This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@juno.com. I heard that Mike M and Jose Prize were working on the paint scheme. psa188@juno.com Hooters Buys a Regional Airline December 27, 2002 By REUTERS ATLANTA, Dec. 26 (Reuters) - After months of trying to get into the airline business, a company owned by the chairman of Hooters of America has acquired Pace Airlines, a small regional carrier based in Winston-Salem, N.C., Hooters said today. Robert H. Brooks, chairman of the Hooters restaurant chain, said in a statement that he planned to establish a charter air service called Hooters Air to serve leisure travelers. He intends to work with tour operators to provide air service for the golf and sports industries. A prime destination will be Myrtle Beach, S.C. Hooters of America, which is privately held and based in Atlanta, said it had not determined exactly how the Hooters brand name would be used in the airline operation. A Hooters spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Mr. Brooks has said he envisioned using the airline to promote the 310 Hooters restaurants and using the restaurants to tout the new airline. Mr. Brooks said he had kept looking for opportunities in the airline business after Vanguard Airlines, which is bankrupt, rejected a Hooters offer for its assets in September. "While things did not work out with Vanguard, I learned through my due diligence efforts that the charter service segment is a healthier business arena and much better suited for extending the Hooters brand," Mr. Brooks said in the statement. Pace was formed by the management of the former Piedmont Airlines following USAir Group's acquisition of Piedmont's commercial operation in 1989. It currently operates 17 planes - 15 Boeing 737's and two Boeing 757's - providing charter air services for various sports teams and corporate clients. Hooters did not disclose the terms of the Pace acquisition or give details on when the Hooters Air charter service would begin. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/27/business/27HOOT.html?ex=1041996562&ei=1&en=9eecf8f825a8af99 HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company