwise (I am aware of plans for more routes).

In my opinion this is not a traditional operation, just an elaborate way to extract more money from young pilots. Cabair are aware of this scam and should be deeply ashamed of themselves. Halstead on the other hand, may finally make his money out of those he is so desperate to join.

I know of many(~20) Jetstream 31/32 rated guys most with 1000+ hours on type, all rejected. All of whom know it does not cost £15,000 for a Jetstream type rating. The fact that there is a surplus of experienced and typed candidates surely negates the need to ask people to pay a start-up airline for a type rating?!

Please treat this with caution.

To those Cabair guys that have paid - I know it's tough out there, but would your money not be better spent elsewhere? Halstead's last operation lasted six weeks, this time may be better, but Ryanair/Easyjet/anywhere looks like a good deal compared to this.

Varsity is a 'pay-to-fly' scam.

Co-pilots are all being drawn from Cabair. 10 Co-Pilots interviewed recently and all offered the chance to pay £15,000 for a Jetstream 31/32 rating. They will then be bonded for a further £15,000 over a period of 2 years. Moreover, paying and bonded for what? Varsity is at most a ticketing agent. They are using Linksair to fly the route. Varsity do not have an AOC or any of the other required aviation paraphernalia, like an aeroplane.....! But who cares? Give them £15,000 and you'll get a type rating! Right now it's all ideas, paper and other people's money. Martin Halstead will also be a Co-Pilot. So with 10 flights a week and 11 Co-Pilots, I'd suggest the new chaps aren't going to be doing much flying.

It seems to me that this is an interesting example of what is happening elsewhere. However, this time it seems that the airline has been set-up as a carrot to merely attract inexperienced pilots to pay to fly. Whilst the co-pilot is paying to be there, Varsity can afford to sell seats at £149 and only operate twice a day! The current schedule is not sustainable otherwise (I am aware of plans for more routes).

In my opinion this is not a traditional operation, just an elaborate way to extract more money from young pilots. Cabair are aware of this scam and should be deeply ashamed of themselves. Halstead on the other hand, may finally make his money out of those he is so desperate to join.

I know of many(~20) Jetstream 31/32 rated guys most with 1000+ hours on type, all rejected. All of whom know it does not cost £15,000 for a Jetstream type rating. The fact that there is a surplus of experienced and typed candidates surely negates the need to ask people to pay a start-up airline for a type rating?!

Please treat this with caution.

To those Cabair guys that have paid - I know it's tough out there, but would your money not be better spent elsewhere? Halstead's last operation lasted six weeks, this time may be better, but Ryanair/Easyjet/anywhere looks like a good deal compared to this.

A very interesting angle........but why Cabair guys and not the OAA guys on the doorstep?

Whatever happened to the mates MH roped in last time?

A very interesting angle........but why Cabair guys and not the OAA guys on the doorstep?

Whatever happened to the mates MH roped in last time?

Article in this months Airliner World detailing in brief the start ups plans, route network could include more than just EDI, with NCL among others mentioned.

Article in this months Airliner World detailing in brief the start ups plans, route network could include more than just EDI, with NCL among others mentioned.

No one, under any circumstances, should hand over money to Halstead, his tin pot venture or Linksair.
The reasons if not already apparent, will become totally obvious within a few weeks. just like they have done with all other Halstead pie in the sky attention seeking ideas.

£15,000 a rating x 10. beats flying:\ I presume the money will be used to pay some of the court orders outstanding:confused:

£15,000 a rating x 10. beats flying:\ I presume the money will be used to pay some of the court orders outstanding:confused:

Constantflyer/Cloud 1/ Captain Sunshine


Whilst my grammar spelling is not of A Level Pass Marks my Knowledge is

I have said in previous threads my Spelling is not at its best and I Apologise to those whom it offends.

However I Do Believe Varsity Express is a Total Scam.

You do not need 10 Co Pilots (plus Martin ????) to cover the routes they have or are proposing (Unless of course they pay you £15000 each) then have as may as you wish with a 2 year bond

Martin H is Pie in the Sky a young Lad with delusions of Grander which will all end in tears but not his tears I add

He is very good at using other peoples money and A/C ..

I only hope everybody gets Paid but I suspect they wont and lots of Young lads /Girls will give this Man lots of Money for a Rating on J31/J32 which in all honesty is not worth Dilly Squat today.

If you have 10 Co Pilots plus 1 Martin H how many captains do you need ??

Maximum on current schedule is 5 maybe 6
You have 2 A/C not on your A O C 10 Co Pilots ??? Captains

Linksair is the A O C Holder they sure as hell are not going to let Varsity Express pick up any ad hoc Charters

So with all the Pilots 2 Sectors a day 5 Days a week where will it all end

IN TEARS

\regards





P S Constantflyer

Found out how to use Spellcheck on computer and the word Idiot or Idiots has not appeared on the above thread
I am not trying to knock anybody but after 40 years in the business I think I smell a Rat
I have also heard ducks FxxT before

Good luck to all

Constantflyer/Cloud 1/ Captain Sunshine


Whilst my grammar spelling is not of A Level Pass Marks my Knowledge is

I have said in previous threads my Spelling is not at its best and I Apologise to those whom it offends.

However I Do Believe Varsity Express is a Total Scam.

You do not need 10 Co Pilots (plus Martin ????) to cover the routes they have or are proposing (Unless of course they pay you £15000 each) then have as may as you wish with a 2 year bond

Martin H is Pie in the Sky a young Lad with delusions of Grander which will all end in tears but not his tears I add

He is very good at using other peoples money and A/C ..

I only hope everybody gets Paid but I suspect they wont and lots of Young lads /Girls will give this Man lots of Money for a Rating on J31/J32 which in all honesty is not worth Dilly Squat today.

If you have 10 Co Pilots plus 1 Martin H how many captains do you need ??

Maximum on current schedule is 5 maybe 6
You have 2 A/C not on your A O C 10 Co Pilots ??? Captains

Linksair is the A O C Holder they sure as hell are not going to let Varsity Express pick up any ad hoc Charters

So with all the Pilots 2 Sectors a day 5 Days a week where will it all end

IN TEARS

\regards





P S Constantflyer

Found out how to use Spellcheck on computer and the word Idiot or Idiots has not appeared on the above thread
I am not trying to knock anybody but after 40 years in the business I think I smell a Rat
I have also heard ducks FxxT before

Good luck to all

learjet50, sorry if I caused any offence from my little joke back there. hope i didnt :mad: you off.

What I'm struggling with is that if the flights are sold by Varsity Express under Linksair's AOC using their aircraft then surely all pilots are recruited by Linksair meaning any money for TRs etc. goes to Linksair not Varsity.

learjet50, sorry if I caused any offence from my little joke back there. hope i didnt :mad: you off.

What I'm struggling with is that if the flights are sold by Varsity Express under Linksair's AOC using their aircraft then surely all pilots are recruited by Linksair meaning any money for TRs etc. goes to Linksair not Varsity.

Surely Varsity Express nothing more than a name who sells tickets. If they are operating under someone elses AOC then they are the operator. Hopefully the CAA get involved and sort out this Martin Halstead who appears to be a wannabe wo wont ever succeed with these stupid ideas, before alot of people lose money in something that will never fly!

Surely Varsity Express nothing more than a name who sells tickets. If they are operating under someone elses AOC then they are the operator. Hopefully the CAA get involved and sort out this Martin Halstead who appears to be a wannabe wo wont ever succeed with these stupid ideas, before alot of people lose money in something that will never fly!

learjet50 -

I did the same sums and got the same answer. The cynical TA nose is sensing a rodent here, as I suspect yours did...

How does this business model pan out? Guy wants to be a pilot - fine. Manages to set up an airline that he can fly for - even finer.

But.

This is NOT an airline, it is a ticket vendor. WHY are pilots being recruited by VE when they do not have an AOC and therefore cannot employ them as pilots? It is for the lifting carrier - the AOC holder - to recruit and employ crew, NOT the agent.

Clarity. If you want to be a ticket seller, fine - sell tickets and get an ACMI operator to provide the lift on their licence and AOC. CAA happy.

Or. Get yourself an AOC, and a Type B op licence, and then you can fly for them, and you get to play with the aircraft and all the rest of the hoopla. Again, CAA happy.

But don't think you can fall into the grey area in the middle - being a ticket agent and working for the airline as well - Kingsway will uncoil and bite you in the bum, Mr H.....

TA

learjet50 -

I did the same sums and got the same answer. The cynical TA nose is sensing a rodent here, as I suspect yours did...

How does this business model pan out? Guy wants to be a pilot - fine. Manages to set up an airline that he can fly for - even finer.

But.

This is NOT an airline, it is a ticket vendor. WHY are pilots being recruited by VE when they do not have an AOC and therefore cannot employ them as pilots? It is for the lifting carrier - the AOC holder - to recruit and employ crew, NOT the agent.

Clarity. If you want to be a ticket seller, fine - sell tickets and get an ACMI operator to provide the lift on their licence and AOC. CAA happy.

Or. Get yourself an AOC, and a Type B op licence, and then you can fly for them, and you get to play with the aircraft and all the rest of the hoopla. Again, CAA happy.

But don't think you can fall into the grey area in the middle - being a ticket agent and working for the airline as well - Kingsway will uncoil and bite you in the bum, Mr H.....

TA

TA he is trying already to cut his acmi cost. Hello links air if i provide all the crew can we get the cost down....... Now use the £15,000 up front buy a cheap rating on credit in the poor FO name and use the rest to run your operation and hope that your sales cover the cost. I dont think so a rodent call out the pied pipper...

Xtype

TA he is trying already to cut his acmi cost. Hello links air if i provide all the crew can we get the cost down....... Now use the £15,000 up front buy a cheap rating on credit in the poor FO name and use the rest to run your operation and hope that your sales cover the cost. I dont think so a rodent call out the pied pipper...

Xtype

Thanks, XTM. So the argument is that someone gives him 15 grand of their hard earned dosh, and he uses that to buy a rating at - say - 10 grand (can't imagine that J31 ratings are highly in demand....) and then offers the new pilot to the ACMI operator??

Non sequitor. If the ACMI operator needed crew, they would go and get their own....

... otherwise - as you say - call in Robert Browning's mate!

TA

Thanks, XTM. So the argument is that someone gives him 15 grand of their hard earned dosh, and he uses that to buy a rating at - say - 10 grand (can't imagine that J31 ratings are highly in demand....) and then offers the new pilot to the ACMI operator??

Non sequitor. If the ACMI operator needed crew, they would go and get their own....

... otherwise - as you say - call in Robert Browning's mate!

TA

Capt sunshine

Thanks for your reply I never take offence to anything people say about me.
all have there own opinion I write Mine However Varsity Express is a Joke.

Never will make Money apart for Mr H

The C A A are weak in these matters Linksiar or who ever have J31 they need to use Idiot comes along and before we know we have a Sked Flt
from Oxford to Edinburgh ???

NO BODY HAS ANSWERED MY QUESTION AS YET

HOW MANY PAX HAVE THEY CARRIED ??? Not a Lot




Linksair Hope u have got your Money Up front because you will need it for Mr Euro control and Mr Landing/Handling OXF/EDI



I WISH YOU ALL WELL

Capt sunshine

Thanks for your reply I never take offence to anything people say about me.
all have there own opinion I write Mine However Varsity Express is a Joke.

Never will make Money apart for Mr H

The C A A are weak in these matters Linksiar or who ever have J31 they need to use Idiot comes along and before we know we have a Sked Flt
from Oxford to Edinburgh ???

NO BODY HAS ANSWERED MY QUESTION AS YET

HOW MANY PAX HAVE THEY CARRIED ??? Not a Lot




Linksair Hope u have got your Money Up front because you will need it for Mr Euro control and Mr Landing/Handling OXF/EDI



I WISH YOU ALL WELL

You seem to have misunderstood my post, I was only having some fun with you. I could not care less about your grammar or spelling, we (or rather I) only come on here for aviation related news, rumours etc and not to judge you on whether you can string a sentence together or spell a word correctly. :ok:

Back to the airline, I personally cannot see it being succesful but there is no point in us debating this before the airline even gets airborne. When is its first day of flying, March 01st?

You seem to have misunderstood my post, I was only having some fun with you. I could not care less about your grammar or spelling, we (or rather I) only come on here for aviation related news, rumours etc and not to judge you on whether you can string a sentence together or spell a word correctly. :ok:

Back to the airline, I personally cannot see it being succesful but there is no point in us debating this before the airline even gets airborne. When is its first day of flying, March 01st?

cLOUD 1

No offence taken we are only here to pass our comments

Sorry to all i thought start date was Feb 1 its in fact March 1

Sorry again


Regards

cLOUD 1

No offence taken we are only here to pass our comments

Sorry to all i thought start date was Feb 1 its in fact March 1

Sorry again


Regards

Not necessarily. After all Ryanair have pilots not employed by RYR but by Brookfield and contracted to RYR.

Not necessarily. After all Ryanair have pilots not employed by RYR but by Brookfield and contracted to RYR.

Surely it's more likely that the first flight will be on April 1st! :)

Joking aside, this is following much of the underlying pattern of the Alpha One debacle (with perhaps some questionable HR practices to boot) but Mr Halstead's ability to get publicity is extraordinary (please don't use that as a quote, Martin - it's not a compliment).

Surely it's more likely that the first flight will be on April 1st! :)

Joking aside, this is following much of the underlying pattern of the Alpha One debacle (with perhaps some questionable HR practices to boot) but Mr Halstead's ability to get publicity is extraordinary (please don't use that as a quote, Martin - it's not a compliment).

Sort of agree, Groundloop - but the difference is that Ryanair don't employ the crew and then give them to the wet lessor doing their flying....

If I were a cynic, a few questions spring to mind...

1. How much funding has this got?
2. How much will it need (answer - pots, this is the airline business, and they are starting a new route with no history, no airline experience, and they are taking all the ticket risk - since they are going to pay the lessor whether they have any pax or not)
3. If points 1 and 2 are not aligned, where is the money coming from?

"Yes, please sign on the dotted line, and we'll get you a TR. Thanks for the cheque. We'll send your details across in three months when you have passed to our flight provider...."

Calling Wee Weasley Welshman.... bet he will have some pithy and accurate thoughts on this....

TA

Sort of agree, Groundloop - but the difference is that Ryanair don't employ the crew and then give them to the wet lessor doing their flying....

If I were a cynic, a few questions spring to mind...

1. How much funding has this got?
2. How much will it need (answer - pots, this is the airline business, and they are starting a new route with no history, no airline experience, and they are taking all the ticket risk - since they are going to pay the lessor whether they have any pax or not)
3. If points 1 and 2 are not aligned, where is the money coming from?

"Yes, please sign on the dotted line, and we'll get you a TR. Thanks for the cheque. We'll send your details across in three months when you have passed to our flight provider...."

Calling Wee Weasley Welshman.... bet he will have some pithy and accurate thoughts on this....

TA

And the latest news (verbatim from the website) is...

And the latest news (verbatim from the website) is...