Fly-by-night flying schools probed

[Rightwingheavy]

I must say it's about time.

Fly-by-night flying schools probed
Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 06, 2010




MANILA, Philippines—The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on Tuesday said it was investigating at least 63 flying schools in the country after the agency confirmed reports of fake pilot licenses and leakages of flight examination answers given to aviation students.
In a press conference, CAAP consultant and head investigator Raul Trinidad said several Filipino and foreign aviation students were able to obtain “packages” in return for US$30,000 to US$40,000 (P1.4 million to P1.86 million) cash. They are given correct answers to a series of tests they have to take as part of their certification and a genuine license to show that they passed.
Trinidad said three CAAP teams, with the help of National Bureau of Investigation agents, have been undertaking a nationwide probe for the past three weeks. At least nine CAAP personnel from the licensing division and examination board of the CAAP have been asked to submit affidavits to explain their alleged involvement in the irregularities.
The CAAP official showed reporters one “fake” certificate indicating a foreign student taking five different examinations for just one day. The certificate showed that the examinee scored 80 percent in each subject, namely, civil air regulations, theory of flight, meteorology, emergency procedure and navigation.
“One exam is usually taken for one whole day but in this certificate the student took all five exams in one day, which is not possible. There are really irregularities,” Trinidad said.
The sample that he showed has a control number that is not found in the records of the CAAP examination board, he added.
He said there were also cases wherein certificates for commercial pilot, training aircraft, twin engine and airmen exams turned out to be fake. The performance and training certificates were submitted to the CAAP so that it could issue a corresponding pilot’s license.
Trinidad said licenses were indeed issued despite fake certificates that were submitted, which only means students who did not undergo a real skills testing may now be flying aircraft.
Trinidad said 63 flying schools, which he declined to identify, will be undergoing a “thorough inspection.” He also declined to identify the foreign students issued fake licenses or to say if they were already flying aircraft.
“If the schools aren’t compliant, it will be investigated and eventually be suspended. If it’s proven that it’s just fly-by-night flying schools, they will be closed down,” Trinidad said.
He also called on the flying school graduates to come to the agency and expose the school officials responsible.
“We won’t go after them (the students). We’re here to help them,” he said, adding that the investigation was in compliance with the requirements set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
He said the fake licenses and exam leakages were one of the factors behind ICAO’s negative assessment of the Philippine aviation industry. This had led to industry’s downgrading by the United States Federal Aviation Administration in 2008 and blacklisting by the European Aviation Safety Agency this year.

[flyjoy47]

Way to go capt. rolly

[twotters]

Oooops, would need to check if my validated license which I got from ATO was valid :uhoh: cause I also only paid money and never showed up for anything. Our company liasion lady did all (but only against hard US$ in advance) the work.

[tian yu]

OK! Crack the whip and lets get things rolling . . . FINALLY~

[ACORD]

MANILA, Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is bent on closing down aviation schools that are turning into diploma mills for pilots.

Captain Raul Trinidad, technical adviser of the office of the director general of the CAAP, said “we will audit all flying schools. If we find them not compliant, we will investigate and suspend them. If we find them to be a diploma mill, we’re going to close them down.”

He said CAAP made the move after finding out recently that some students and private pilots are using fake licenses.

Upon closer inspection, these licenses had been obtained via fabricated certificates containing “extraordinary” examination results, he said.
One pilot who the CAAP is currently investigating, a foreign national, submitted a certification that contained the results of 8 examinations taken in only a day.

The pilot supposedly passed all 8 exams the first time, all with the grade of 80%--an extraordinary fete, he said. A student can only take about 3 to 4 exams a day.

Upon prodding, CAAP found out the exams were not held at all during the dates contained in the certification, he said.

Trinidad said CAAP is now closely coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to track down the culprits behind the fake licenses and certifications.

Around 4 to 5 are already being questioned, he said.

Trinidad said 3 audit teams, which he heads, have already been working for 3 weeks now. One is currently in Cebu, he said.

Cooperative

He said there are at least 63 aviations schools across the country, which will make it hard for the teams to complete the process immediately.

Trinidad, however, noted that the schools have been very cooperative.
He admitted this issue has been a cause of embarrassment, which buttresses the Significant Safety Concern (SSC) advice the country has received from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in November 6, 2009.

ICAO is an agency of the United Nations that systematizes rules and principles to ensure safety and growth in international air navigation.
ICAO specifically said the SSC advice is due to the “lack of plan for certifying air operators in accordance with the Civil Aviation Regulations of 2008, as well as the lack of surveillance inspections of air operators and the aviation industry as a whole.”

Trinidad said CAAP’s action is only meant to “bring back the integrity of the Filipino pilot’s license.”

He appealed to first-time and private pilots to go directly to CAAP to have their licenses assessed.

“We don’t want to resort to finger-pointing. What we’re doing, as their licenses go through us, we will scrutinize,” Trinidad said

[ACORD]

7 June 2010 - Manila Standard

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has asked the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the proliferation of fake licenses.

CAAP Chief Alfonso Cusi appointed Capt. Raul Trinidad, a former Philippine Arilines B747 pilot, to coordinate with the bureau amid evidence of collusion between certain flying schools and former officials of the defunct Air Transportation Office.

Also recovered were spurious certificates bearing forged signatures of a past assistant secretary without issued to students who have not taken their written examinations at all.

Cusi started monitoring the illegal practice when he was designated to head the CAAP last March.

Trinidad says that syndicates usually arrange with a colluding flying school a package deal where the examination results and certificates are delivered for a fee between $30,000 to $50,000.

He said a flying school outside Metro Manila could charge up to P2 million for a guaranteed graduation within two years complete with qualification to fly an Airbus 320.

In the normal career path, a student pilot begins with at least 25 flying hours, needing more flights and another set of examinations to earn his wings as “Private Pilot.”

Logging more hours and hurdling examinations, the aviator graduates to become a “Commercial Pilot”, an “Intrument-Rated Pilot”, and “Air Transport-Rated” pilot and eventually a commercial pilot, starting as a co-pilot.

Records show that most enrollees are Indian nationals who have taken to Philippine aviation training as a stepping stone to an internationally rated flying career.

Trinidad said one student sought the assistance of the Indian embassy which took up his case with CAAP.

Of about 100 Indian students, up to 16 are females training to fill in the needs of an expanding Indian airline industry.

Eric Apolonio

[valiant05]

He said a flying school outside Metro Manila could charge up to P2 million for a guaranteed graduation within two years complete with qualification to fly an Airbus 320.

They got the figures wrong. It's actually close to P4 million for the CA MPL A320 program. Cadets usually pay around 1.8M if they are on 50 percent scholarships. That is why ONLY those sponsored by airlines are allowed to undergo the course.

[x_feed]

well,


the action of these "fake pilots and mechanics" are too late...

fly by night, hocus pokus, and modus operandi happening between flying school and CAAP,

you can get CPL without taking off, and you can buy certificates in GenAv
for 2yrs and half experience as aircraft mechanic..

the issue is wayback 2008, and the agency did not take any action to do such things.

resulting to a FAA downgrade and Europe Blacklist.

why they do this right now?!

to have "pogi points" to PNOY to retain in to their position?!

sorry,

but if they have concern in safety and people who are working for the sake of safety in aviation,

CAAP (ATO) must made their action when the time of the problem is very minor and it can resolve immediately.
to avoid these problem that we're suffering right now...



Our Problems Right Now in Philippine Aviation.

1. The New CAAP law without the Approval of Congress(this includes
increased time in experience)

2. Approving and using the "unapproved" aircraft by FAA.

3. Modus Operandi in GenAV

4. Fake Pilot and Mechanics

5. Failed Navigational Equipment

6.and the latest hot rumor about PAL replacing LTP as Maintenance Provider and PAL choosed A+ for their maintenance provider.

[A+ is cebupacific maintenance provider!!:uhoh:]



i hope whoever will replaced as NEW CAAP CHEIF WILL RESOLVED all the problems facing right now in philippines and bring back to "good image"
to us filipino aviators...

[twotters]

x-feed,
You are completely right with your statements and you show the right attitude to bring your aviation industry really down to the dogs!The symptoms you are have listed are serious and are of very grave nature. But you guys in the islands will never change with your crab mentality. If you can’t get something done you put your blame onto the person sitting in office.You look for change there, change yourself first, make a change in your industry, make a change in your corrupt society and help guys to change your CAAP/ATO.Guys like you are the main problem to the state of your industry because you only apply Band-Aid solutions and not the curing of a problem. Leaders come, leaders go but the corrupt employees in ATO/CAAP will stay and bring your country further down.It’s just great that you have good beer and nice girls. Let’s not look at your other environment/industry/behavior cause there you really deserve the permanent blacklisting in Europe, the category 2 from FAA and the Serious Safety Concern given by your own ICAO consultants whose arse should have been kicked years ago cause they are as useless as in any other country. And you are stupid enough to even pay for their non-performance and for that they downgrade you.ATO/CAAP has a cancer in stage 3 and you apply external medicine instead of cutting the whole meat out and dump it in your courts.

[Aerocadet]

SUGGESTION: REPLACE ALL CORRUPT EMPLOYEES!!! :D

Anyway, twotters here have a point. I agree. Change should really start in us.. as individuals of the industry. It is really hard to be in position. Imagine what would be the DG be thinking right now? He might be seriously stressed. They cannot please everybody guys. Let's just do our part and hope our leaders would do the right thing.

God bless this nation and the Philippine Aviation Industry. :ok:

[chairwrecker]

x_feed--> sorry but i'm confused. how is it an example of bad Philippine aviation system if PAL dumped LTP for A+? your other points are spot on, mate!

__________


however i think CA's MPL is a legit license, as 5J's roster of MPL cadets are reportedly doing quite well, unless the reporter is talking about MPL cadets without any sponsors (that one I think had been banned by the previous regime under RC).

really hope capt rolly gets all the support that he needs. the pilot community here is so small, and pinoys are so talkative, that all the info he needs he will get just by asking a few pointed questions, and doing some sneaky rounds.....

everybody knows the prob, but what we need from the CAAP is to crack down hard! now!

[legal_consultant]

does anybody have any update regarding this controversy?

[onieangeles]

caap really sucks, dont you have anything to do instead of making money out of the pilots