Okie Air?

[Mark Romanowitz]

Hello,
I was wondering if Okie Air is shipping in a timely manner now.. I need to order some things and I want to know where things stand before I do so.
Thanks,
Mark

[Crist Rigotti]

I've been waiting for 2 months  for an order.  I talked to him about 2 weeks ago and he said he's trying to do better on timely shipping.  Still no order.

[Dave Harmon]

I've been waiting for 2 months  for an order.  I talked to him about 2 weeks ago and he said he's trying to do better on timely shipping.  Still no order.

Exactly what did you order?

[Rusty]

I've been waiting for 2 months  for an order.  I talked to him about 2 weeks ago and he said he's trying to do better on timely shipping.  Still no order.

I guess you could take up another sport while  you're waiting, like golf, fishing, etc. 

[Crist Rigotti]

Exactly what did you order?

Balsa wood, why?

[George Waters]

I ordered Balcranks and control horns on11 nov ,i called three times in nov and dec no response to date. I give up.  George

[Matt Neumann]

I ordered Balcranks and control horns on11 nov ,i called three times in nov and dec no response to date. I give up.  George

I ordered various stuff, wood, control horns and something else from him in April.  Got it in October I think.  Don't remember exactly but it was close to 6 months.  I also tried to call but no answer.   He did ship it.  Unfortunately it just took awhile before I got it.

[Steve Helmick]

I'm wondering if Okie Air has anywhere near the 'crew' that Tom Morris did, or if he's trying to do the whole thing Tom did as a one-guy shop. I know Tom had a bunch of guys making various products under his banner. I'm sure Ty and others know a lot more about how it was organized than I did. I recall getting an order of stuff from Tom with no invoice enclosed or by email. I had to email him and ask how much I owed, and dispatched a government agent with the proper amount.  Steve

[Brett Buck]

I'm wondering if Okie Air has anywhere near the 'crew' that Tom Morris did, or if he's trying to do the whole thing Tom did as a one-guy shop. I know Tom had a bunch of guys making various products under his banner. I'm sure Ty and others know a lot more about how it was organized than I did. I recall getting an order of stuff from Tom with no invoice enclosed or by email. I had to email him and ask how much I owed, and dispatched a government agent with the proper amount.  Steve

   Also, Tom accomplished more in one day than most people do in a month, it was kind of incredible how he did all the stuff he did.

    A lot of the cottage industry suppliers underestimate the effort it takes and get behind very quickly, and have no extra resources to get caught up.


     Brett

[Dan McEntee]

   I have never been to Tom's shop but from what I have read and seen on videos he was pretty much a pone man band, He maybe jobbed some stuff out, but his military experience in efficiencies came through and did things very quickly and efficiently. He not only did model stuff but did stuff for people in home built full scale airplane, didn't he?  And add in all the work he did for PAMPA and Stunt News along the way!! An amazing human being for sure and a tough act to follow for anyone taking over his business.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[realSteveSmith]

There should be an official WARNING thread that is pinned at the top of a forum somewhere, about this guy. 

This goes far beyond a 'one man shop' that gets behind and overwhelmed.  This guy has the time to answer the phone and email right up to the point that someone gives him their money.  Then, he disappears.  In some cases, the product shows up magically at some point in the future.  In other cases, it never does. 

I personally know someone that experienced this disappearing act.  When they got tired of the broken promises that turned into unanswered phone calls and emails, they politely reached out to ask for their money back.  This communication was also ignored.  So...they filed a claim with Paypal but even Paypal got ignored.  So, some 30 days after asking for a refund, Paypal 'took' the money back.  As mentioned above, this goes WAY beyond something that can be explained by saying he's a small shop that falls behind.  This is SHADY.  The fact that some people don't get screwed, doesn't offset the fact that many do.  I'm disappointed every time I read someone posting anything but a STAY AWAY warning about Okie Air.

[Dave Rigotti]

Right on point Steve!  I'll fly speed before I ever order from him again......

There should be an official WARNING thread that is pinned at the top of a forum somewhere, about this guy. 

This goes far beyond a 'one man shop' that gets behind and overwhelmed.  This guy has the time to answer the phone and email right up to the point that someone gives him their money.  Then, he disappears.  In some cases, the product shows up magically at some point in the future.  In other cases, it never does. 

I personally know someone that experienced this disappearing act.  When they got tired of the broken promises that turned into unanswered phone calls and emails, they politely reached out to ask for their money back.  This communication was also ignored.  So...they filed a claim with Paypal but even Paypal got ignored.  So, some 30 days after asking for a refund, Paypal 'took' the money back.  As mentioned above, this goes WAY beyond something that can be explained by saying he's a small shop that falls behind.  This is SHADY.  The fact that some people don't get screwed, doesn't offset the fact that many do.  I'm disappointed every time I read someone posting anything but a STAY AWAY warning about Okie Air.

[Ken Culbertson]

I'm disappointed every time I read someone posting anything but a STAY AWAY warning about Okie Air.

I am probably one of those people who not so much defend Russel but explain/rationalize him.  I think he started out trying to replace Tom and soon found that to be impossible and for whatever reason could not quite catch up.  Now it is probably too late.  I know he has lost the support of most of the folks who relied on him.  I am probably among the last of them.  The last two orders of wood that I have built wings from or had wings built are proving to be dangerously weak.  It was all contest grade and produced two nice light straight wings but with less that 100 flights on the first, the outboard wing folded in a manner that looked like a laser had cut it off.  No flex at all in the sheeting, it just snapped when the lower spare snapped.  The edges were not even ragged.  This was BAD wood and I was stupid enough to use it.
My last order took over a month after confirming that everything was in stock and would ship immediately.  Even that was short one sheet of plywood.

I like Russel and I wish him well but I can no longer defend him.  IMHO the PA supply chain is a mess.  It needs consolidation but that will never happen.

Ken

[Ty Marcucci]

Tom had two to four men, and one lady, come in and do a given job such as cutting all the parts to a fuselage, one did control lines, ( he farmed this out to three or four different  folks over time) another did wings (cut parts) while Tom more often than not did the actual assembly on contract jobs. If you made a special request for a model, he would build three,, I always purchased one of them if possible.  A lady from his church did his billing, but she had a health problem, Tom was not aware and many bills never got sent out for months..

Jim Howell and I would drive over about once a quarter to visit and pick up stuff.. Tom always gave me a model for a small fee.. These were models ordered but never picked up. I also picked up many really great building ideas and techniques.

He always had certain popular kits in stock and many boxes of templates.. All his kits were hand cut from excellent balsa.. He had tons of balsa in a big rack under a staircase in his shop.

Tom is in failing health and I fear he may leave us soon. 

[Mike Griffin]

15 years ago, Tom invited me to come to his house and spend a few days with him in the shop.  He and Carolyn were the most gracious people I have ever met.  He and I built a model together, which he gave me to take home with me when I left.  I also bought one of his building tables and took it home with me. 

We talked about a lot of things during that time in shop and one was his military years.  He had wood in his shop that was from the gym floor at West Point and he told me that Dwight D. Eisenhower had played on that court.

I talked with him by phone before Christmas and he told me his health was failing fast and I was deeply saddened to hear this, however; he seemed to be at peace with this as he told me he knew where he was going when he passed.

It will be a sad day when Tom passes.  We will have lost a giant of a man, not only in modeling, but in life itself. 

Mike