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Senior Aviation/Austin Aviation

Old 12th Oct 2013, 08:52
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BEWARE ! trainee pilot scam

My son was the lucky one to get the job!.....or as it turned out the very unlucky one to have been selected by an unscrupulous organisation.........
He was given very little actual flight training or coaching, and spent most of his time taking other prospective trainees to the helipad watching them take ten minute flight tests at a cost of £290 each! and was paid just £100 per week when the trainee position is actually advertised at £250 per week!
After one month of watching hundreds of other hopeful trainees paying £290 each, he then questioned Austin Aviation as to why no one else had been appointed, but they offered no explanation. Shortly afterwards he was called in at an hour’s notice to sit an exam, for which he had very little prior coaching, but told not to worry as he could retake it if unsuccessful the first time. He then received an email stating he had failed the exam and was no longer required! No other explanation has been offered and they will not answer any enquiries regarding his position! This is a scam that nets this unscrupulous company an awful lot of money, whilst dashing the hopes of young vulnerable people. My advice to everyone is to not get taken in by this scam as there is no dream job at the end of a very short interview which will cost you £290 for the privilege!

Last edited by flying 999; 13th Oct 2013 at 15:10.
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Old 12th Oct 2013, 10:07
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flying 999 - Please ask your son to contact the newspaper which covered the story of him winning this so called job and let him explain to them what happened. Tell him to point the newspaper in the direction of this forum.

While he's at it, let him contact the Daily Mail also, sensationalist journalism sometimes but a much wider readership and therefore able to warn more people.

Unscrupulous conduct such as this sickens me, especially when it involves fleecing people who for the most part can ill afford to be fleeced, let alone intentionally building-up people's hopes only to dash them.

If these characters, Jerry Senior and Alan Austin are guilty of the misdeeds cited in this and other threads then they deserve to be confronted for their behaviour and made to explain their actions and, should Messrs Senior and Austin read this, then shame on you for what you are doing. Unsporting, unethical and un-British!

Disgusting.
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Old 12th Oct 2013, 18:05
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Senior Aviation/ Austin Aviation scam

I have several contacts within the newspaper industry, and also trading standards whom I intend to make fully aware of this ' Trainee Helicopter Pilot' scam............... Austin Aviation are taking large sums of money from young hopeful applicants, who unwittingly Believe there is a chance of being taken on as trainee pilots..............however despite hundreds of applicants paying £290 each, NONE have been offered any trainee position! My son was one of the unlucky ones, who had his picture splashed all over the newspapers in order to give this scheme credibility, and attract prospective applicants....... after this
publicity he was dropped from the scheme with no credible explanation!
Despite previous posts by Jerry senior admitting that he in fact set up Austin Aviation with Alan Austin, Mr Austin is now claiming that he has no connection with Senior Aviation and is only their client!
Below is a copy of the previous post by Mr Senior, self explanatory I think!

just to clear a few pointers from the above, I own senior av, the address at 5 lower beobridge was my address when i registered the domain, if you google it you will see its 5 minutes down the road from wolverhampton airport where I also set up a flight school called austin aviation which is were g-chap comes into it, which is managed by us for the owner carl,feel free to go to austin aviation website and you will see me on the meet the team page, as for g-fox it was based at wolverhampton.we started senior av because we had students coming in asking about the vat, and because i'd claimed my tax and vat when i did my training we stared to help our students at the school,Im a bit long in the tooth but im doing my cplh ground school with phill croucher at captonline, we also purchase his superb study books and phil is also aware I set the school up with alan austin.
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Old 12th Oct 2013, 21:38
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flying999,

You might have already seen it but I posted this in the other thread:

Originally Posted by Bravo73
Have you contacted the journalist who interviewed your son for the Express & Star article? Unfortunately, the online edition of the article (see the link above) doesn't include a byline.

However, the email for the News Desk is [email protected] and the email for the editor (Keith Harrison) is [email protected]

I also think that it would be worth contacting a national newspaper and BBC Watchdog: https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/contact
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 07:53
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"but im doing my cplh ground school with phill croucher at captonline, we also purchase his superb study books and phil is also aware I set the school up with alan austin."

Since my name has been mentioned, I would like to make it clear that we have no involvement with the people mentioned in this thread, except that they buy our materials for their students, and one or two of them attend our establishment for training purposes. It is the same relationship we have with many other schools and, as with them, no endorsement is given or implied.

Phil
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 08:14
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That is what I thought, Phil.
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 11:43
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the plot thickens, see facebook

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...31820176834862

Looks like this scam may have already been brought to the attention of CAA

One recurring point seems to be that Austin Aviation is denying any links with Senior Aviation who are placing these Trainee adverts. However as already pointed out Austin Aviation was actually set up by Mr Senior!
It is Austin Aviation who are conducting hundreds of ten minute test flights at a cost of £290 per applicant......I wonder who pockets all this money, could it be Austin Aviation?
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 12:38
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Not the full story?

Regarding this thread involving Senior Aviation and Austin Aviation. I am a SFH pilot who flies occasionally using Austin Aviation`s helicopters and having read all of the above, I feel compelled to put the record straight, so to speak, about some of the comments.
First of all, I know Austin Aviation and Senior Helicopters are different companies and have different offices on the airfield. I don`t know very much about Senior Helicopters, but I know that Austin Aviation DO fly 10 minute flights for potential trainee pilots supposedly being taken on by Senior Helicopters, but no way are they paid the £290 as is being suggested by some of the comments above. In fact, I think it is nearer £80 per 10 minute flight, but it could be less.
As for the trainee pilot who was taken on by Senior Helicopters, I saw the article in our local paper and I have seen the lad concerned while I have been at Austin Aviation offices. I happen to know that he has been having lessons paid for by Senior Helicopters and that my instructor has personally coached him for his Air Law Exam on several occasions, I also know the lad has been paid a weekly wage by Senior Helicopters to study, but has instead been working for another company at the airfield on the quiet instead of studying! No wonder he failed his exams and this is a most unfair comment against Austin Aviation, who have always acted fairly and with integrity in any dealings I have had with them.
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 15:24
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You have obviously not read the previous posts!

There are many previous posts stating that they were charged £290 for a ten minute flying test..........are they all lying? I don't think so!
As you are connected with Austin Aviation I think you may have a vested interest in ' putting the record straight' !
strange how the Trainee Pilot adverts have now been taken off the job sites, in Wolverhampton and Chester areas!
I'm leaving further investigation to the relevant authorities, no doubt they will get to the bottom of this situation.
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 17:35
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Flying999;

Out of interest - was your son studying Air Law in anticipation of an exam? Was he working a second job?

There is no reason why your son, despite being 'dropped' by Senior Aviation can't still obtain his dream job - if he wants to be a pilot then a lot of hard graft and determination will get him there so he needs to stick at it and remember that the world is a tough one! At least now though he will have made a good few contacts (good and bad!) in the aviation industry and that is fundamental to making a success of it. Nepotism rules in this industry.
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 18:15
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I didn't attend my flight test on the 7th..

Instead, I contacted them the next day asking for a refund..

I got this reply..

Thank you for your enquiry we will look into this and contact you within the next 48 hours.

Kind Regards.

Susan.

Customer Services.

I have heard nothing since, so I emailed them again on Thursday, yet I have still had no response.. Do I file a complaint to watchdog?
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 18:24
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Who pays who?

Flying 999 - you did`nt read my post properly. I said Austin Aviation are paid about £80 per 10 minute flight. I have no idea whether or not Senior Helicopters charge £290 - they may do - but they pay Austin Aviation about £80 of that as a training provider able to carry out the flight.
Previous posts suggest Senior Helicopters and Austin Aviation are `in it together`. I have`nt seen any evidence of that in my time at the offices of Austin Aviation, although I believe they allowed Senior Helicopters to use their facilities at one point before Senior Helicopters established themselves at the airfield?
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 19:52
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Wrekin,

I think you're missing something when you say :

Previous posts suggest Senior Helicopters and Austin Aviation are `in it together`. I have`nt seen any evidence of that in my time at the offices of Austin Aviation, although I believe they allowed Senior Helicopters to use their facilities at one point before Senior Helicopters established themselves at the airfield?
Post 13 on THIS thread, made in May, by Jason Senior (go to page 1 of this thread), clearly states that HE started Austin Aviation.

Just incase he comes back and edit's his old message, here it is copy/pasted again :

you will see its 5 minutes down the road from wolverhampton airport where I also set up a flight school called austin aviation which is were g-chap comes into it, which is managed by us for the owner carl,feel free to go to austin aviation website and you will see me on the meet the team page, as for g-fox it was based at wolverhampton.we started senior av because we had students coming in asking about the vat, and because i'd claimed my tax and vat when i did my training we stared to help our students at the school,Im a bit long in the tooth but im doing my cplh ground school with phill croucher at captonline, we also purchase his superb study books and phil is also aware I set the school up with alan austin.
Just to be clear, this is the relevant bit:

I also set up a flight school called austin aviation which is were g-chap comes into it, which is managed by us for the owner carl,feel free to go to austin aviation website and you will see me on the meet the team page,
And this :

phil is also aware I set the school up with alan austin.
You will also note that Austin Aviation's website has recently been updated, so Jason Senior is no longer on the 'team page', which it was up until recently.
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 19:57
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Originally Posted by MoAli
I didn't attend my flight test on the 7th..

Instead, I contacted them the next day asking for a refund..

I got this reply..

Thank you for your enquiry we will look into this and contact you within the next 48 hours.

Kind Regards.

Susan.

Customer Services.

I have heard nothing since, so I emailed them again on Thursday, yet I have still had no response.. Do I file a complaint to watchdog?

Hmmm, in hindsight, you would probably have been better off cancelling your flight test before it was scheduled, rather than afterwards.

I don't know what the T&Cs were when you signed up and paid your £290, but it might well say that in the event of non-attendance, no refunds are available.

On that basis, I'm not sure if you've got the grounds to make any complaint via Watchdog.
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 20:03
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Scam

I'm sure an informed journalist would have a field day with this, perhaps even more so a forensic accountant from HMRC! Just saying!
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 20:26
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There is no information about terms and conditions within the documents they sent in regards to my interview and then the flight test..

I'm not sure what to do next..

I admit I should have cancelled the test before hand, I just wasn't sure or not whether I was still going to attend the flight test until the day of the test itself.

I just don't understand why they can't just respond and have a little courtesy to refund £290.. surely they've made enough money by now..
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 22:13
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Mo Ali,

Welcome to the real world. If you had sold something and the person to whom you sold it didn't bother to turn up to collect it or even indicate that they would not until afterwards - would you feel that you owed them a refund?

Maybe you can sue them with one of the many 'win or no fee' agencies that are making life for everyone in UK difficult and expensive. Try being more considerate in future - it might also save you money.
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 22:35
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" Try being more considerate in future - it might also save you money."

Adroight, considerate in what respect, this guy has been ripped off, please clarify you comment!
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Old 13th Oct 2013, 22:44
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He has not been 'ripped off'. He paid for something, did not bother to tell them he didn't want it until after he should have turned up and now wants a refund. I'd say he has just learned a valuable lesson in life.

If you owned a flying school, sold a flight to someone, prepared an instructor to fly with this person who did not have the good manners to phone to cancel until the day afterwards. Would you refund him?

If he had paid for a flight, turned up on time and found no-one there to meet him and tried for a refund he would be entitled to one. If he did not get it - THEN he would be 'ripped off'.

Last edited by Adroight; 13th Oct 2013 at 22:52.
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Old 14th Oct 2013, 10:04
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I think we're moving off the point here. Mo Ali had lost his money whether he turned up of not, because he unwittingly got himself involved in a scam. By not turning up he has ended up (probably) with nothing. By turning up he would have would have had a fake interview, a 10 minute Ex3 and a rejection letter a few days later. By not turning up at least he has saved his time and travel expense.

Wrekin: I accept that Austin may have been paid £80 per candidate, but any reputable school would wonder what was going on when they were presented with tens or hundreds of young hopefuls to "examine" and produce a report on. I'm sure these young hopefuls would have also asked Austin many questions about the process and what happens next, once again alerting them to the scheme they had become involved in. They could have walked away at any point, but they did not.

Last edited by firebird_uk; 14th Oct 2013 at 10:06.
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