Southern Skies closing down

[BikerDude]

Saw a story on CHBC last night saying that Southern Skies is shutting down. 11 people will be out of work. I know someone who works for them as an instructor, they will have to move to find work now. Too bad.

http://www.chbcnews.ca/Penticton+flight+school+grounded/4883702/story.html

[twobits]

Saw a story on CHBC last night saying that Southern Skies is shutting down. 11 people will be out of work. I know someone who works for them as an instructor, they will have to move to find work now. Too bad.

http://www.chbcnews.ca/Penticton+flight+school+grounded/4883702/story.html

Penticton Herald yesterday claimed a total of 16 jobs lost. Yet anothe blow to the local economy that doesn't need any damn prison jobs.

[Static]

Saw a story on CHBC last night saying that Southern Skies is shutting down. 11 people will be out of work. I know someone who works for them as an instructor, they will have to move to find work now. Too bad.

http://www.chbcnews.ca/Penticton+flight+school+grounded/4883702/story.html

Penticton Herald yesterday claimed a total of 16 jobs lost. Yet anothe blow to the local economy that doesn't need any damn prison jobs.

Don't worry about the prison, Value Village will create a large number of quality jobs.

[nepal]

Southern Skies is one the best flying schools in Western Canada. The owner is a former CF18 'Top Gun' and Cathay Pacific Boeing 747 pilot. They run a top-notch flight school and have well maintained aircraft. This type of flight school is very rare to find. Anyone in the industry, knew this was the place to learn to fly.

[Glacier]

Southern Skies is one the best flying schools in Western Canada.

If it's so good, why is it shutting down [while other flight schools continue to operate]?

[Alex1967]

The closing of SSA is a loss for so many reasons.

SSA created a world class Integrated Commercial Course. This is evidenced by the fact that many of the students were children of ATPs (Airline Transport Pilots). Mark and Joan Holmes wholly immersed themselves in this ventuure. Systems, procedures, professionalism, safety and learning were second to none. To do this, one cannot cut corners, you have to spend where others may not, students and their benefactors will not typically pay a premium for all this.

Mark gave up a very financially lucrative career with Cathay, I know it to be lucrative as a very good friend of mine flies for them, to return home to the Okanagan and pass his passion and knowledge along to others. Mark does not suffer from the ego and such that many of his ilk do, he is a 100% pure funloving, passionate, caring person.

[-fluffy-]

It always hurts to see a business have to face the harsh realities of the bottom line and find that it just can't do it any more. It's a tough step to take, as an independent business operator my heart goes out to them, having to let go of a dream like that can be more than a little painful. I suspect if one were to dig back deep enough that the impact sky-rocketing fuel prices and a reduction of disposable income at the individual level is having on commercial airlines is rippling throughout the air transport industry.