Wayne Millard: Dellen Millard Charged With Murder In The First Degree #1

[Alethea Dice]

<rsbm>

Just to refresh ..

from:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...millard_probes.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...spect-millard-s-farm-searched-again-1.1321574

There's also this...

Originally viewed as a suicide and, although his body was cremated, Wayne&#8217;s death is still &#8220;an ongoing investigation,&#8221; said Dorothy Zwolakowski, a strategic advisor for the Ontario Coroner&#8217;s Office.

She could not say whether the case was reopened because of recent events or had never been closed.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/17/dellen-millard-suspect-in-tim-bosmas-death-was-always-a-little-different-classmate-says/

And, if it had never been closed, this...

It is not unusual however, for a coroner's investigation to take months to complete, even when no foul play is suspected, says Cheryl Mahyr, issues manager in the coroner's office.

"There's no prescribed time limit on how long it takes," she says. The length of the investigation can depend on "the number and types of tests that are ordered."

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2878848-police-probe-millard-s-connections-to-other-cases/

 

[deugirtni]

Well because every new business starts out with no clients. They had a professional in place to get clients, he had clients he was negotiating with, they obviously needed site visits, and DM was not cooperating in that regard. What kind of airline, small or large, is going to treat MA as a viable MRO if when they go to tour it, it is filled with a bunch of personal vehicles? And if the person running the show is the one who is allowing and owning these personal vehicles? If you're just starting a business, and trying to get 'real' customers, that's not how one would go about it, if one expected to actually get the customers. It would be perhaps another thing if the place had been open for years and had multiple long-term clients who happened to see a bunch of personal vehicles in there, but this is a brand new operation where the owner was trying to hook first-time business. I *get* out of the quote from AS that he was quite embarrassed to think of bringing new business to tour the brand new facility if the guy in charge is treating it like a playhouse, with a red hair thing and a bunch of recreational vehicles inside. And, imho, I don't blame him for being embarrassed and demanding that the owner's son behave. It must have been so difficult for him to deal with this stuff, it's difficult enough in *any* family business, let alone one with this much at stake and brand new trying to get first-time clients.

Sorry, no I don't. I just don't think you would have to jump through any hoops to cancel the certificate like you would to get it in place, but that's JMO. If I recall correctly, the few that WM had hired were experienced and qualified people.

JMO



But not all would agree that it would be wise to continue to spend even more dollars when there were no clients and none in the foreseeable future.

*Correction: AS said there were some in negotiations. At this point, probably only they know if there were or if they were viable.



Again, but why spend even more to hire another new person to run a business that had no business? Without clients, the only thing left to do was to sign the employee's cheques.

JMO

 

[Alethea Dice]

Well because every new business starts out with no clients. They had a professional in place to get clients, he had clients he was negotiating with, they obviously needed site visits, and DM was not cooperating in that regard. What kind of airline, small or large, is going to treat MA as a viable MRO if when they go to tour it, it is filled with a bunch of personal vehicles? And if the person running the show is the one who is allowing and owning these personal vehicles? If you're just starting a business, and trying to get 'real' customers, that's not how one would go about it, if one expected to actually get the customers. It would be perhaps another thing if the place had been open for years and had multiple long-term clients who happened to see a bunch of personal vehicles in there, but this is a brand new operation where the owner was trying to hook first-time business. I *get* out of the quote from AS that he was quite embarrassed to think of bringing new business to tour the brand new facility if the guy in charge is treating it like a playhouse, with a red hair thing and a bunch of recreational vehicles inside. And, imho, I don't blame him for being embarrassed and demanding that the owner's son behave. It must have been so difficult for him to deal with this stuff, it's difficult enough in *any* family business, let alone one with this much at stake and brand new trying to get first-time clients.

Yes, so AS says. I've seen pictures of the airport from that time and it was clean and shiny and quite empty. What makes you so positive most of those cars didn't come in after he cancelled the MRO business? And the red hair thing was a year and a half earlier, before the building was even finished.

JMO

 

[swedie]

I've often wondered about the insurance policy on MA. IIRC it was discussed many moons ago here but nothing conclusive came to light. Will be interesting to learn if that policy covered suicide. I'm sure DM would know what the stipulations were. MOO.

 

[robynhood]

AGREE with posts above me...IMO...IT seems like DM was not interest in his father's new business....and was certainly in the way of his progress...leaving all his vehicles there....JMHO I think we are in for a total "EYE opening experience as To " what & how" things were happening at MILLDARD hanger or maybe ...more proper to say HOW THINGS were not HAPPENING....speculative now as everything is banned to protect the trial and evidence...Unfortunately ...TIM BOSMA crossed the accused path and that took a YOUNG man's life...TRAGEDICALLY.....and forever changed The BOSMA FAMILY....it is that what keeps pulling at my Heart....to be honest here....Unreal sell a Ram Truck and end up DEAD!..and the manner in which his body was handled makes me even more sick...Talking Honest hear....and I hope someone who knows the TRUTH IS TALKING...as this a FAMILY completely destroyed...gotta say it how I Personally feel....robynhood..I feel this could eaily be anyone of us...the end and so it was...again Tragically.....

 

[swedie]

Yes, so AS says. I've seen pictures of the airport from that time and it was clean and shiny and quite empty. What makes you so positive most of those cars didn't come in after he cancelled the MRO business? And the red hair thing was a year and a half earlier, before the building was even finished.

JMO

Because AS said so. I give credit to AS for coming forward and speaking up, giving us a clearer picture of who DM was. Others had the same opinions. How would AS know there were vehicles in the hangar after the fact? I give doubt he was welcome around the hangar after WM's death but that's JMO.

BTW do you know exactly when those pictures were taken, could you please provide a link. As we know pictures posted on other sites such as fb can be added long after the date in which they were taken. TIA.

&#8220;I thought he was just a spoilt little brat who had his way all his life and didn&#8217;t appreciate what his father was doing for him,&#8221; said Mr. Sharif. &#8220;He was an impediment to the hangar operation&#8221; who didn&#8217;t meet his deadlines, almost never arrived at work before noon, and refused to clear his collection of cars, jeeps, hot rods, jet skis and personal airplanes from the business premises.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...bosma-murder-suspect-started-to-dismantle-it/

As far as Mr. Sharif and other executives at the company were concerned, Dellen and his red mohawk spelled trouble.

But Mr. Sharif, who had helped set up similar businesses before, was convinced that the future was bright. He emphasized to Dellen, as he had to Wayne, that the real value of the business lay in its coveted Transport Canada operational certification, the high-quality team it had assembled, and the potential customers who, Mr. Sharif says, were lining up.

 

[Carli]

There were contracts in negotiations, which of course, would have required at least one site visit in order to have someone actually sign on the dotted line. Lives are at stake in that business, it isn't as simple as signing up for a place to rent for 3 months. Business deals can take months if not years, to finalize, and I'm sure that WM, with his experience, already knew this. And any new business owner also knows that operations take awhile to become profitable, and I'm sure he had the wherewithall to budget for all of these things. It's also beyond common to have construction projects go over budget.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...bosma-murder-suspect-started-to-dismantle-it/

Is the quoted portion below what you refer to when you suggest, "That reference to competition in the much discussed obit seems to suggest that someone or some others had made an end run on the company.'? Surely WM was experienced at life and at business enough that he knew what the world, and business, is like, well before he chose to spend millions of dollars of his wealth on the new hangar, wouldnt' you think? There is always going to be competition for every business and I'm sure every honest businessman hopes for the same as below.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?pid=161695472

I appreciate yourview on this, deugirtni, I truly do but, respectfully, IMO the fringe airlineindustry is fundamentally unlike other businesses, IMO. By all accountsCM was an arrogant, fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants, risk taker, cast in the moldof all those early aviators entranced by the reality and the potential offlight. With a bit of study, it seems readily apparent that it was hiswife was the glue who actually kept the "business" afloat while CMwas off on milk route delivers with lots of derring-do thrown in for goodmeasure. After his mother's death, the transition, on WM's watch(eventually, after various excursions into other fields) into the MRO servicefield was never successful, was it? - to such an extent that the Dixon Rdpremises seemed to be fetching more money as a clear-span studio for the moviesand an exhibition hall for CM's collection of old cars. It's admirable,IMO, that WM decided to try his hand at creating a successful enterprise, buthe had little/no experience in the field, so far as I can tell. Thesepeople weren't garage grunts. They were idealistic adventurers or, atleast, saw themselves that way. I could be wrong, but there are stillmany pilots and small carriers on Canada's coasts and far north who share thesame characteristics as the Millards. IMO. MOO. IMHO. etc.

 

[Carli]

Because AS said so. I give credit to AS for coming forward and speaking up, giving us a clearer picture of who DM was. Others had the same opinions. How would AS know there were vehicles in the hangar after the fact? I give doubt he was welcome around the hangar after WM's death but that's JMO.

BTW do you know exactly when those pictures were taken, could you please provide a link. As we know pictures posted on other sites such as fb can be added long after the date in which they were taken. TIA.

&#8220;I thought he was just a spoilt little brat who had his way all his life and didn&#8217;t appreciate what his father was doing for him,&#8221; said Mr. Sharif. &#8220;He was an impediment to the hangar operation&#8221; who didn&#8217;t meet his deadlines, almost never arrived at work before noon, and refused to clear his collection of cars, jeeps, hot rods, jet skis and personal airplanes from the business premises.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...bosma-murder-suspect-started-to-dismantle-it/

As far as Mr. Sharif and other executives at the company were concerned, Dellen and his red mohawk spelled trouble.

But Mr. Sharif, who had helped set up similar businesses before, was convinced that the future was bright. He emphasized to Dellen, as he had to Wayne, that the real value of the business lay in its coveted Transport Canada operational certification, the high-quality team it had assembled, and the potential customers who, Mr. Sharif says, were lining up.

An awfully opinionated chap, if you ask me. I doff my cap to anybody who has the nerve to announce he's unable to do his job because the boss's son had a red mohawk haircut a couple of years earlier and moreover, arrives late to work. This fellow lives in Texas. How often did he have the opportunity to clock the work habits of the boss's family? It might be interesting to learn more about the other businesses AS has set up. I'd be very interested in learning about their experiences. So far as I can see from his LinkedIn his principal activities were related to his own companies. Was he intending to partner with Millard? Or could this have anything to do with the "competition" reference in the Obit? As for "potential customers", well, you know in show business this equates to the pending "six picture deal" in Hollywood. If you believe it you'll be underpaid and nailed to the treadmill. IMO. MOO. IMHO. etc. I greatly hope AS will make another visit to Canada to testify at the trial because he clearly has very important information on tap. IMO. IMHO. MOO. etc.

 

[swedie]

An awfully opinionated chap, if you ask me. I doff my cap to anybody who has the nerve to announce he's unable to do his job because the boss's son had a red mohawk haircut a couple of years earlier and moreover, arrives late to work. This fellow lives in Texas. How often did he have the opportunity to clock the work habits of the boss's family? It might be interesting to learn more about the other businesses AS has set up. I'd be very interested in learning about their experiences. So far as I can see from his LinkedIn his principal activities were related to his own companies. Was he intending to partner with Millard? Or could this have anything to do with the "competition" reference in the Obit? As for "potential customers", well, you know in show business this equates to the pending "six picture deal" in Hollywood. If you believe it you'll be underpaid and nailed to the treadmill. IMO. MOO. IMHO. etc. I greatly hope AS will make another visit to Canada to testify at the trial because he clearly has very important information on tap. IMO. IMHO. MOO. etc.

BBM - I agree. Along with numerous other ex employees of MA. Would be interesting to know if and what complaints/concerns WM had against his son in which he shared/voiced with AS and other employees. Maybe some of that evidence will come out during trial. Being as WM is deceased the court just may allow hearsay. MOO.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Canadian_Criminal_Evidence/Hearsay/Principled_Exception

 

[MsSherlock]

Do you happen to know the process of cancelling a certificate? How long it takes, etc? Do we know there isn't a notification period of some kind? In any case, for an operation on which the company had already spent so much money, and was committed to run a certain type of business on a specified piece of land, and had already hired people to be in place, and I would have to assume they were likely already sending their people for specific training/certification, and a company who had gone through the large process of acquiring said certification, it's a huge deal, and it was still fast, even if it wasn't requested until February. In my humble opinion however, I would guess that the cancellation process might also take some time in itself.

The important acronyms:
MRO: Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul
AMO: Aircraft Maintenance Organizations

A MRO is an extension of an AMO. The occupancy permit for the hangar was in February/12. At that point the search would have been on for qualified maintenance people. The MRO is much more specific and would have be directly related to the type of aircraft that WM wanted to attract. These facilities are not your normal auto garage- they're extremely highly regulated. February to November 1 seems like a long time, but in the world of Transport Canada it's simply the length of time it takes.

Millardair may have already had their AMO, but getting the necessary permissions from TC to work on specific aircraft would have required jumping thru a lot of hoops along with getting experienced AME on board. In November/12, WM got permission for Maintenance,Repair & Overhaul on the aircraft he wanted to base his business on. At that point, it should have been full steam ahead...but alas, the hangar looked more like a man cave than a pristine maintenance facility. AS made a reasonable request to DM: get your stuff out of the hangar so we can solidify some of these contracts.

But, Millardair had another problem. It had signed a 50 year lease with Waterloo to run an AMO/MRO out of it's hangar. The airport had even invested taxpayers money into the project. This is precisely why I find DM's actions of laying everyone off and shutting the doors so absolutely bizarre. These wouldn't have been your run of the mill employees. I'm including below the requirements: an AMO & the MRO certification would have required highly trained personnel as well.

IMHO, the Airport Manager would have called their solicitors the minute he got word that WM was dead and Millardair had shut down. At that point Millardairs lawyers and perhaps their banker would have gotten involved-perhaps even move into damage control. The reasonable, sane solution would have been to find someone to take over the whole thing. IMHO, the damage was already done and Millardair no longer had the personnel available to fulfill the requirements of the AMO/MRO. Transport Canada would have been trying to work with them, but without key people in place, they would have no option but to cancel the certificates- IIRC, there's a 90 grace period- but I'll have to verify- maybe Arnie M can help with this??. MOO

573.04 Person Responsible for Maintenance

(1) The person responsible for maintenance appointed under paragraph 573.03(1)(a) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) shall have acquired a minimum of[B] six years experience in the performance or direct supervision of maintenance activities of the type undertaken by the organization, at least six months of which have been obtained within the preceding two years.[/B]
(amended 2005/05/31; previous version)
(2) An applicant for the "Person Responsible for Maintenance" position within an AMO shall demonstrate, during an interview to be conducted by Transport Canada regional personnel, that he or she is knowledgeable in respect of the AMO&#8217;s policies approved by the Minister, and the topics below:
(amended 2005/05/31; previous version)
(a) duties and responsibilities of the appointed position;
(b) duties of persons who have been assigned functional responsibilities;
(c) responsibilities of the AMO in relation to those of the operator;
(d) responsibilities of the AMO for work that has been contracted out;
(e) responsibilities of ACA/SCA holders in relation to those of the AMO;
(f) the function of Quality Assurance;
(g) maintenance release requirements;
(h) record keeping requirements;
(i) identification of acceptable reference data for repairs and modifications;
(j) parts control and traceability; and
(k) control of non conforming parts and materials

 

[MsSherlock]

An awfully opinionated chap, if you ask me. I doff my cap to anybody who has the nerve to announce he's unable to do his job because the boss's son had a red mohawk haircut a couple of years earlier and moreover, arrives late to work. This fellow lives in Texas. How often did he have the opportunity to clock the work habits of the boss's family? It might be interesting to learn more about the other businesses AS has set up. I'd be very interested in learning about their experiences. So far as I can see from his LinkedIn his principal activities were related to his own companies. Was he intending to partner with Millard? Or could this have anything to do with the "competition" reference in the Obit? As for "potential customers", well, you know in show business this equates to the pending "six picture deal" in Hollywood. If you believe it you'll be underpaid and nailed to the treadmill. IMO. MOO. IMHO. etc. I greatly hope AS will make another visit to Canada to testify at the trial because he clearly has very important information on tap. IMHO. MOO. etc.

Carli, in defense of aviation professionals across North America, I can't share the opinion about AS. The industry spans two countries and contains dedicated, professional, highly trained individuals. WM being one of them.

Regardless what WM did with his spare time, in his retirement years, he decided to hedge his fortune and build a business for his son. WM was a ramp rat. He grew up on airport ramps. He loved flying and everything in his life involved aviation. DM seemed to enjoy booting around in his helicopter. He seemed to like hangars. He seemed to love the romance of the industry- enough so that his engagement pics were taken in the hangar.

The aviation community is very small, and IMHO, from my experience in this industry, AS's comments about DM don't surprise me in the least. Anything involving public transportation requires the utmost of respect, but when it comes to anything aviation, Transport Canada doesn't mess around and neither do the carriers who own the planes. For information on Canada's aviation regulations refer to CARS. The industry is based on "discipline", "procedure" and "accountability". IMHO, those are words DM didn't particularly like, otherwise, he would have been treated with the same respect that WM was. AS was simply calling a spade a spade. MOO

 

[Carli]

The aviation community is very small, and IMHO, from my experience in this industry, AS's comments about DM don't surprise me in the least. Anything involving public transportation requires the utmost of respect, but when it comes to anything aviation, Transport Canada doesn't mess around and neither do the carriers who own the planes. For information on Canada's aviation regulations refer to CARS. The industry is based on "discipline", "procedure" and "accountability". IMHO, those are words DM didn't particularly like, otherwise, he would have been treated with the same respect that WM was. AS was simply calling a spade a spade. MOO

Yup. I wonder why were AS and "other Millard Air executives" upset about DM's haircut. Were there goofy photographs in the Annual Report or something? I didn't think AS even came on board until 2012, did he? Pretty much post-Mohawk wasn't it? Anyway thanks for the insights. I'm an eensie bit familiar with the aviation biz myself. LOL. As far as AS is concerned, I'm sure he is probably an extremely valuable consultant who has a history of bringing in multi-million dollar contracts to major aviation companies. As I say, it'll be interesting to hear about those achievements and more about his experience in dealing with WM and DM. MOO. IMHO. MHO. Meanwhile, when I go through the list of those employees assembled during 2012 it appears that many, if not most, had worked with WM or Millard Air in the past. There was also another consultant, this one actually present on site, who, according to his WIKI, developed and implemented the business plan; authored the Maintenance Policy Manual and all the other documentation required for submission to Transport Canada and developed the marketing strategy for the company. Just sayin'. MOO. IMHO. etc. Incidentally, this employee was the individual named PRM by Transport Canada.

 

[Carli]

=deugirtni;

There were contracts in negotiations, which of course, would have required at least one site visit in order to have someone actually sign on the dotted line. Lives are at stake in that business, it isn't as simple as signing up for a place to rent for 3 months. Business deals can take months if not years, to finalize, and I'm sure that WM, with his experience, already knew this. And any new business owner also knows that operations take awhile to become profitable, and I'm sure he had the wherewithall to budget for all of these things. It's also beyond common to have construction projects go over budget.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05...-dismantle-it/

Is the quoted portion below what you refer to when you suggest, "That reference to competition in the much discussed obit seems to suggest that someone or some others had made an end run on the company.'? Surely WM was experienced at life and at business enough that he knew what the world, and business, is like, well before he chose to spend millions of dollars of his wealth on the new hangar, wouldnt' you think? There is always going to be competition for every business and I'm sure every honest businessman hopes for the same as below.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/the...?pid=161695472

I appreciate your view on this, deugirtni, I truly do but, respectfully, IMO the fringe airline industry is fundamentally unlike other businesses, IMO. By all accounts CM was an arrogant, fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants, risk taker, cast in the mold of all those early aviators entranced by the reality and the potential of flight. With a bit of study, it seems readily apparent that his wife and his office manager were the glue who actually kept the "business" afloat during the early years while CM was off on milk route deliveries with lots of derring-do thrown in for good measure. After his mother's death, the transition, on WM's watch (eventually, after various excursions into other fields) into the MRO service field was never successful, was it? - to such an extent that the Dixon Rd premises seemed to be fetching more money as a clear-span studio for the movies and as exhibition hall for CM's collection of old cars. After his father's death it's admirable, IMO, that WM decided to try his own hand at creating a successful enterprise, but he had little/no experience in this aspect of the aviation business so far as I can tell. People like CM and WM weren't garage grunts. They were idealistic adventurers or, at least, saw themselves that way. I could be wrong, but there are still many pilots and small carriers on Canada's coasts and far north who share the same characteristics as the Millards. IMO. MOO. IMHO. etc.
https://www.wingsmagazine.com/operations/rebel-with-a-cause-2477

 

[deugirtni]

I have no reason to wonder why AS and other Millard Air Executives would be concerned about DM's haircut. That seems obvious to me, but whatever, to each his own point of view. I don't see why AS would have mentioned it if it was not an issue for him, or if he'd never seen it. Also, I have no idea when DM got rid of his mohawk hairstyle, do you have a reference for this? I'm also not sure when exactly it was that AS came on board. All I know is that DM had the hair in November 2011, and the hangar received its occupancy permit in February 2012.
I'm also fairly certain that WM would have himself, or had others research who would be a good candidate for AS's position, and know the qualities to look for, and perhaps interview a couple or a few possibilities, before contracting with AS.
Does AS have a reason to lie?

Yup. I wonder why were AS and "other Millard Air executives" upset about DM's haircut. Were there goofy photographs in the Annual Report or something? I didn't think AS even came on board until 2012, did he? Pretty much post-Mohawk wasn't it? Anyway thanks for the insights. I'm an eensie bit familiar with the aviation biz myself. LOL. As far as AS is concerned, I'm sure he is probably an extremely valuable consultant who has a history of bringing in multi-million dollar contracts to major aviation companies. As I say, it'll be interesting to hear about those achievements and more about his experience in dealing with WM and DM. MOO. IMHO. MHO. Meanwhile, when I go through the list of those employees assembled during 2012 it appears that many, if not most, had worked with WM or Millard Air in the past. There was also another consultant, this one actually present on site, who, according to his WIKI, developed and implemented the business plan; authored the Maintenance Policy Manual and all the other documentation required for submission to Transport Canada and developed the marketing strategy for the company. Just sayin'. MOO. IMHO. etc. Incidentally, this employee was the individual named PRM by Transport Canada.

 

[Juballee]

The important acronyms:
MRO: Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul
AMO: Aircraft Maintenance Organizations

A MRO is an extension of an AMO. The occupancy permit for the hangar was in February/12. At that point the search would have been on for qualified maintenance people. The MRO is much more specific and would have be directly related to the type of aircraft that WM wanted to attract. These facilities are not your normal auto garage- they're extremely highly regulated. February to November 1 seems like a long time, but in the world of Transport Canada it's simply the length of time it takes.

Millardair may have already had their AMO, but getting the necessary permissions from TC to work on specific aircraft would have required jumping thru a lot of hoops along with getting experienced AME on board. In November/12, WM got permission for Maintenance,Repair & Overhaul on the aircraft he wanted to base his business on. At that point, it should have been full steam ahead...but alas, the hangar looked more like a man cave than a pristine maintenance facility. AS made a reasonable request to DM: get your stuff out of the hangar so we can solidify some of these contracts.

But, Millardair had another problem. It had signed a 50 year lease with Waterloo to run an AMO/MRO out of it's hangar. The airport had even invested taxpayers money into the project. This is precisely why I find DM's actions of laying everyone off and shutting the doors so absolutely bizarre. These wouldn't have been your run of the mill employees. I'm including below the requirements: an AMO & the MRO certification would have required highly trained personnel as well.

IMHO, the Airport Manager would have called their solicitors the minute he got word that WM was dead and Millardair had shut down. At that point Millardairs lawyers and perhaps their banker would have gotten involved-perhaps even move into damage control. The reasonable, sane solution would have been to find someone to take over the whole thing. IMHO, the damage was already done and Millardair no longer had the personnel available to fulfill the requirements of the AMO/MRO. Transport Canada would have been trying to work with them, but without key people in place, they would have no option but to cancel the certificates- IIRC, there's a 90 grace period- but I'll have to verify- maybe Arnie M can help with this??. MOO

Thank you, as always for all the valuable information.

I was wondering how prospective clients would have known that the hanger looked like a 'man cave' if AS had never managed to get any there? Was AS telling them that it was full of non-relevant vehicles? If AS did manage to get far enough into sales negotiations to convince potential clients for a tour, would they have done the tour with absolutely no notice to Millardair? How long would it actually take to move a dozen working vehicles?

I seem to recall pictures of the old hanger looking like a messy working gargage, but the pictures of the new hanger had a shiney floor and vehicles in an orderly array, it did look pristine, in my opinion. I am stipulating that it may have taken an hour or two at most to move the vehicles in the hanger should an appointment ever have been booked to tour the facility. Again, I would assume that viewing the hanger wouldn't be a spur of the moment idea to a client, and even it it were, odds are that the client wouldn't be situated in Waterloo at the time, they could be coming in from anywhere in the world, which would give MA sufficient notice to move the cars, logically.

Again, layoffs are not firings. Sudden firings would be one thing, but sudden layoffs happen all the time, for all kinds of reasons, in companies of all sizes. As far as I know, it's often one of the first things that can be done in a company emergency, legally. If, as you say, the airport managers would have moved to shut down MA right away, wouldn't it make sense to lay off the employees while they were looking for an new operator? Isn't it easier to get an employee back after a layoff than after firing them? Would MA really be expected to pay employees to sit around and do nothing while they wait for someone else to get it running?

 

[deugirtni]

Is there a valid reason we should doubt AS's statement that he was in negotiations with various potential customers? Why would one not first look to the already-published statements that DM was not interested in this operation and was bitter in fact about having to work in it?

Prior to Wayne&#8217;s death, Millardair built the new multimillion dollar hangar to rejuvenate the business.

Left to manage that legacy, Millard says he turned his attention to the business &#8212; but not without resentment.

&#8220;I took it all pretty hard. It was a responsibility I didn&#8217;t want at that time. I was angry at (Wayne) for the things I had to do because he wasn&#8217;t there to do them.&#8221;

"Left to manage that legacy", but yet closes operations at the first possible opportunity, which was only one business day after WM's death.

http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/news-story/4293771-jailhouse-interview-dellen-millard-says-he-didn-t-kill-tim-bosma/

An awfully opinionated chap, if you ask me. I doff my cap to anybody who has the nerve to announce he's unable to do his job because the boss's son had a red mohawk haircut a couple of years earlier and moreover, arrives late to work. This fellow lives in Texas. How often did he have the opportunity to clock the work habits of the boss's family? It might be interesting to learn more about the other businesses AS has set up. I'd be very interested in learning about their experiences. So far as I can see from his LinkedIn his principal activities were related to his own companies. Was he intending to partner with Millard? Or could this have anything to do with the "competition" reference in the Obit? As for "potential customers", well, you know in show business this equates to the pending "six picture deal" in Hollywood. If you believe it you'll be underpaid and nailed to the treadmill. IMO. MOO. IMHO. etc. I greatly hope AS will make another visit to Canada to testify at the trial because he clearly has very important information on tap. IMO. IMHO. MOO. etc.

 

[deugirtni]

I'm sorry, I'm getting confused. I wasn't aware that MA had attempted to enter the MRO service field prior to the construction of the new hangar, and securing of the TC license, etc. Had they previously applied for all of this and attempted to work at it?

I appreciate your view on this, deugirtni, I truly do but, respectfully, IMO the fringe airline industry is fundamentally unlike other businesses, IMO. By all accounts CM was an arrogant, fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants, risk taker, cast in the mold of all those early aviators entranced by the reality and the potential of flight. With a bit of study, it seems readily apparent that his wife and his office manager were the glue who actually kept the "business" afloat during the early years while CM was off on milk route deliveries with lots of derring-do thrown in for good measure. After his mother's death, the transition, on WM's watch (eventually, after various excursions into other fields) into the MRO service field was never successful, was it? - to such an extent that the Dixon Rd premises seemed to be fetching more money as a clear-span studio for the movies and as exhibition hall for CM's collection of old cars. After his father's death it's admirable, IMO, that WM decided to try his own hand at creating a successful enterprise, but he had little/no experience in this aspect of the aviation business so far as I can tell. People like CM and WM weren't garage grunts. They were idealistic adventurers or, at least, saw themselves that way. I could be wrong, but there are still many pilots and small carriers on Canada's coasts and far north who share the same characteristics as the Millards. IMO. MOO. IMHO. etc.
https://www.wingsmagazine.com/operations/rebel-with-a-cause-2477

 

[deugirtni]

Just to bring a tiny little bit of perspective.. where I work, we deal with industrial companies, mostly relatively small ones. We have a point of first contact, and from there it goes. It's back and forth, and reaches a certain stage, and then handed off to someone more superior in the company, and then more viewings and conversations, and negotiating, and site visits, and could be off again up to the next level of seniority in the company, our prospective client.. and vacations and illnesses, and on and on, and it can take months and months.. and not only that, but normally there are a number of other parties involved on the clients' ends, like financial institutions, safety/health/building/certification regulations that they have to investigate fully to see if our business and their business can be a fit. And sometimes clients start looking WAY in advance of when they actually require the thing being sold, they know that say, in a year from now, or even in 2 years from now, they will need to be at a certain place, and so the searching begins for them.. and all the while, they are likely also negotiating and meeting with and viewing other facilities and locations. Business deals, especially important ones such as this would be, are not made quickly.

 

[deugirtni]

Prospective clients would never have known that the hangar looked like a 'man cave'. But the guy in charge of getting clients knew it looked like a man cave. And that guy, it seems, did not have confidence in that the other guy who was in charge of the hangar was cooperative with what needed to be done. Sure there are going to be appointments made, and notice given, but if a prospective client might just happen to be in an area at a given time and it occurs to him, or his superior suggests that he should check it out while in the area, one just has to be ready at all times. Imho, AS couldn't be dealing with worrying about whether someone would be cooperative, or would be able to find all the keys, or that perhaps engine parts could be lifted out in time, or whatever his concerns were about that. He had a bigger job, and obviously he felt he could not rely on the owner's son to do his part.
Larger companies who are building new facilities and receiving their equipment and dealing with hiring qualified staff, dealing with city staff, city council, airport, building department, Transport Canada.. they don't just do it in a day. They hire the people, they train the people, perhaps send the people for training, get them certified in whatever areas are needed, have their various inspections, I just don't think it's possible to not pay employees while you're gearing up to deal with your first customer(s). It's a part of their new business, and that would have been accounted for in their business plan, and the money required to get this thing up and running.
The way I see it, imho, the thing *was* already running.. and nothing changed just because WM suddenly died. I don't think WM had an awful lot to do with the day-to-day of this business, and so what changed, virtually overnight? The people were in place already, the certification was in place, the hangar was built, customers were coming, .. the only thing that changed is that with WM's death, his successor did not want the business.

Thank you, as always for all the valuable information.

I was wondering how prospective clients would have known that the hanger looked like a 'man cave' if AS had never managed to get any there? Was AS telling them that it was full of non-relevant vehicles? If AS did manage to get far enough into sales negotiations to convince potential clients for a tour, would they have done the tour with absolutely no notice to Millardair? How long would it actually take to move a dozen working vehicles?

I seem to recall pictures of the old hanger looking like a messy working gargage, but the pictures of the new hanger had a shiney floor and vehicles in an orderly array, it did look pristine, in my opinion. I am stipulating that it may have taken an hour or two at most to move the vehicles in the hanger should an appointment ever have been booked to tour the facility. Again, I would assume that viewing the hanger wouldn't be a spur of the moment idea to a client, and even it it were, odds are that the client wouldn't be situated in Waterloo at the time, they could be coming in from anywhere in the world, which would give MA sufficient notice to move the cars, logically.

Again, layoffs are not firings. Sudden firings would be one thing, but sudden layoffs happen all the time, for all kinds of reasons, in companies of all sizes. As far as I know, it's often one of the first things that can be done in a company emergency, legally. If, as you say, the airport managers would have moved to shut down MA right away, wouldn't it make sense to lay off the employees while they were looking for an new operator? Isn't it easier to get an employee back after a layoff than after firing them? Would MA really be expected to pay employees to sit around and do nothing while they wait for someone else to get it running?

 

[Alethea Dice]

IMHO, the Airport Manager would have called their solicitors the minute he got word that WM was dead and Millardair had shut down. At that point Millardairs lawyers and perhaps their banker would have gotten involved-perhaps even move into damage control. The reasonable, sane solution would have been to find someone to take over the whole thing. IMHO, the damage was already done and Millardair no longer had the personnel available to fulfill the requirements of the AMO/MRO. Transport Canada would have been trying to work with them, but without key people in place, they would have no option but to cancel the certificates- IIRC, there's a 90 grace period- but I'll have to verify- maybe Arnie M can help with this??. MOO

<rsbm>

FWIW, the hangar was listed for sale or rent. And DM had met with the airport manager in March to talk about a different commercial business or a new tenant.