## Williams , Rene e (OST ) ^OT- f^lludH^^74 ^ 1 ^ From : Eri k Boll t [bolltem@clarkson.edu ] '•'^'^'/^f^pATinM O Sent : Thursday , Septembe r 23 , 201 0 11:0 0 A M.-. L i U f cnM.IUN u To : EA S (OST ) Subject : Denni s Devany : R E Cap e Ai r -G.'O OC T \\. \ P 3. ' I 8

Dea r Denni s Devaney , I a mwritin g yo u regardin g th e DO T renewa l o f Cap e Ai r servic e fo r Massena . I strongl ysuppor t Cap e Air' s renewal . I a ma Clarkso nUniversit yprofessor ^ an d a s such , I hav e a grea t dea l o f wor k relate d travel , and als o I hav e severa l employee s and als o scientifi c visitors . Althoug hI mak e thi s statemen t a s a privat e citize nand no t a s an officia l representativ e o f Clarkson . I d o no t hav e th e authorit yt o d o so . Cap e Air' s presence , a highl yreliabl e servic e a t anaffordabl e price , i s exactl ywha t thi s remot e regio no f NYStat e need s t o b e economicall yviable . Cap e Ai r ha s don e anamazin g jo bo f makin g a profi t o na thi nmargi no f 4 t o 8 passenger s i t seem s o neac hflight , a s fa r a s I hav e see no nth e manytime s I hav e flown wit hthem . I jus t canno t se e ho wanothe r airlin e wit ha bigge r plan e ca nmak e i t wit hsuc hnumbers . Furthermore , previou s airline s hav e faile d trying . Bigge r airplane s ar e nice , bu t no t i f the yinvariabl ylead t o a faile d servic e the npullin g out . Tw o airline s ago , th e servic e wa s lik e a bus : i t lande d a t Plattsburgh , Massena , Ogdensburg , Syracuse , an d the nPittsburgh . Wit hal l th e landin g planin g and deplaning , i t ofte nturne d ou t faste r t o jus t driv e t o Syracus e i f tha t wa s th e flight . And i f th e plan e wa s no t ful l - whic hwa s usually , the y woul d cance l th e fligh t an d hir e a taxi . Thank s - I coul d hav e don e tha t myself . Plu s tha t airfar e wa s ver yveryexpensive . Severa l hundre d dollar s fo r wha t sometime s ende d u p bein g a ca bride . N o surpris e fo r bot hcos t and fo r inconvenienc e tha t airlin e wa s no t use d muc han d i t failed . The ncam e Bi g Sky . Tha t faile d quickl ytoo . Fo r unreliabl e servic e especially , I coul d no t us e it . I hav e bee nusin g Cap e Ai r quit e a lo t sinc e i t arrive . I hav e bee nusin g i t personall yman y time s t o connec t int o th e syste mt o fl yal l around th e country . Also , I hav e bee nbuyin g ticket s fo r m

yemployee s and als o fo r m yexterna l scientifi c visitors . I t sur e beat s driving , an

d especiall yi f yo u ar e arrivin g i nth e airlin e syste mfo r point s fa r away , California , Chicago , etc , connectin g throug hAlbanyi s ver ynatura l an d easie r tha naskin g a scientifi c visito r t o deplan e and driv e fro mthere . I thin k I hav e purchase d dozen s o f ticket s sinc e the yhav e bee nher e i nthi s mode . Likewise , m

ycolleague s her e a t Clarkso ninclud e manypeopl e wh o als o trave l a lo t an d hav e visitors , manyo f who mus e Cap e Ai r regularly . Withou t a reliabl e an d inexpensiv e airline , w e woul d becom e muc hmor e remote . Give nth e prio r histor yo f airline s wit hquestionabl e record s and bigge r planes, I d o no t welcom e anothe r airlin e wit ha bigge r plan e t o replac e Cap e Air . I jus t canno t imagin e ho w the yca nmak e i t wor k an d stay . I a

mcertai ntha t suc ha replacemen t wil l onl yconclud e i n roughl ya year s tim e wit hanothe r faile d airlin e lettin g u s downan d leavin g u s eventuall y wit hzer o service . I hav e found th e Cap e Ai r airplane s t o b e quit e adequate , th e pilot s t o b e ver yprofessiona l an d capable , an

d th e staf f a t Massen a and a t Albanyt o b e ver yhelpful . Ther e wa s on e occasio ni nth e winte r whe na fligh t wa s cancelle d an d w e wer e give nth e nex t flight . I wa s impresse d wit hth e goo d decisio nmakin g o ntha t occasion , an d I supporte d th e cancellation . 1I wouldn' t hav e wante d t o driv e either . Al l i nall , I hav e hear d tha t th e o ntim e recor d i s

roughl y97% , an

d tha t i s quit e excellent . I canhardl ysa ymor e o f m

ydriving . On e mor e note . I wa s jus t no wreadin g som e o f th e othe r letter s o nth e DO T site . I hop e ther e i s fac t checkin g o nthes e statements . A t leas t on e lette r I jus t no wread b yPaul a Robbin s seem s t o b e a fals e representation . Robbin s i s no t o nth e director yo f Clarkso nfacult yo r staff . Furthermore , an d Clarkso n facult ywoul d kno wbette r tha nmakin g a representativ e statemen t fo r th e universit ywithou t running i t throug hth e president s office . Als o i t i s suspiciou s a s suc htha t th e retur n emai l addres s and th e phon e numbe r ar e bot hno t Clarkso nbased . Notic e m y@clarkson.edu . Finally , hi s statement s d o no t rin g tru e wit hm yexperience s wit hCap e Ai r o r th e statement s I hav e hear d fro mothers . Sincerely , Eri k Boll t

Eri k M . Bollt , Professo r Dep t o f Mathematic s & Compute r Scienc e Clarkso nUniversit y Potsdam , NY13699-581 5 telephone:315-268-230 7 FAX : 315-268-237 1 email : bolltemOclarkson.ed u web : http://www.clarkson.edu/~bollte m