The Sky is Home

"To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation, the sky is home."
- Anonymous

A Forgotten Update...

Ei just asked me how Daija was liking preschool and I totally forgot to tell y'all what happened. I pulled Daija out of preschool about four weeks ago. She'd gotten aggressive with the teachers right after Ro went on contract the first week of June (he did two weeks training in Toronto and then 6 weeks in Tucson so Daija was only seeing him weekends and she'd gotten used to him picking her up every day) and Tyler left a few days later. I'd been under the impression (because I'd asked regularly and been told) the behavior had not happened prior to him leaving, and that it lasted a few days and then stopped, which under the circumstances I would consider normal. She clearly did not understand where Ro went, and for weeks after Tyler left to see his daddy, she would ask Ro on the phone 'you got my Tyler?' Drop offs have been a nightmare ever since they went out of town, and when I picked her up at night she races out the door, and she was never that happy to see me when Frances was watching her. I was concerned that with the transitions at home the environment might not be right for her - not that the teachers weren't all really sweet - but that it was too many teachers and too many kids she didn't know. I was planning on waiting until Tyler was home and they'd started school and we were in a semi normal schedule and then re-evaluate, since I thought her day after the initial drop off was going fine. Then the lead teacher was out the first few days of August, and I was told by the assistant her aggression had never stopped on Wednesday. I was furious. Thursday she had another bad day and I was getting what I perceived as a 'what have you been doing at home to correct this'... to which my answer was, not a damn thing, because she doesn't charge at me swinging at home when I tell her to clean up her toys and I have 'my day' after my day that do not have 'had aggressive behavior' checked. She didn't go back Friday, and I went and picked up her stuff and told them she was leaving. Lead teacher was back, and said that it had stopped, but resumed while she was out sick. Reinforced what I had already decided - too much transition with Ro being gone. Thursday night I started calling daycares and three sounded really good and had openings because school was starting the next week and they had kids leaving to go to kindergarten. Turns out one of them lives at 11th St. & Southern (I'm at 10th & Southern)... she's on the other side of the beltway behind my house, in the house that I was all mad about cuz it blocked the pretty view I used to have of south mountain from my bedroom. We're talking and I'm really liking her, then she mentions having a 4mo and I remember the principal at King telling me last spring her cousin lived in my development and had a newborn so I ask, are you related to Miss Principal at MLK? Yes, she's my cousin. I called Miss Principal at MLK who gave me a glowing reference and a list of her credentials, which Chanel had glossed over (she taught for three years, ran a tutoring program, is working on her masters, etc). I made an appt for Friday afternoon and we just clicked like rice crispies. Daija started there the following week, and it's been going great. drop offs are still a challenge, but she doesn't like to leave in the evening which I consider a good sign. By the end of the first week her vocabulary (which I knew she had but rarely used) just exploded, and though she still has tantrums, she is much more responsive when you tell her to use her words.

"Stolen" Blog

Was sent this by a friend - it's too funny.

My brother had this posted on his My Space Bulletins.....thought you would
appreciate it:

This has to be the greatest blog I have ever stolen

1. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is a solid defense policy
2. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.
3. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
4. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s and John Kerry did in the 1970s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.
5. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.
6. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.
7. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.
8. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
9. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
10. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
11. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
12. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
13. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
    

Halle's Birthday Surprise

Halle got a newly decorated room for her birthday. Saturday told Halle I needed her floor to be toy-free so I could mop (I'd pulled the carpet out the week before suspecting it was the source of the vague urine odor I couldn't pin down). That night the kids had a 'movie/slumber party' on the futon in Tyler's room and I took all the furniture and toy containers out of the room. Sunday I set up Daija's bed in what used to be Tyler's room, and told Halle that she'd sleep in Daija's room for a couple days because I needed to use some really strong smelly chemicals to clean the floor and she wouldn't be able to go in there for a few days. I wondered for a second, when Halle pointed out to me that the pee smell had been gone since I took out the carpet, if she was on to me. It wasn't exactly a lie - but those strong smelly chemicals were post painting clean up for the mess I was about to make, rather than to eliminate a non-existent pee smell ;-) Anyway, from her reaction last night I think I definitely had her fooled! I am all into this color/mood concept now, and for her room I wanted energizing colors. I swear, if there was ever a female designed for a life of leisure it's my elder daughter. She is so slow it takes her forever to get ready. Her favorite color is, of course, pink, butI wanted something sunny and light so I figured a light yellow or maybe a pale, pale peach and then using pink accents. I am so freakin' tickled with what I did in there. Took me forever, but I finally found bedding that had the colors I had in mind that was a 'little girl' design. It's easy to find pink/orange coordinates, but most of the colors are hot/fluorescent and it's more of a teen look. I want some colors that will help wake her up in the morning, but nothing so bold it would keep her up all night, kwim? So I got this quilt and the matching borders and appliqués. I used the border colors to select the paint (blue, yellow, peach, hot pink). I painted the ceiling and about two feet down the wall to the border in blue, and a light yellow called Celestial Sun (more pastel than the walls in the link) from the border to the floor. I did the closet doors and the bedroom door in Whispy Peach (actually, I'm still doing them, they'll need at least one more coat), and then the door trims and baseboards will be Fiesta Pink.' My mom came over and hung the border and painted clouds on the ceiling, and after the first few she started getting really creative and made a horse, a butterfly, and a couple other animal type shapes. Ro is getting her this toybox to go under the window. She'll have something to sit on when getting dressed, and she can keep her bigger Barbie accessories in it. I'm going to put it under her window, so if she wants to put a pillow behind herself she could lean against the wall and read or color there too. I painted her bed and the decorator table (you know those three legged ones you put skirts on? I couldn't find a skirt in the right color, but they had ones that have a criss cross stand with shelves instead, so I got that) white. It's a good thing that antiqued/distressed look is so popular... with all the drips and runs the paint definitely looks distressed! Once I'm done painting, I'm going to put a couple of the appliqués on the tabletop. I put up sheer pink curtains and I'm going to put window film with clouds on the windows too. And I have these two old white bookcases I've been holding onto - I put one in Halle's room (the other will go in Daija's). The very best, and this will probably have to wait until Ro is able to come home again and who knows how long that will be... I'm putting up a dance bar for Halle. It's really just a towel rack with mirrors above and below (saw it in one of the showcases at Ikea), but when I explained what the towel bar on her bed was for she was hopping up and down in circles.

My boy is home...

Tyler came home not last weekend, but theweekend before. The girls missed him, but it was worse for Daija because she is so little and she got all confused. In her mind, the only daddy is her daddy... so when she would ask Tyler where he was and he said he was at his dad's house... next thing you know she's asking Ro 'Do you have my Tyler?'. So we try to clarify which Daddy Tyler is with... then every time she talked to Ro, she asked him, 'You my daddy?' Anyway, it was a fun homecoming. When Tyler left, my sister's old room at the front of the house had become a catch-all storage dump. When he came home, it was painted and decorated with a galaxy theme, and furnished with a futon we'd been storing, the book case that used to store community toys in the hallway, and his rug, table, NASA posters, and other special momentos. Driving home from the airport (around 3:30AM Saturday morning, no less) I asked if he was really tired and he said 'only a little bit.' I told him I'd left his birthday present in the spare room and he could go check it out for a minute before he went to bed.The first thing he noticed was the ceiling walls and the furniture...but then he looked down at the rug from his room, and around at his posters and saw the picture of he and his dad and his Buddha... Oh, you just should have seen his little brain clicking. His eyes were just darting around and then he turns to me and breathes... 'What is this place? Is this MY new room?' I'm still touching up trim - I'll send pictures when I'm finished.

ATSB Approves Proposed AWA/US Airways Merger

PHOENIX, July 22, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- America West Holdings Corporation (NYSE: AWA) and US Airways Group, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: UAIRQ) today announced that they have received approval for their planned merger from the Air Transportation Stabilization Board (ATSB). Both America West Airlines and US Airways hold loans backed by a federal guarantee from the ATSB. The carriers have been in negotiations on the treatment of those loans under their proposed merger. Pending final bankruptcy court and US Airways board approval and upon close of the merger, the two airlines' outstanding ATSB loan guarantees will be consolidated with payments beginning September 2005 through September 2010. Final terms are still being negotiated.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO)
America West Chairman and CEO Doug Parker stated, "We are grateful for the Board's unanimous endorsement of our proposed merger with US Airways. Today's announcement continues the positive momentum for our planned merger and brings us one step closer to building a stable future for our airlines."
"We appreciate the ATSB working closely with us to further our efforts to restructure US Airways and preserve jobs while protecting the federal government's interests. Their action today will enable the new US Airways to become a stronger and more viable airline," said US Airways President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce R. Lakefield.
In January 2002, America West Airlines, Inc. closed a $429 million loan backed by a $380 million federal loan guarantee provided by the ATSB. The current outstanding balance on this loan is $300 million. US Airways, Inc. received a $900 million loan guarantee under the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act from the ATSB in connection with a $1 billion term loan financing that was funded on March 31, 2003. The current outstanding balance of that airline's loan is $708 million.
America West Holdings Corporation is an aviation and travel services company. Wholly owned subsidiary America West Airlines is the nation's second largest low-fare carrier with 14,000 employees serving approximately 60,000 customers a day in more than 90 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.
US Airways is the nation's seventh-largest airline, serving 181 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and the US Airways Express partner carriers operate approximately 3,400 flights per day. (AWAG)

No competing bids proposed for US Airways

No other offers were submitted for US Airways before the July 1 deadline, Bloomberg News reported. The airline has agreed to merge with America West Airlines. The deal still needs approval from creditors and a bankruptcy court.

US Airways submits reorganization plan centered on merger

US Airways submitted its reorganization plan to a federal bankruptcy court Thursday. Submitting the plan is one of the last steps the airline must take toward emerging from bankruptcy protection. The plan involves the airline's proposed merger with America West Airlines, which would create a large, low-cost carrier.

AmWest-US Air merger's details revealed

SEC filing features items of note for investors
Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 29, 2005 12:00 AM

America West Airlines and US Airways weren't formally engaged until last month, but the pair began flirting well over a year ago.The long-distance courtship began in February 2004, according to new merger documents filed Tuesday with securities regulators. It was a case of opposites attracting: America West was strong on the West Coast, US Airways on the East. The airlines broke up last summer over money differences (US Airways' expenses were too high) but by the end of the year were talking about getting back together because US Airways was in better shape. They did, in January, and cemented the relationship with a merger announcement on May 19. The new airline will be based in Tempe but called US Airways. The background of the initially hush-hush merger talks was among a host of disclosures in a 386-page legal document the two companies filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There were no blockbuster revelations involving board dissent over the merger or competing offers or rich insider deals. One airline analyst called the document standard. Still, there were some noteworthy disclosures for shareholders to mull over as they decide whether to approve the merger later this summer:

Merger faces many risks, filing says:

Risks to the merger of US Airways and America West Airlines include the integration of corporate culture and high fuel prices, the carriers said in a regulatory filing. The merger still needs approval from a bankruptcy court and creditors.

Bad vaccine sickens 216 children

BEIJING - More than 200 Chinese children became sick and one child died after
being given an unauthorized Hepatitis A vaccine, the government said Tuesday.

Report: America West faces no serious rivals for US Airways

Just one person has publicly expressed interest in bidding this week for US Airways, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Bids, which would rival a merger proposed by America West Airlines, are due this week. The lone bidder, Sallijo Freeman, is an Atlanta woman who says she represents an overseas investment group. The bankruptcy judge will evaluate all bids and decide on July 7; observers do not expect America West's bid to be seriously challenged.

US DOJ clears USAir/America West merger

By John Crawley
Updated: 7:41 p.m. ET June 23, 2005
WASHINGTON - U.S. anti-trust enforcers cleared the proposed merger between bankrupt US Airways and America West Airlines , saying it would be good for consumers, the Justice Department said Thursday.

America West’s CEO faces test in takeover

Doug Parker plots survival of airline in US Airways merger


The Associated Press
Updated: 4:45 p.m. ET June 17, 2005

TEMPE, Ariz. - Eleven days after taking over as chief executive of America West Airlines in September 2001, Doug Parker had to abruptly shift his focus from improving the carrier’s poor reputation among customers to fighting for its survival.

Daija wants the moon...

Last night I was reading with Daija, and after a few rounds of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom she got out another favorite... Grandfather Twilight. I read it to her once and then she flipped through a few pages. On the last page, the dog and cat pictured in the story are curled up asleep. She said to them 'Good night... I love you...' then kissed them/the book. When I read it to her again, on the first page you see the door to Grandfather Twilight's house in the trees, and she reached over and put her fist on it. I asked her if she was knocking, and then she knocked. I ask her sometimes if she can identify objects (where is the moon, where is the cat), after she pointed out to me 'him glasses' a couple months ago (there is a picture where the book he's reading at the beginning of the story is placed on a table with the glasses he was wearing on top). So anyway, instead of asking her to identify objects, I asked her on the next page, what G.T. was doing, expecting her to say something about him reading. She answered 'him sit chair' and so I asked 'What is he doing in the chair?' and she said 'him read story' babble babble 'him cat' (cat was curled up on the back of the chair). In the next two pages G.T. unlocks a chest and takes out a pearl, and she told me 'him lock' ' him keys' and 'him open.' Then the story continues without words and he walks through the forest to the beach, with this pearl growing each step. He releases it into the sky above the water. At this page, Daija reached out and pretended to snatch the big pearl from the sky and said 'gimme my moon.' I asked her if she wanted the moon, and she pretended to snatch it again and claimed it as 'her' moon. Then the story shows G.T. walking home, and when he approaches his house in the trees, Daija reaches out her fist again, and I realize that she was not knocking... she's pretending to open the door. She is developing such an imagination!

Quandary: 2005-2006 School Year

The gifted coordinator tested Halle about two weeks ago, and she scored 98+ percentile on the Ravens. Our district uses the Ravens test because it's non-verbal and less biased than most other IQ tests. The highest percentileranking is the 98th percentile, so if a child does better than that, they can't get a score of the 99th percentile... they are said to have scored 98+. Tyler took this test when he was six years, 4/5 months and in the first grade, third month? I think, and scored (pre-meds, mind you) in the 92nd percentile. Halle is 5 years, 9 months, and just finishing kinder. I had expected her to do well, but I really hadn't expected her to ceiling the test. The gifted coordinator told me she doesn't know what to do for Halle next year and suggested she and I meet with the principal. I sent the principal an email last Wednesday requesting a meeting but haven't received a response. To be honest, I don't have very high hopes of an acceptable placement. Out of the four 1st grade classes, one is a bilingual classroom (and the teacher is retiring) and one is ESL. In the two traditional classrooms, one teacher took a administrative job at another school, so there is a sub and no permanent replacement as of yet. And in August I witnessed the teacher of the other 'regular' classroom 'disciplining' two or three little boys who were being sent to lunch detention and I was really bothered by her tone and body language... as well as her volume. I didn't hear every word she said, but far more than I think I should have heard given the distance between where they were and where I was standing. I would not be comfortable working with her because that incident would always be in the back of my mind and I would always be concerned about her addressing Halle that way. And if Halle is bored now, I can't see how she'll be challenged in a bilingual or ESL classroom. Tyler was in a bilingual classroom for first grade and I felt he grew so little as a student in that environment.

Last Wednesday I also visited one of the charter schools I mentioned last month - based on what I've read at their web site it seemed to offer the most of what I would be looking for. I toured with the school's community relations person, and was really impressed with the philosophy and that the school had the student's work displayed everywhere, bio's of all the existing teachers. The staff is very diverse, which is important to our family. There are a handful of staff members who are Muslim and from the middle east (three from Turkey), one is Jewish, and another is from Venezuela... and then there is a teacher from Kansas, which from personal experience is really almost like it's own little country (or planet). They incorporate character development into their curriculum. They use Saxon Math, and let the kids go as far with it as they can. Their sixth grade students are doing calculus. No classes more than 24 students. They do math placement tests for all incoming students... with beginner/intermediate/advanced levels in each class, and offer free tutoring to get kids who are behind at grade level and to give extra attention to kids who are needing extra challenge. They have a mentor program, also free of charge.

After the visit I was thinking about it a lot more seriously. That same night, I went to the 'open house' at Julian, where Tyler is supposed to go for fourth grade. I was hoping to meet the teacher and discuss their math curriculum. I had looked at Julian's report card, and the AIMS %ile is in the teens for both 5th and 8th grade last year, and just 3 years ago was less than 10. I was further concerned to read the following, which was listed as an achievement for the 03-04 school year:

70 students in the RSD tested into Honors Algebra on the Phoenix Union School
District Math placement test. Of those, 12 were from Julian. Nine of those 12
were not enrolled in the gifted program and three of the 12 tested for placement
in Geometry.

I think this is great for the nine students from traditional classrooms, but I find it alarming that only 25% of the students were gifted. Not that there should have been fewer 'traditional' students, but that I would certainly expect for a gifted program at a school that feeds into a high school with an Aerospace Magnate, to have at least as many gifted as non gifted students achieve placement into honors math. This furthers my concern that the math curriculum for the gifted classrooms is not accelerated.

Well, the event was basically a band showcase where there was not a dedicated opportunity to meet the gifted teachers, and that it had already been performed at King Tyler had already seen the entire performance. I was even further disappointed to learn that there would not be any kind of open house for the gifted program or in general for transitioning third graders and their parents. I attempted to speak with the gifted teacher for 4th grade, and inquired about the math curriculum. She asked if I wanted to know what my child needed to know for fourth grade. I clarified that I was asking what differentiated the gifted curriculum from the traditional curriculum. I was told that there wasn't really any difference, she just usually finishes the book (I guess the other class doesn't?) I then asked what concepts she would be covering and was told that there would be a lot of review because the incoming fourth graders wouldn't be up to par in math. She assured me that this was a district wide problem and included the students coming over from King's gifted program. The other teacher (whose name I didn't catch but she may be the 'math chair') seemed to concur. Based on feedback I've gotten from multiple educators about my son's math skills, and considering that King's 3rd grade math AIMs rankings are twice that of Julian's 5th grade math rankings, I was pretty skeptical of that claim, and downright dismayed at this clear expectation/culture of mediocrity. As I pondered the futility of asking what would be done to challenge students who were not needing remediation or who excelled she invited me to visit her during her planning period at 2:15. We discussed my work schedule, she indicated she was usually on campus until five and perhaps I could come by then. I was about to suggest perhaps a conference call, when she wandered away from the conversation without excusing herself, and never returned. The other teacher remained and indicated that there would be an open house about a week before school starts. I told her very candidly that I had reservations about my son attending school there and that their math program, while the largest concern, was only one of them, and I was not comfortable waiting until school was about to begin to address them. I mentioned the excerpt I quoted above from their scorecard and expressed my concern about the complexity of the curriculum and asked why more gifted students hadn't placed into honors math. She appeared surprised, as though the disparity in the numbers hadn't occurred to her, and suggested that was a good question and one that might be good to ask the 8th grade math teacher. I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Preparing students for an 8th grade honors placement exam is not the sole responsibility of the 8th grade math curriculum, it begins when the child enters the school, as each grade builds the foundation for the next. I don't want to hear what is being done to prepare kids in the 11th inning! I pictured posing that question to whoever teaches 8th grade and being told that the seventh graders weren't prepared... and then that the sixth graders weren't prepared, and so on until I reached Ms. Dunn to hear that the third graders are not prepared. The phrase 'passing the buck' rang through my mind. The next morning I inquired with Tyler's current teacher specifically about his math skills, and whether a) I should anticipate that he will need remediation for fourth grade math or b) that he will languish in a classroom where most of his peers need remediation. She assured me that she felt Tyler's math skills were above par and he is well prepared for fourth grade math. She says she has never gotten any feedback indicating her students were unprepared, and that she watches their test scores and that her students have done very well in math. The teacher also indicated that she keeps in touch with several students who have gone on to Julian and has specifically inquired if there was anything that they were struggling with and that none of them have indicated having trouble with the math curriculum.

I've talked to both Joel and Ro about the school situation, and they're both open to the change. I have a few more questions for the school and I should probably visit at least one of the other schools that looked like possibilities to get a comparison. But at this point it's pretty likely the kids will be going somewhere else for school next year.

A special lunch for Halle...

Here's a cute story that a friend of mine who works for the school district sent me about Halle... Halle wasn't permitted to go on a field trip (I have no idea why, and since Halle didn't seem to care I didn't even bother to ask, I know I wouldn't have liked the answer) so our friend decided to take Halle a surprise lunch...

This morning, I went to the cafeteria and asked Ms. Cafeteria if students were allowed to bring outside food to lunch. She said yes, so I told her Halle wouldn't eat the cafeteria's meal today. She said Halle'd already paid, so she's have a credit for the next day. I also told Halle I'd bring her lunch. Well, when I got to the cafeteria with the McD's, Halle had a lunch tray. Ms. Cafeteria said Halle insisted on getting a lunch. Halle said something like this, "I paid you a dollar fifty this morning for my lunch, so I'm getting a tray. I don't think my mom's is gonna bring me a lunch because if she was, she wouldn't've given me a dollar fifty for lunch." Both Ms. Cafeteria AND her classmate tried to explain it to her, but she was insistant. LOL!! See, that would've upset the average adult as Halle being impudent (sp?), when in reality Halle's reasoning is perfectly logical.

A moment of silence...

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is
worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went
unnoticed last week.

Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey," died peacefully at
age 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin.
They put his left leg in.... And then the trouble started.

it's OK to laugh, you know it's funny.

AmWest, US Airways to merge

Of course this is by no means final, but it looks like we're moving ahead on this. A couple people have expressed concern for me and my job... my mama wanted to know if I'd have to move to DC. Right now I'm not worried about my job, or needing to relocate anytime soon. While the merger plan is official, the current plan doesn't have the airline fully integrating until 2008, and that's if all the powers that be approve everything that needs approving.

AmWest, US Airways to merge
Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona
Republic
May. 19, 2005 02:20 PM

After weeks of nonstop speculation about their hush-hush marriage talks, America West Airlines and US Airways became officially engaged today, seeking to create the nation's fifth largest airline.

The two major carriers this afternoon said they plan to merge in a complex, $1.5 billion deal that will have the new airline based in Tempe but flying under the US Airways banner. America West Chairman and CEO Doug Parker will run the airline, which will have hubs on both coasts and a route map spanning the world.

No details were provided on the impact on employees or flights at either airline, but the companies said the airlines will operate separately for two to three years.

The backers of the deal many thought would never get off the ground financially include the parent of Air Canada, Boston-based investment firm PAR Capital Management, regional carrier Air Wisconsin and industry players Airbus and General Electric.

In their first public comments about the motivation for the deal, Parker and US Airways CEO Bruce Lakefield said the deal will create the first full-service nationwide low-cost, low-fare airline.

"Through this combination we are seizing the opportunity to strengthen our business rather than waiting for the industry environment to improve," said the written statement.

More details are expected in a media conference call and news conference at the Airline's Tempe headquarters. America West's stock, which was beaten up after word of the merger talks leaked, rose sharply today in expectation of announcement. The stock closed at $4.81, up 8.6 percent from Wednesday's close. After hours trading was halted pending the news.

For Phoenix, the merger would mean a national, homegrown brand falls off an
already short list of marquee names in business. But the area gains a much larger corporate headquarters, in terms of prestige, total employees and other measures. Based on last year's revenue of $9.4 billion for the combined company, the new US Airways would rank as Arizona's second-largest publicly company, after Fortune 500 electronics distributor Avnet Inc.

The deal is by no means done. There are a host of approvals to get, including the federal Air Transportation Stabilization Board, which loaned both airlines money after Sept. 11 and is still owed nearly $1 billion from the two; U.S. Airways' bankruptcy judge; federal regulators and shareholders.

There was skepticism from Wall Street, competitors and others as soon as word of the merger talks leaked last month, and the scrutiny is only expected to intensify now that some specifics are on the table. Analysts worry about the wisdom of combining two financially weak carriers during an industry crisis that is expected to produce $5 billion in losses this year.

The president of Southwest Airlines has said the CEOs of the two airlines must be on drugs to contemplate a merger in this horrible airline environment.

David Neeleman, CEO of discounter JetBlue Airways, the only other profitable airline besides Southwest, joked at an aviation conference last month in Phoenix that Parker has started drinking his own Kool-Aid. That was a reference to Parker's repeated comments over the past year that the industry was ripe for consolidation.

The merger will form the centerpice of US Airways' reorganization plan. The airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last fall, a year after it emerged from its first Chapter 11 reorganization.

The combined company has nearly 38,000 employees, though it's unlikely the count will stay that high due to duplicate headquarters staff and the plan for fewer aircraft than the 419 jets they operate now in total.

Many observers expect the thorniest issue to be integrating the carrier's union workforces. Seniority rules at unions, and US Airways workers have much more than those at significantly younger America West. At America West's annual shareholders meeting Tuesday, America West union representatives grilled Parker about whether their jobs will be safe in a merger. Parker has said only that he wouldn't do a deal that jeopardize the he hard work America West's employees.

By any measure, America West is combining with a much larger carrier. US Airways'
sales last year were triple America West's, at $7.1 billion. The two rank 7th and 8th in passenger traffic, but the gap is wide: 40.5 million revenue passenger miles versus 23.3 million. They rank sixth and eighth in passenger boardings, but US Airway's passenger count is double America West's, at 42 million.

Reach the reporter at dawn.gilbertson@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8617

AmWest deal looming

Dawn GilbertsonThe Arizona RepublicMay. 18, 2005 09:48 PM

Signals were mixed Wednesday on whether America West Airlines and US Airways will announce their merger today as planned.

But there was a clear sign an announcement could be imminent: US Airways CEO Bruce Lakefield was booked on an early morning flight to Phoenix.

Lakefield, who has led the bankrupt carrier since April 2004, is due into Sky Harbor International Airport this morning on an America West flight, sources familiar with his travel plans say. His reservation calls for a one-day stay with a departure late tonight.

The merger discussions largely have taken place in Washington, D.C., so his expected presence in Arizona today is notable. Assuming his travel plans didn't change overnight, Lakefield will arrive as America West's board of directors is meeting. The board has to approve any proposed transaction. US Airways board met on Wednesday.