Lombok Institute of Flight Technology - LIFT
I was an instructor at LIFT until recently.
We suffered numerous power loss problems in all three of theaircraft over the last 6 months. At first the power loss incidents were onlyonce a week until November when we were experiencing problems almost everyday. At that point, we had no choice butto stop flying the aircraft. Unfortunately, management did not appreciate thesafety issues involved and we were all told that if we did not continue to flythe aircraft we would all be fired from our jobs.
Management were advised back in August 2012 that the problemwas caused by the fuel they were using and that they needed to import fuel fromsomewhere else such as Australia. Unfortunately they did not act on that adviceand fuel from Australia never came.
I have never met Denis as he had already left by the time Ijoined the company, but he is right to say that LIFT is an unsafe operation.
The chief mechanic wrote an email to the owner Mr EdmondFung on 2nd Septemebr 2012 and said...
“Honestly, we (maintenance department) are a lack ofexperience to maintain piston engine”
Paul Everitt (Liberty Expert and Consultant to Mr Edmond Fung)wrote to Mr Fung on 20th August 2012 and said
“Lives are directly at risk because of this situation. If wecontinue to use bad fuel and then have an accident as a result of this, LIFTwill have no way out in any legal case, as it will be entirely our fault”.
He also wrote ......
“So there is no doubt that they (BP Australia) can supplygood 100LL Avgas at less cost that what we are paying now, although shippingetc will add to it”
There is also photographic evidence of the ‘contamination ofthe fuel’ and a audio clip of the owner (Edmond Fung) admitting there is a ‘problemwith the fuel’ from a meeting I had with him on 7th December 2012.
The purpose of my post is to give you information and not simplerumour.
If you are thinking of going to LIFT as an instructor, youwill be flying aircraft that suffers from ‘power loss’ on an almost daliy basis,and a management team that will force you to fly the aircraft regardless of howunsafe it is. You will also find yourself unable to leave the country withoutfirst paying between $3000 - $4000 back to LIFT to cover the cost of yourflight, work permit and medical. There is a Russian instructor there now who ishaving this problem and he is still unable to leave after 1 month of trying toget out of Indonesia.
If you are thinking of going to a LIFT as a student, youwill be joining a flight school with more than 40 students who need in excessof 8000 instructional hours with no flight instructors in an unsafe trainingenvironment. Even if the aircraft were airworthy and they imported fuel todayand they found 6 instructors overnight, it would take the company almost 1 yearto clear the backlog of students before you started your flight training.
Myself and the other instructors are currently suing LIFTfor wrongful dismissal. This is not abuse or rumour. Our case is based on factand I certainly would not employ a lawyer if I did not have a strong case totake to a court of law.
If you would like to see the emails, photos and recordings concerningthe operation there, send me a PM and I will forward the documentation to you.