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The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

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Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Don't hockey teams have a problem with a plane of that size dealing with all the equipment they need? I could be mistaken but I though typically MTU couldn't bring all of it's stuff on one plane out of Houghton when they used the turbo prop?

Some airplanes, like the Saab, yes, some other airplanes, like the Dornier or the Dash, no. but really it's not the worst thing in the world to drive your equipment in a van. The Saab is the cheapest to operate, the Dash the most, but it carry's the most too. The Dornier is the fastest, and generally the best.
You would have to use the airplane enough to justfy a dedicated crew and mechanic for the season.
But lets say it's based in Marquette. Sawyer has tons of unused hanger space and labor is reasonably priced. So suppose you flew NMU to Ferris, then went and picked up BGSU, flew them up to msp for their connection to Alaska, picked up Fairbanks there and flew them to
Houghton, then went to Sault Ste Marie and got them and flew to Mankato. All on thursday or friday. then the reverse on saturday night or sunday morning.
it's enough hours to justify full time people. they get monday off, work on the plane on tuesday and you can also do the one off home and home with the big during the week too once in a while..
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

One other thing of note is that teams still need a bus to get around town for the most part.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

One other thing of note is that teams still need a bus to get around town for the most part.

Yep. You'd have to make the home team responsible for the bus and hotel rooms in their city. The price of this varies widely but being the home team gives you some pricing power vs being the away team where you are just going to pay whatever they want.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Some airplanes, like the Saab, yes, some other airplanes, like the Dornier or the Dash, no. but really it's not the worst thing in the world to drive your equipment in a van. The Saab is the cheapest to operate, the Dash the most, but it carry's the most too. The Dornier is the fastest, and generally the best.
You would have to use the airplane enough to justfy a dedicated crew and mechanic for the season.
But lets say it's based in Marquette. Sawyer has tons of unused hanger space and labor is reasonably priced. So suppose you flew NMU to Ferris, then went and picked up BGSU, flew them up to msp for their connection to Alaska, picked up Fairbanks there and flew them to
Houghton, then went to Sault Ste Marie and got them and flew to Mankato. All on thursday or friday. then the reverse on saturday night or sunday morning.
it's enough hours to justify full time people. they get monday off, work on the plane on tuesday and you can also do the one off home and home with the big during the week too once in a while..

The logistics of this would be a nightmare, but I suppose if you're hiring someone to do it full time, they would be able to figure it out.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

The logistics of this would be a nightmare, but I suppose if you're hiring someone to do it full time, they would be able to figure it out.

And therein lies the rub - those people cost money. So do mechanics, parts, pilots, long-term storage, landing fees & parking space at each league airport, and gallons of Jet-A. The plane isn't the only cost in the equation. And what does the plane do during the seven months of the year the WCHA isn't playing - sit in the hangar and lose money?
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

And therein lies the rub - those people cost money. So do mechanics, parts, pilots, long-term storage, landing fees & parking space at each league airport, and gallons of Jet-A. The plane isn't the only cost in the equation. And what does the plane do during the seven months of the year the WCHA isn't playing - sit in the hangar and lose money?
You don't own it and you don't have employees. there are companies out there who do and specialize in doing it. it's turn key. all you do is hire them. However if you hire them for only a little it's way too expensive, you have to do it so they can have people full time just for you. Once the season is over they go to the next job.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

The logistics of this would be a nightmare, but I suppose if you're hiring someone to do it full time, they would be able to figure it out.
Not to mention, what happens if there is a delay at the first airport because of weather or whatever? Everyone gets shifted back and someone doesn't make it early enough? The other thing that could screw things up is the timing of departure, not being able to leave more than so many hours before the game?
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Not to mention, what happens if there is a delay at the first airport because of weather or whatever? Everyone gets shifted back and someone doesn't make it early enough? The other thing that could screw things up is the timing of departure, not being able to leave more than so many hours before the game?

Most delays are in big airports where there is a lot of traffic and due to a cascading effect. (You can't go to orlando because your airplane didn't come in from nyc.) For instance, It doesn't take a lot to deice one airplane. He's maybe 10 minutes late if that, but the second and the third etc have ever longer delays.

Small airports have almost no delays.

so In this case. I would think you could operate with more than 95% reliability, But you would have to work very closely with the scheduling people and set it up way ahead.

I don't think you fly everyone every where. You wouldn't fly lssu to Ferris or Bemidji to Mankato. But going around the lake or driving thru 500 miles of snow covered roads makes flying attractive.

Scheduling is not the issue, cost is the issue.
the b1g teams routinely charter a jet, but we can't afford that.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Of course all this becomes unnecessary once somebody gets busy and perfects a functioning transporter.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

All I know is that UAH got to Mankato at 4:45 or so today. That we're playing a game tonight is ridiculous. They were going to postpone to Sat-Sun if we couldn't get a bus to carry us overnight, so why not now? It's not so much our guys, but it's for league competitiveness. Is it likely that UAH will beat Mankato, the #2 team in the league that's 11-1 at home this season? No. But doesn't the league have a responsibility to fairness and competition? UAH taking points off of Mankato may not matter much, as they seem pretty likely to be #2, but BG may miss home ice because we picked them off in their barn.

I can guarantee you that this wouldn't be happening if it was Ferris coming to town.

Garbage.

GFM
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

All I know is that UAH got to Mankato at 4:45 or so today. That we're playing a game tonight is ridiculous. They were going to postpone to Sat-Sun if we couldn't get a bus to carry us overnight, so why not now? It's not so much our guys, but it's for league competitiveness. Is it likely that UAH will beat Mankato, the #2 team in the league that's 11-1 at home this season? No. But doesn't the league have a responsibility to fairness and competition? UAH taking points off of Mankato may not matter much, as they seem pretty likely to be #2, but BG may miss home ice because we picked them off in their barn.

I can guarantee you that this wouldn't be happening if it was Ferris coming to town.

Garbage.

GFM

Choose One:
A. Deal with it
B. Go back to being an independent
 
Most delays are in big airports where there is a lot of traffic and due to a cascading effect. (You can't go to orlando because your airplane didn't come in from nyc.) For instance, It doesn't take a lot to deice one airplane. He's maybe 10 minutes late if that, but the second and the third etc have ever longer delays.

Small airports have almost no delays.

so In this case. I would think you could operate with more than 95% reliability, But you would have to work very closely with the scheduling people and set it up way ahead.

I don't think you fly everyone every where. You wouldn't fly lssu to Ferris or Bemidji to Mankato. But going around the lake or driving thru 500 miles of snow covered roads makes flying attractive.

Scheduling is not the issue, cost is the issue.
the b1g teams routinely charter a jet, but we can't afford that.
Small airports have delays. Twice I've had cancelled inbound flights the night before and had to wait a day or go to another airport in order to get to take another flight in time to get a cab right from the airport to the rink. A tip of the cap to Corby & team for making it a decent game tonight.
 
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Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Choose One:
A. Deal with it
B. Go back to being an independent
Yeah, that was not a good deal for your guys. Unfortunately, these things often really hit harder the second day; the first night they're running on adrenaline. They may be totally exhausted tomorrow.

Hats off that they didn't get frustrated and start resorting to cheap stuff. Good clean game.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

In case you haven't seen this before, now is a fun time to use the What-If-Calculator and go to http://siouxsports.com/hockey/whatif/index.php?confid=1 and give it a whirl ... copy/paste your results and if we get enough folks over the next couple of days then maybe later in the week some math-er can average them all or something.

Ferris State 43
MSU-Mankato 42
Alaska Anchorage 30
Northern Michigan 29
Michigan Tech 28
Bowling Green 28
Bemidji State 28
Alaska 25
Lake Superior 24
Alabama-Huntsville 3
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

It would appear that several of you believe my jab at gfmorris' recent rant was unduly harsh.

At the risk of further damaging your delicate little psyches, I'd suggest you all grow a pair and learn to accept reality.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

Seeing as how your program almost took a dirt nap a couple years ago, you're not in much of a position to be bumping your gums about their issues.
 
Re: The New WCHA IV (2013-14): Unlocked and Cocked

It would appear that several of you believe my jab at gfmorris' recent rant was unduly harsh.

At the risk of further damaging your delicate little psyches, I'd suggest you all grow a pair and learn to accept reality.

I'd suggest you work on keeping your thoughts in your head.
 
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