How long can you run in the red?

[Bitcoinpete]

Im struggling with some game events and will likely continue to be in the red and acumulate some more before things pick up again. Currently just over 1 million in the red and likely 3 or 4 more weeks of low traffic. So my question is how long generally until the bank shuts me down and forces my bankruptcy?

[Sami]

Depends on the game year and other specs.

But it takes a while before you actually receive the bankruptcy warning, and even after that you have time to react. But again depends on how deep in the red you are.

[Bitcoinpete]

So I have not received any warning yet, normally how long can I expect to run being 1977. 25 Aircraft one base operation?

[MikeS]

Hi,
You're in our alliance. The thing is you have a fleet of 24 aircraft but one each of: B727, VC10 and DC6. These are killing you. Each fleet type has a minimum base cost (maintenance/staff) so running single examples of a type is a huge waste. If you would get rid of those or park them and concentrate on your BAC 1-11s and Trilanders you'll probably be fine!

Cheers!
Mike

[Bitcoinpete]

Yeah Im waiting on those leases to expire,I wanted to have a couple longer haul flights and had to diversify, It was a costly mistake that has me struggling now. Thanks for the heads up!

[gazzz0x2z]

(.../...) diversify(.../...)

a common mistake early in game. Better fill whatever you can with your initial fleet choice.

[tungstennedge]

a common mistake early in game. Better fill whatever you can with your initial fleet choice.

Hmmm, I find the opposite. If you pick your first two fleets well, I think filling the thickest route pairs first is a win.  I started with 727 and shortly after dc10 and it was great. Filling the thickest unserved routes first give immediate profitability, as routes with large demand dont need much or any route image to make money, even if it means immediately going to three fleets and consolidating later. More than three fleets is not reccomended at all tho, unless you fram to switch back to three as soon as possible, and even on three life is tough when it comes time to transition.

Long haul starts are even great in bases with thick long haul demand like LHR, JFK since you only pay oppresive slot costs 6-7 times a plane instead of ~20. I never see this reccomended to begginers as its easy to loose way more than on shorthaul but I honestly think Its faster to shedule all longhaul to grow fast, other than your first two planes if you are in one of these bases. Slots cost too much early. You just have to keep expanding quick since those routes are likely so see tons of competion so you better have different bread winners fast if you start like this.

[gazzz0x2z]

I understand the rationale behind a LH start. though it heavily depends on slot costs. In current HaF, slots were - and still are - cheaper than water. In other game worlds, it's indeed very different. As I said, both openings have proven their value.

I don't understand the rationale behind the 2 fleet groups for the first 2 birds. The comm costs for the first bird of the fleet are punitive, and more than offset any gain you might get out of it. Or do you mean first 727 transcon, second 727 local routes?

[tungstennedge]

No, I literally meant 727a transcontinental,  then dc10 LH. Saved me loads of slot $$ and made money right away with lhr gatwick to LAX, which started by immediately turning a thick profit as it was userved. This strat let me only be constrained by slot costs for a IRL day before I was profitable enough to straight up ignore slot and lease costs, and grow comfortably into first in my dotm so far. Yes competiton is low but if I had started all 727 I couldn't be this big so far.

[Nvoco]

When you are in the red, how soon or does the bank ever, call in assets to pay off a loan?

[SwizzAir]

The bank will never "call in a loan" by selling off secured assets (at least not so far for me). They'll just close your airline.

I think I was in the red for about a week (real time) before I got a first bankruptcy warning, but it probably depends on how indebted you are, and how fast you're burning cash. After that you get six days (again, real time) to improve the situation.

My airline just got closed by the bank. I started fairly aggressively with LH flights with leased DC-8s. It was all going gangbusters until the C-Checks started rolling in - which is what killed me in the end, as I had to store them. It's hard to pay for 30 stored, leased aircraft with 18 DH-114s!

As for having one of each of three fleet types, that will never work. As noted, the commonality costs will kill you.. it was hard enough with two dozen DC-8s.. when you don't have cash to spare on the cost of servicing older aircraft (the time taken to get a decent RI for these planes was probably the biggest killer in the end.) Even leased, you would save on storing them, as there would be no commonality or servicing costs for them, regardless of how much money they're "making".