Felix Airlines, Yemen

[pilot crj-200]

felix

hi tony how are you doing

any good news about the crj-200

are they in canda now ..

[TonyWilliams]

hi tony how are you doing

any good news about the crj-200

are they in canda now ..

Doing good.... both CRJ-200's are still in the US. I see that you're in Yemen; are you going to fly for Felix?

[pilot crj-200]

when do you expect the first airplane to go to yemen

we heared news that the first aircraft will be here in 21 jan

but its looks like its going to be here in february

and by the way are you felix captin

[TonyWilliams]

im already FO for felix airways waiting for the airplane to come

we heared news that the first aircraft will be here in 21 jan

but its looks like its going to be here in february

and by the way are you felix captin

I'm an FO also. You can check online where the aircraft are. Both -200's are in KRFD, and if you look at my 4Dec08 post in this thread, you'll see links to each plane. Just click on them.

Neither plane has gone to paint in Canada. I'm sorry I can't offer more, and I wish I could, other than to say with absolute certainty that the 1st plane will not be in Yemen by Jan 21.

Hope you're enjoying your holiday.

Shoot me an email at:

[email protected]

[bob.sakamano]

2nd CRJ-700 photos

Here are photos from the Felix website of the delivery of 70-FAB, the 2nd CRJ-700. It was delivered to Sana'a 28 December.

[TonyWilliams]

Yemen Times Staff


- Felix Airways launches the second plane within 2009 operation program

Felix Airways' Technical Apparatus received the second CRJ 700 plane from Canadian Bumpardy factories. Joining this plan to 2009 trade operational program, the daily flights from Sana'a Airport to Aden, Taiz, Hudeidah , Mukalla, Say'oon and Suqatra will increase from 33 to 44 flights a week.

Felix Airways' Executive Director Mohmmad al- Arasha stated that measures for handing over the plane are going as planned and according to due time and programs for operating the plane. He asserted that the third plane will join the company on January 15 and the forth one in the end of January 2009.

By the end of this January, we will have four plans operating in Felix Airways. He says the aim of these planes is linking the political Capital Sana'a with all country's governorates and then linking Yemeni cities with each other. This process is easing local transportation and ease also tourist activities and activities of investors.

Our program, he says, has been made upon economic study conducted by the US specialized company for establishing this company. The program was made for covering some regional areas.

"God willing, we will start linking al-Ghaidha City with Salalah City in Oman and then with UAE cities and some cities of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There will be regular flights in the future, "he said.

Concerning the African Horn, the program will include Addis Ababa, Djibouti and Asmara. All these plans come under the support and encouraging of political leadership represented by President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his government for encouraging investment and easing investors' movements and tourist activity in the country. Furthermore, the prime aim is easing citizen's movements and avoiding traffic accidents in the highways.

He affirmed also that the Felix Company has achieved great success beyond initial expectations. The number of passengers has reached 20, 000 by the end of 2008.

[Bruce Nicholson]

Looking for Felix Airways callsign

With a Felix F/O on the boards now, I'm hoping he can tell me what the airline is using for their radio callsign. EuroControl does not have a record of the callsign nor does any other source on the Internet.

Thanks!

[TonyWilliams]

Hey, it's a start up !!!! Lot's of those have failed, or not looked "too organized" in 1st world countries.

But, ya, things are getting a little far from the original "plan".

[pilotara]

At the present moment Felix operates only the 700 with the support pilots from Bombardier/Avionco (CSP's). When i was there the callsign was felix now i do not know if it changed. Overall the operation is better than other contracts i have done in S.America and China and I can tell you that they treat their flight and cabin crew much much better than alot of US regionals. I would love to go back but since I do not have a CFI on my lincense i cannot be there as a instructor. talking to some of my friends down there the local DGAC has already choose which guys they want to rotate inand out Felix for the 700. Nothing on the 200 (Brookfield has the contract) My understanding from talking with couple of the Felix managment guys is that the 200 will be based out of Adden(70ft elevation) and the 700 will remain in Sana (7500ft elevation).
Question for the Brookfield guys. Do you have an estimate on when you actually going to go to Yemen ? I know it suposed to be on October etc etc etc.

[pilot crj-200]

Crj-200 N636br

I Have A Good News For You Guys

Today N636br Has Arrived To CYGD coming from KRFD For Painting
FlightAware > Live Flight Tracker > N636BR
Hopefully the airplane will be in OYSN in february


Good Day

[TonyWilliams]

I would guess that whatever estimate for when the Brookfield crews would show up would be just that. It looks like at least one of the -200's has arrived at the paint shop, however I suspect (with good first hand information) that it will be after Feb before even one of the -200's are ready to ferry.

Your comments are the first I've heard about the -200's being "sea level airport planes". Makes sense, of course, that they aren't ideal at high/ hot airports.

I'd love for you to post some first hand experiences of life on the line there. It doesn't seem plausible that we Brookfield pilots would fly the -700's if they are physically are separated at a separate base, not to mention contract issues.

[gearupflapsup]

For every one guy getting paid by the Dodd's, there are 100 unpaid. Sharing of information about a dishonest contract operator like Avionco is appropriate.

[TonyWilliams]

It looks like Brookfield's second CRJ-200 is now sent to the paint shop. So that should be done around April 1-ish.

Very, very close to my estimate from months ago. Easy to guess, when you consider what an incompetent bunch of folks who are directing this. Of course, the talking heads from Brookfield didn't tell anybody that while they waited, many unpaid, for all this time.

FlightAware > Live Flight Tracker > N637BR

[747t]

Brookfield/Felix Airways

Brookfield Aviation are thieves and unprofessional.

One Captain was unceremoniously let go. Long story, but I guess they weren’t willing to give him time off to be with his sick mother.

Another was let go for having take 2 days off to be with his brother who was having heart attack. He got ripped off with his salary and a refund for a relocation ticket they asked him to get.

Tony above was also let go for stating facts on PPRune about the delays of the CRJ-200.

They waited for them to get their act together, for what, 5 months, they needed few days off and it’s sorry, adios.

Few weeks ago Brookfield were saying how unprofessional Felix management are and that they are getting sick of how they change their minds. What Happened?

US Pilots...PM me for facts and whats it like living in Yemen and for facts about Felix and brookfield Aviation.

[TonyWilliams]

Brookfield / Felix

Tony above was also let go for stating facts on PPRuNe about the delays of the CRJ-200.

That whole operation is a total mess, and I can't tell you how happy I am not to be involved in it now.

Brookfield was alerted to my Pprune postings by what I'll call the "snitch captain", initials BG. He doesn't know what a favor he did me.

With so many pilots on the street, Brookfield can treat pilots like garbage AND not pay them !!!!

The first clue that things were a bit "loosey goosey" was there was no interview, no assessment of any kind, no nothing. The job was offered to me initially in Sept '08, then a contract in early Oct '08. When I asked how many had signed up, I was told none. I'd be first.

It only went downhill from there. I wouldn't be surprised if they're still not flying the single CRJ-200 that should be over there.

[747t]

Felix

They made BG the chief of training; I heard the guy can’t fly and shouldn’t be PIC.
He is giving some US pilots’ hard time. He is kissing management’s A - - to hide his incapability of bad airmanship and CRM.

[TonyWilliams]

They made BG the chief of training; I heard the guy can’t fly and shouldn’t be PIC.
He is giving some US pilots’ hard time. He is kissing management’s A - - to hide his incapability of bad airmanship and CRM.

Anybody who wants to get all the sordid details about that pathetic waste of humanity (yes, booby, I'm talking about ya), call Brookfield in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. BG had a long list of issues there, and of course, none were his fault. Before that, he was with ACA/Independence, were I presume the same weak stick issues prevailed.

He sent out an update about Felix in the end of January 2009 to everybody EXCEPT me. Apparently, I challenged his fragile ego (unknowing to me at the time), so his "punishment" was to leave me out... like a school girl might do.

After I learned about the missing update a few days after the fact, the following exchange of emails took place:

********************************

from Tony Williams
to BG
date Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 1:02 PM
subject Re:Update


Hey Bob,

Thanks for the update !!!

Tony Williams

>>>>>>Any information to the contrary, from whatever source, would be based on rumor and conjecture with a liberal spicing of opinion, and should therefore be considered unreliable. <<<<<<

**********************************

{note: The above quote was from BG's update, apparently trying to discredit me, and making reference to my postings on pprune, which, by the way, are all in this thread... that I started 5 months ago}

***********************************

from BG
to Tony Williams
date Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 3:40 PM
subject Re: Update


You're welcome; I will look forward to more of your updates on pprune.

***********************************

{note: thankfully, the last email I got from this piece of human excrement. Then he went crying to his masters at Brookfield... "look mummy and daddy, Tony is talking about you on pprune!! Can I have a lollipop now ?? Please, please ????"}

**********************************

from Tony Williams
to BG
date Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 5:10 PM
subject Re: Update


Bob,

Not sure why you left me out of the loop in your update. Hopefully it was unintentional, but if not, we need to chat.

Tailwinds,

Tony

Sent from my iPhone

********************************


So, the next email I got was from the folks at Brookfield:


*******************************

from BJD@brookfield
to Tony Williams
cc: DG@brookfield
LF@brookfield
alarrasha@felix
samuel jerome@felix

date Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 9:46 AM
subject Re:Breach of confidentiality


Dear Mr. Williams,

I refer to my last letter sent to you earlier this month copy pasted below.

{note: in classic Brookfield screw up, there was neither a letter "copy pasted" below, nor was there any letter EVER sent from BD to me previously}

Since that time it has been noted that you have continued to put information regarding Felix Airways into the public domain, which is contrary to clause 14 of the contract that you signed with our company, and contrary to my request to you in my email communication.

[note: of course, this clown doesn't make the most basic inquiries as to whether or not it was in fact ME making postings. And again, that dumbass never sent me anything but this letter. Perhaps he thinks he's protecting himself from breach of contract}

This letter therefore serves to give you notice that your contract through our organization with Felix Airways is immediately terminated.

Yours sincerely

B.J.D

Sales Director

Brookfield Aviation International Ltd

PO Box 2xx

Epsom

Surrey KT19 8YX

United Kingdom

[phone]xx

[TonyWilliams]

Felix doesn't pay Brookfield on time

Thought this letter from Felix to BJD @ Brookfield told an interesting story. Apparently, BJD telephoned to complain that he had not been paid by Felix for December 2008.

**********************

Dear Mr. BJD,

Further to our telephonic conversation yesterday, kindly be informed that your invoice for December 2008 will be paid and the delay was due to the number of holidays that we had on December. {note: that explains everthing!!!}

Secondly please be informed that the delay with regard to CRJ200 was unfortunate and unforeseen and has happened due to the documentation. We are almost done with the process and are expecting everything to be concluded in a couple of days.

As you are aware we have our Quality Assurance stationed at Emery Air facilities (the place where the aircraft is currently undergoing maintenance) and at Sky Harbour facilities at Canada where the aircraft would be painted.

One more time we want to reaffirm our commitments and the aircraft will move to Canada as early as next week.

We appreciate your understanding.

With Thanks & Best Regards,

Big Wig at Felix

[TonyWilliams]

Random Bombings Today in Yemen

Tourists killed in Yemen blast

SANAA (AFP) — Four South Korean tourists were killed and four more wounded by an explosion in the historic city of Shibam in southeast Yemen on Sunday, a security official in Hadramawt province said.

In January 2008 two Belgian tourists were shot dead along with their local guide and driver in Hadramawt.

Two months later, the US embassy was the target of mortar fire which missed and hit a school, killing two people.

A car bomb attack in Marib, also east of Sanaa, in July 2007 killed eight Spanish holidaymakers and two Yemeni drivers.
That attack took place at the entrance to Mahram Bilqis, an ancient oval-shaped temple which legend says belonged to the Biblical Queen of Sheba.

In January the local Al-Qaeda branch announced in a video message posted on the Internet the merging of the Saudi and Yemeni branches into "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," led by a Yemeni called Nasser al-Wahaishi.

Yemen is the ancestral homeland of Osama bin Laden, and Al-Qaeda has launched many operations there -- notably the 2000 attack on the USS Cole in the port of Aden that killed 17 sailors.

The US embassy in the capital was targeted last September by a double car bomb attack claimed by Al-Qaeda that killed 19 people, including seven attackers.

Some Western embassies are now concealed behind five-metre-high (16-foot) blast walls, and some diplomats have said they believe there is an influx of "terrorists" in Yemen.

In April 2008 a complex of villas inhabited by US oil experts in Sanaa was hit by rockets, and the same month the Italian embassy also came under attack.
Oil installations have also been frequent targets in Yemen, which had a modest production of 300,000 barrels a day in 2008.

A security official in Sanaa said on February 8 the authorities had decided to release 176 people suspected of links to Al-Qaeda, without saying why.
Sixteen days later a security court sentenced three members of an alleged Al-Qaeda cell to seven years each in jail.

They were convicted of conspiring to attack tourists and government facilities to avenge the killing of an Al-Qaeda commander in August last year.
Few tourists visit Yemen, which also has a history of abductions of Westerners by powerful tribes who then use them as bargaining chips with the authorities. Those kidnapped are generally freed unharmed.

[TonyWilliams]

Sana'a Yemen one of world most dangerous cities !!!

Feb 19, 2009 (Leadership/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- MMC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- It sounds pretty surprising but not unexpected that the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, a once very glamorous city, has been ranked among the three most dangerous cities in the world.
The human resources unit of New York-based Marsh & McLennan Cos. has ranked Port Harcourt with Baghdad, Yemen's capital of Sana'a and Khartoum in Sudan, as the world's most dangerous cities.