tsra From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 198 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 5412 times:
It is that time of the year when college basketball teams, band/cheerleaders, and alumni charter flights for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Anyone know which schools are using which airlines for their charters? Also, if you see a charter pop up on your favorite flight tracking sites, please feel free to post here!
Sligo From United States of America, joined Jan 2013, 76 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (3 months 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 4653 times:
So it looks like one Sun Country 738 is spending a lot of time doing NCAA charters.
SCX8600 did Syracuse to SJC last night; then went back home to MSP. Now it is enroute to Ft Collins, presumably to pick up Colorado State on it's way to LEX. It then heads to COU to pick up Mizzou and head back to LEX.
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 12, posted (3 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 4475 times:
Here's what I have for Thursday games. This is most of the Lexington teams (all who are flying but Davidson, I think), all the SLC teams (thanks redzepplin) and all of the SJC teams. Oddly, I can't find any of the Auburn Hills teams. Maybe they are all going tomorrow, but if so that's a long flight for San Diego State for one day before.. . .
Valparaiso:
Michigan State: Driving to Auburn Hills
I am really surprised these teams did not fly into the Downtown Airport because the Sprint Center is across I-70 from the airport. A 5 minute drive compaired to a 30 minute drive.
DiamondFlyer From United States of America, joined Oct 2008, 1299 posts, RR: 3 Reply 16, posted (3 months 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 4121 times:
Quoting tsra (Reply 15): I am really surprised these teams did not fly into the Downtown Airport because the Sprint Center is across I-70 from the airport. A 5 minute drive compaired to a 30 minute drive.
Doesn't make that big of difference really. They are going straight to the arena to play, so the advantage is gone. Plus MCI is set up for heavy metal, versus MKC which doesn't get it very often these days.
Also in the Kansas City bracket, I'd expect Kansas to drive, since its all of about 30 miles.
I reason I bring this up is all of the Big 12 teams (that flew a chartered aircraft) flew into the Downtown Airport. I am a "friend" on their Facebook page which showed 732, 734, and MD80 charters (along with some F/A-18s and a C-17). https://www.facebook.com/mkcairport
I am local to Kansas City and know when the teams land, they will take I-29 to HWY 169 right passed the Downtown Airport on their way to the Sprint Center. Besides, I wanted to see bigger planes out my loft overlooking the airport.
Western Kentucky: CRJ N97EA BWG-MCI http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N.../history/20130320/1730Z/KBWG/KMCI. I am interested in what anyone knows about this aircraft, which also took Davidson JQF-LEX yesterday and looks like it may be going to pick up Notre Dame next.
Kansas: Driving to Kansas City
Quoting tsra (Reply 15): I am really surprised these teams did not fly into the Downtown Airport because the Sprint Center is across I-70 from the airport. A 5 minute drive compaired to a 30 minute drive.
With limited exceptions (BED/BOS this year), NCAA charters tend to stick to main airports more than a lot of other sports charters. I don't know why.
There also seems to be a lot more commercial flying this year and a lot less use of tertiary airports. It appears that most of the Auburn Hills teams flew commercial to Detroit, and I can't find flights for several Philadelphia teams or for UCLA, which will be doing LAX-AUS, a route with a ton of service. In fact, with a few exceptions (e.g. Northwestern State), all of the missing charters above may be teams flying commercial.
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
redzeppelin From United States of America, joined Feb 2012, 296 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (3 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 3978 times:
Quoting Cubsrule (Reply 18): Western Kentucky: CRJ N97EA BWG-MCI ...
I am interested in what anyone knows about this aircraft, which also took Davidson JQF-LEX yesterday and looks like it may be going to pick up Notre Dame next.
B727LVR From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 628 posts, RR: 0 Reply 25, posted (3 months 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 3731 times:
Quoting tsra (Reply 22): Great observation with the NCAA only using the big airports and more focus on teams flying commercial. Anyone know why this is true?
Quoting Cubsrule (Reply 18): With limited exceptions (BED/BOS this year), NCAA charters tend to stick to main airports more than a lot of other sports charters. I don't know why.
One thing could be, these larger airports tend to have better services than most of the smaller airports. If a plane goes mechanical, its easier to work it at a major airport vice a GA FBO. Also depending on how the teams are loaded and unloaded, if they use a vacant gate, or gate that doesn't get used as much, its easier and quicker for the charter company to process the team through TSA. Much easier to use a set up designed for high traffic, than setting up folding tables in a FBO, wanding and hand searching the bags.
I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to planes!
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 31, posted (3 months 16 hours ago) and read 3703 times:
Quoting BAC111 (Reply 29): Thanks for all of your efforts on this. I always find these NCAA flights interesting.
You're welcome. One (less obvious) interesting thing to do is to take a look at some of the old threads on charters to see how things have changed. It wasn't that long ago that well more than half of charters were handled by scheduled carriers. Now, Xtra, Miami Air International and Sun Country seem to be the biggest players.
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
You're welcome. One (less obvious) interesting thing to do is to take a look at some of the old threads on charters to see how things have changed. It wasn't that long ago that well more than half of charters were handled by scheduled carriers. Now, Xtra, Miami Air International and Sun Country seem to be the biggest players.
Until they went under, Champion Air was a huge player in NCAA sports charters. They usually had the contract for flying home the losers in the NCAA tounament
EDIT: Ironic, given their name...
[Edited 2013-03-21 13:19:55]
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
LV From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 1825 posts, RR: 0 Reply 37, posted (3 months 1 hour ago) and read 3361 times:
I am really suprised at the lack of flights G4 is doing this year. I only saw one in the rundown... for FGCU going RSW to PHL. Did G4 not bid or is it too busy with other work right now?
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 39, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 3237 times:
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 43, posted (2 months 3 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 2723 times:
After the Round of 32, which I guess is now the third round, everyone goes home. Here are yesterday's flights:
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 45, posted (2 months 3 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 2485 times:
Sunday is another day on which everyone goes home . . .
Lots of WN and DL the past couple of rounds. The Sweet 16 will be interesting, as three of the four sites (Arlington, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. are in multi-airport metro areas). Los Angeles and D.C. teams should travel tomorrow; Indianapolis and Arlington teams should travel Wednesday.
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 46, posted (2 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2286 times:
La Salle: ? Total puzzle to me. I see a sort of matched pair of an XP 734 PHL-CMH (http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CXP8111/history/20130326/0100Z/KPHL/KCMH) and a G4 M87 CMH-LAX (http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAY4425/history/20130326/0359Z/KCMH/KLAX) last night, but that's a heck of a rough way to travel.
Wichita State: XP 734 ICT-LAX http://flightaware.com/live/flight/C...4/history/20130326/2200Z/KICT/KLAX
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
redzeppelin From United States of America, joined Feb 2012, 296 posts, RR: 0 Reply 47, posted (2 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 2076 times:
Lest we forget about the other post-season basketball tournaments in progress, here's a unique charter flight from the NIT. BYU is playing at Southern Miss tonight in the NIT quarterfinals. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that BYU's team took a charter yesterday direct from PVU (Provo, UT) to PIB (Hattiesburg, MS). Two planes flew that route yesterday, a Falcon 900 (N72PX) in the afternoon and a Learjet 60 (N212JA) late at night. I'm assuming that the team was on the Falcon 900. The Tribune report further mentioned that the support staff took a commercial flight.
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 49, posted (2 months 3 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 1953 times:
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 51, posted (2 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1860 times:
Quoting rbgso (Reply 50): Perhaps it is spring break at La Salle and classes are out for the week?
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 53, posted (2 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1838 times:
mbm3 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 790 posts, RR: 1 Reply 54, posted (2 months 3 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1787 times:
Quoting Cubsrule (Reply 49): So much for the student part of student athlete.
I chuckled and thought the same thing, until I remembered this....
Quoting davs5032 (Reply 52): The teams have so many tutors at their disposal they probably learn more on the road than they would sitting/sleeping in a classroom.
...and it is a lot easier to control the student athletes on the road.
Back to av geek stuff, it is interesting that they are using 738s for many of these charters. Even with staff, cheerleaders, pep band and select boosters that seems like a lot of seats.
Let Me Tell You, Landing A 772ER Is Harder Than It Looks!
That was not the team that flew to DAL this morning...The players and coaches took a bus from their last site in Austin to Dallas on Monday. The AirTran 73G today was just team support staff and athletic department employees.
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 56, posted (2 months 3 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1693 times:
Quoting mbm3 (Reply 54): ...and it is a lot easier to control the student athletes on the road.
It is. My point isn't that they aren't learning. My point is that it reinforces the idea that the idea of a student athlete as somebody who goes to class just like every other student and just happens to play a sport (instead of some other activity playing in the band, being on the debate team, hanging out at the airport, being in a fraternity, etc.) is fantasy.
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
gators312 From United States of America, joined Jul 2011, 41 posts, RR: 0 Reply 57, posted (2 months 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1596 times:
Quoting deltalaw (Reply 55):
That was not the team that flew to DAL this morning...The players and coaches took a bus from their last site in Austin to Dallas on Monday. The AirTran 73G today was just team support staff and athletic department employees.
So the G4 charter from last week wasn't the team returning from Austin?
deltalaw From United States of America, joined Oct 2012, 25 posts, RR: 0 Reply 58, posted (2 months 3 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1509 times:
Quoting gators312 (Reply 57): So the G4 charter from last week wasn't the team returning from Austin?
Everyone took AA from GNV to AUS. Everyone but the players and coaches took G4 back to GNV after the win over Minnesota and yesterday all the same people that returned to GNV on G4 took FL out to DAL. The players and coaches have remained in Texas the whole time.
I know there are reasons, but I do wonder why they didn't use the Downtown airport in Kansas City? It's only a few minutes from the Sprint Center, and accepts 737's all the time (the Royals use it when they travel). I assume the airlines wanted to be able to immediately switch the planes between charter and passenger services?
Funny, I saw Perry Ellis on campus and said hi at about 11am on Wednesday and he was on the plane by 3pm to Dallas. Ah the joys of air travel. And the perks of flying charter out of Topeka
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 60, posted (2 months 3 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1485 times:
Quoting SW733 (Reply 59): I know there are reasons, but I do wonder why they didn't use the Downtown airport in Kansas City? It's only a few minutes from the Sprint Center, and accepts 737's all the time (the Royals use it when they travel). I assume the airlines wanted to be able to immediately switch the planes between charter and passenger services?
Take a look through the lists, but with the exception of Davidson, which used JQF both directions, I think all of the schools in major metro areas and all of the tournament sites used the big commercial airports. The Arlington teams split between DAL and DFW, seemingly based on who was operating the charter, but I believe all the D.C. teams used IAD, all the Kansas City teams used MCI, all Cincinnati teams (leaving Cincinnati) used CVG, etc.
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 63, posted (2 months 2 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 1156 times:
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 64, posted (2 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 936 times:
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21294 posts, RR: 19 Reply 65, posted (2 months 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 744 times:
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From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 198 posts, 
So much for my Alma Mater 
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