1994 Boeing 757-200

One of many challenges facing Ford and Phil Skinner in their efforts to sell off Ford's passenger air carrying division was the fact that FAST's operations were very different from those of other American carriers. Analysts pointed to a variety of oddities in FAST's fleet as obvious examples of flawed business practices that made the carrier a hard sell to potential buyers. For instance, FAST entered the 1990s in an ignominious club of airlines that had refused to recognize the great economic potential of the 757 range of aircraft. Back in late Ray era, FAST has planned to acquire some of the type but their deal with Boeing fell through after Ford demanded that they receive a 30% discount on the deal because of their continued patronage of Boeing products. Boeing refused this demand and so FAST management was instructed to cease conversations with Boeing over the type unless Ford's demands were met. Now, the lack of 757s was a problem because even the largest modern narrow body in the fleet the 737-400 lacked range for some trans-continental services and frankly the smallest Lockheed Tristars remaining were cavernous on certain routes. The 757 would be a great fit, just as it was a great fit with so many other American airlines. It was begrudgingly in 1993 that Ford was convinced by the FAST transition team that adding some leased 757-200s to the fleet would not only help the airline operate but more importantly it would help the airline find a buyer. Only two of the eight 752 delivered new on lease to FAST actually wore the airline's livery the rest wore a classic white scheme. At this point of transition in the airline, Ford had functionally given up on the FAST brand and had no interest in paying to preserve the brand cohesion of something they, and everyone else, knew was most certainly on its way out. Whether or not the small roster of miniature flying pencils on the roster eventually made DAAB's job easier is not easy to determine.

What is easy to determine is that, just as everyone suspected, the 757 was a great addition to the carrier's fleet. In 1995, once the dust had settled on the airline's rebirth, Valiant penned an order for nearly 50 of the type. N212VL, named Schooner Wholehearted, was the first to roll off of the production line delivered in fresh new Valiant paint. Even thought the carrier was late to the party for the 75, they certainly didn't miss out and later added the stretched 757-300 to the fleet. Schooner Wholehearted, now Laker Wholehearted, still operates to this day and is based in Newark operating periodic transatlantic routes and trunks to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego.