This all goes to show why this forum is called a Rumour Network. Danny, I am rather surprised that you put 2 and 2 together to make 5. While your explanation of part 141 schools and their eligibility to issue visas is accurate, your conclusion that Debenair have had their visa issuing authority revoked is, nevertheless, incorrect.
I am currently at Debenair. I was a student of the Company last year. I am right here, right now having just completed further training with the Company. I am on an M1 Visa obtained after the part 141 certificate was voluntarily surrendered by the Company. I was here when the INS inspector visited Debenair and I personally know that Debenair is still approved for issuing visa applications. In fact yet another is being issued tomorrow.
Now, I must admit that Debenair have their problems, but non are as severe as the scurrilous rumours being purportrated by their competition. To set the record straight, Debenair voluntarily surrendered their part 141 approval after their former Chief Instructor and CFI MEI were dismissed. These same CFI MEI (s) are now working in the locality at Merritt Island and I would suggest that this is the source of the so-called "information" being posted here.
I would surmise that the motive of this particular CFI MEI is twofold. a) A local operator which seeks to gain commercial advantage by putting down its competitors and b) to satisfy the personal vendettas of those who were dismissed.
I do not intend to take sides over the circumstances of their dismissal. I have no personal knowledge of the situation, however it is clear that there were grievances on both sides, and the matter has left a bitter taste in the mouths of everyone involved. During my previous visit, I had met all of the persons involved and found all of them to be pleasant and professional.
It is a matter of sincere regret to me that in such a relatively short time, these professional gentlemen seem to have taken to childish mudslinging, instead of taking it on the chin and getting on with what they are best qualified to do.
However, I do take issue at untrue allegations being made here in this forum against a company which has always done its best to do the right thing, however unpopular that may be with certain individuals. The lady who owns Debenair has struggled against incredible odds to keep the company entirely legitimate. While the Company's present situation is certainly irregular, the INS have taken the view that Debenair needs a bit of space to re-organise, while they continue to operate under Part 61.
A new application for Part 141 approval is currently being prepared and the INS have granted Debenair a period of time to process their application before any decisions are made, (either way), regarding their visa approval status.
Both the FAA and the INS are aware of the company's ongoing preparations and are engaged in productive dialogue with Debenair to achieve conformance with the regulations without unduly adding to the challenges the company faces.
However, (lest this message be misunderstood), those who seek to cause harm to Debenair by exaggerating every irregularity out of all proportion or by misrepresenting the truth in a public domain, should ask themselves if they are prepared to expose themselves to the same level of scrutiny.
To coin a phrase, "those who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones". If you really want to put the competition out of business, then concentrate on raising your own standards, instead of this petty sniping at others.
Frankly, I think the current behaviour of said CFI MEI is disgraceful and it has no place amongst our profession.
We are all members of an industry which is suffering both economically and politically to an unprecedented extent. It is a time when both pilots and corporate bodies should be working together to forge a path towards a more prosperous future for us all. We should be emphasising cooperation, not competition. Neighbouring schools and colleges should be combining and sharing skills and resources, building upon their mutual strengths, instead of capitalising on their differences.
Niche's view of heaven and hell, portrayed two separate cultures which lived by the same rules. There was food enough for everyone, but they all had to eat with chopsticks which were 6 feet long. In hell, everyone starved because obviously the chopsticks were too long to get the food into their mouths.
But in heaven they prospered simply because.... they fed each other!
I make no apologies for "idealising". Without such ideals there is nothing to work towards.
Let's all, at least, stop walking in the wrong direction and put an end to this sort of nonsense.