Millard Properties: Locations and Ownership

[SnooperDuper]

Small aircraft operators say delays could mean ruin: [FIN Edition]
Bruce Campion-Smith Toronto Star. Toronto Star [Toronto, Ont] 22 Dec 1988: D15.

Carl Millard, owner of Millardair, a charter airline, said in an interview that his business has been cut in half because of delays in getting a reservation.

The majority of his flights are parcel delivery on only several hours' notice.

But in the time it takes to get a slot booked, a truck could have been used for pick-ups in places like Detroit.

<modsnip>

"We're losing about $15,000 a day. We're not even covering the rent," Millard said, adding that other general aviation operators at the airport are incurring heavy losses.

 

[SnooperDuper]

Charter airlines vow to fight plan to use Hamilton: [ONT Edition]
Bruce Campion-Smith Toronto Star. Toronto Star [Toronto, Ont] 01 Dec 1988: A4.

Carl Millard, owner of Pearson-based Millardair, said he would have no choice but to shut down his 28-plane operation if forced from Toronto.

"The idea is totally impossible. We couldn't operate," he said, adding that his customers are in the Metro area.

Millard said Pearson could double its capacity through improved air traffic procedures, an extra runway and more controllers to relieve the severe personnel shortages.

"There's no need to chase anybody away," he said. "More airports are never going to solve the problem."

 

[SnooperDuper]

Air travel / Canada's Gatwick pushed as answer to Pearson chaos Ghost airport waiting in the wings Is hassle-free Hamilton alternative too good to be true? Yes and no: [SU2 Edition]
Mike Tenszen Toronto Star. Toronto Star [Toronto, Ont] 18 Dec 1988: B4.

Carl Millard, president of Millardair Ltd., a cargo operator at Pearson, says Hamilton is "off the beaten path" for his operation. Most of his customers are in the Metro area "and it's another hour by truck to Hamilton. It's 50 miles away. Forget it. Why not go to Barrie?"

Millard says Hamilton is a good airport "and it should be used more." But he feels there are already obstacles being thrown up that could confound further development at Hamilton. Late-night training flights have already been banned because of noise and there are rumblings about imposing a curfew on Hamilton such as the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew at Pearson.

 

[SnooperDuper]

Funny how CM had 20 employees by his own count in Jan 1989 and then 15 months later as the company continued its downhill side...it had 40 employees?

 

[Juballee]

My guess would be that one of those articles was wrong.

 

[Arnie M]

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Excellent articles SnooperDooper , much appreciated , you have been working hard.

 

[SnooperDuper]

If you are looking for accurate info on airport properties circa 2005 there is some listed here in regard to the injury and death of the employee who fell off a platform while working on a plane. Go to page 24 http://www.annrbrocklehurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Brantford-Airport-Distribution.pdf

Workplace safety fined MillardAir $15,000 for not having railings on the stand , records show the corporation had no assets at the time , so Wayne honorably stepped forward and paid it himself.

The person who accidentally died was a long time friend and employee of Millards and they took it pretty hard , he was an elderly guy they had been giving odd jobs to , he did not watch his step and fell 5 feet and hit his head.

MB shows up in that document on page 71 and you wonder how she got mixed into all of this because this was post-divorce wasn't it?

It seems strange for WM's career to have gone from major airline to charter airline to MA, especially since MA stopped flying and all there was to do was fix up old planes and sell them, at a leisurely pace, and sell off stocks of old parts, and so on. I guess that's where the idea of a MRO came from rather than another charter airline or helicopter company. Well, DM wasn't in to the helicopter thing either, anyway. CM and WM seemed to be semi-retired after 1990. If I were DM, with all the money the family was sitting on, I would be wondering why everyone expected me to work harder than that.

 

[Arnie M]

Funny how CM had 20 employees by his own count in Jan 1989 and then 15 months later as the company continued its downhill side...it had 40 employees?

My memory is foggy .... but I think Carl had at least 2 companies , one for freight hauling , the other was likely for actual aircraft ownership of his fleet , mechanics , maybe a fuel depot , hangar ownership etc

I say that because (one) Millard company went bankrupt around 1990 (probably the freight delivery one) (20 employees) , yet they still continued (even to this day) with the other company under the Millard name.

Large outfits like that do not have all their eggs in one basket , the logistics would be a nightmare , even modern airlines with their names painted on the side do not actually own the aircraft , often they are leased from a separate holding company ... and the airline may even own the holding company too , but they are separate entities.

 

[Arnie M]

MB shows up in that document on page 71 and you wonder how she got mixed into all of this because this was post-divorce wasn't it?

It seems strange for WM's career to have gone from major airline to charter airline to MA, especially since MA stopped flying and all there was to do was fix up old planes and sell them, at a leisurely pace, and sell off stocks of old parts, and so on. I guess that's where the idea of a MRO came from rather than another charter airline or helicopter company. Well, DM wasn't in to the helicopter thing either, anyway. CM and WM seemed to be semi-retired after 1990. If I were DM, with all the money the family was sitting on, I would be wondering why everyone expected me to work harder than that.

She could have still be named as an officer of the company , I dont think they were feuding , just divorced , she also was maybe there for DM , he was a witness too and likely still a teenager , I see other employees mentioned too , not likely a big deal , they are just lists of people the investigator came into contact with.

As far as the other points , somewhere Wayne had mentioned it was more profitable to concentrate on hangar rentals and FBO services compared to Charter-Freight so that is what he did.

 

[Arnie M]

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trivia: ... it would be interesting to know how many of Carl's DC3's and DC4's and spares ended up at Buffalo Airlines in Hay River NWT. Anyone ever watch ICE PILOTS on discovery channel ?

Buffalo Airways is the last company in the world still using the DC3 on a scheduled Passenger run , some of their aircraft took part in the Normandy Invasion in 1945 and are still flying , the DC3 is one of the best and most rugged aircraft ever built , perfect for hauling freight.

Buffalo owner Joe McBryan is a bit like a Carl Millard. Old School Salt of the earth guys who get things done. I have spent time in Hay River .... boy could I tell you some stories

.

 

[Alethea Dice]

My guess would be that one of those articles was wrong.

Maybe they confused his 40 years as a pilot with the number of employees.

 

[swedie]

Funny how CM had 20 employees by his own count in Jan 1989 and then 15 months later as the company continued its downhill side...it had 40 employees?

Great reading Snooper, thanks. Interesting tidbit from article you posted 1119: Millard said he wants to resume operations at some other airport in the area, such as Hamilton or Kitchener, but they don't have the space for his aircraft and are too far from the lucrative Metro market.

Seems CM and WM did some talking around this time and WM took his father's suggestion quite serious. CM was quite a smart business man and WM knew it, built on it and had faith in DM he would help him to make the business thrive and become a success in honour of his late father. Boy oh boy did he get the wrong impression from DM. Perhaps CM put something in writing in his will suggesting his estate monies be used for such an undertaking carrying on the MA dynasty. CM didn't get a chance to fulfil his plan of resuming operations, but stipulated to WM he must? MOO.

 

[Alethea Dice]

Great reading Snooper, thanks. Interesting tidbit from article you posted 1119: Millard said he wants to resume operations at some other airport in the area, such as Hamilton or Kitchener, but they don't have the space for his aircraft and are too far from the lucrative Metro market.

Seems CM and WM did some talking around this time and WM took his father's suggestion quite serious. CM was quite a smart business man and WM knew it, built on it and had faith in DM he would help him to make the business thrive and become a success in honour of his late father. Boy oh boy did he get the wrong impression from DM. Perhaps CM put something in writing in his will suggesting his estate monies be used for such an undertaking carrying on the MA dynasty. CM didn't get a chance to fulfil his plan of resuming operations, but stipulated to WM he must? MOO.

Did you miss the last part?

but they don't have the space for his aircraft and are too far from the lucrative Metro market.

And this?

Carl Millard, president of Millardair Ltd., a cargo operator at Pearson, says Hamilton is "off the beaten path" for his operation. Most of his customers are in the Metro area "and it's another hour by truck to Hamilton. It's 50 miles away. Forget it. Why not go to Barrie?"

As I understand it, the business was pretty much closed down years before CM died. If he was content to let it go, why would he put a stipulation in his will that it be built back up from scratch?

JMO

 

[Arnie M]

.

To understand what Carl was doing you have to quit thinking Airplanes and think car parts

If a dealership in Vancouver needed a fender for a Cadillac or a bumper in Newfoundland he could deliver them by air within a day ... by truck it would have taken ten days .

If a Detroit factory needed 1000 fuel pumps by 2 pm Carl would fly them there

But when the destructive bureaucrats running the airport make you wait two days to get permission for a flight it will not work , and that is why he had to shut down.

Bureaucrats who have never built anything , never flown anything , never run a business , they just obstruct.

 

[Alethea Dice]

.

To understand what Carl was doing you have to quit thinking Airplanes and think car parts

If a dealership in Vancouver needed a fender for a Cadillac or a bumper in Newfoundland he could deliver them by air within a day ... by truck it would have taken ten days .

If a Detroit factory needed 1000 fuel pumps by 2 pm Carl would fly them there

But when the destructive bureaucrats running the airport make you wait two days to get permission for a flight it will not work , and that is why he had to shut down.

Bureaucrats who have never built anything , never flown anything , never run a business , they just obstruct.

Exactly. Delivering parts in time involved airplanes. Which is why Hamilton or Kitchener also didn't make sense. If you have to add another hour for driving to the airport, the parts still wouldn't arrive on time.

I know it wasn't your suggestion, but then so why would he ever stipulate in his will that MA be built up again? I'm sure he would have done that himself in another area if that's what he truly wanted.

JMO

 

[SnooperDuper]

I posted those MA articles newest to oldest, so first the Toronto airport was trying to push the small operators out to Kitchener or Hamilton, and then they forced them out.

In 1988 Cambridge had the Toyota plant and there is quite a bit of manufacturing in the area...Blackberry was here since 1984...but 25 years ago the Waterloo airport was nowhere near as developed as it is now. At that time it was still operated as the Waterloo-Guelph Regional Airport (until 1995 when Guelph got out and Waterloo took over fully). Up to that time it was primarily a recreational pilot's kinda facility. There was a major expansion in 2003 and work has continued since then. It's really a different place now.

 

[Arnie M]

Exactly. Delivering parts in time involved airplanes. Which is why Hamilton or Kitchener also didn't make sense. If you have to add another hour for driving to the airport, the parts still wouldn't arrive on time.

I know it wasn't your suggestion, but then so why would he ever stipulate in his will that MA be built up again? I'm sure he would have done that himself in another area if that's what he truly wanted.

JMO

I was unaware that CM stipulated that in his will .... I thought it was something somebody made up here and it got traction.

I agree CM would have at least started "building it up" if that was his wish .... but I dont think so .... he and Wayne found it better to simply provide hangar space for the more energetic airlines ... TRANSAT being one ... there is always a demand for hangar space.

And I think the whole Millard operation would still be there today but the bureaucrats squeezed them out by not renewing the land-lease .... and then forced Wayne to pay $600,000 to tear down the old hangar and they seized his newer hangar leaving him homeless (hangarless) .

Fortunately Wayne ran the whole escapade in front of a judge and he was reimbursed at least part of the value of the seized hangar ..... he put the proceeds toward the new Waterloo hangar

 

[Alethea Dice]

I was unaware that CM stipulated that in his will .... I thought it was something somebody made up here and it got traction.

I agree CM would have at least started "building it up" if that was his wish .... but I dont think so .... he and Wayne found it better to simply provide hangar space for the more energetic airlines ... TRANSAT being one ... there is always a demand for hangar space.

And I think the whole Millard operation would still be there today but the bureaucrats squeezed them out by not renewing the land-lease .... and then forced Wayne to pay $600,000 to tear down the old hangar and they seized his newer hangar leaving him homeless (hangarless) .

Fortunately Wayne ran the whole escapade in front of a judge and he was reimbursed at least part of the value of the seized hangar ..... he put the proceeds toward the new Waterloo hangar

Thanks, Arnie. Yes, this was just a suggestion from a few posts up that someone had put forward. Sorry if my wording sounded like I thought it was real. It seems that you are more familiar with the lifestyle and the family history, so I was just questioning if there could be any logical reason to suggest that CM may have made that type of stipulation in a will. It seemed to me that he would have done something earlier if he truly wanted the business to resume operations again. I thought perhaps there was something I may have missed in the history.