Air Serv International - Threads Merged
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the rest of the story
Okay fellows, here is the rest of the story:
I started working for Air Serv in March 2002. I was based in Goma, DRC.
All was well. I flew C208s and even went to South Africa to get a South African validation.
At the end of July 2002, on a Sunday - a day off for everyone - I climbed Mount Nyriagongo {the volcano at the end of runway 36) with a bunch of other NGO friends, locals and a French volcanologist. All went well. Upon returning the local ASI manager, Mrs. Rachel Scott Leflaive, congratulated me for a nice climb which she wished had been a part of!
In mid-August I was flying a "ZS registered" Caravan from Goma to Nairobi via Entebbe where I had picked up Ray Snaith, the Chief PIlot.
Ray was supposedly going with me to Nairobi to show me where the maintenance shop was and to introduce me to the mechanics so as to facilitate future trips.
Upon landing and after the presentations with the mechanics, we left and went to a restaurant for dinner.
During dinner Ray Snaith told me that I was fired. FIred because of the climb two weeks earlier.
He also added: " I personally had no problem with your work. I will write a letter of recommendation to help you out".
I never saw Goma again, never saw my friends, my stuff and ... never received Ray's letter.
In retrospect, what a spineless
hypocryte this Ray Snaith guy was! Wouldn't risk his paycheck to stand for his pilots.
And what about Susan MacGregor, the program director?
A blonde, hired on her looks and cup size, whose aeronautical knowledge consisted of what she had acquired from the inflight magazine on the way over.
Now, wouldn't you say that this is about the most cowardly/underhanded thing that you have ever heard of ?!
Because my house had been rented for one year I spent close to 200 days in the streets.
Sooooo, after busting my butt for Air Serv International, I was homeless, broke and jobless. Homeless, broke, jobless.
PS: They had a pilot who flew in the Goma program with me 02 and later in Iraq in 2003. Over time he became so pissed, desillusioned and depressed with Air Serv that he took his own life.
I started working for Air Serv in March 2002. I was based in Goma, DRC.
All was well. I flew C208s and even went to South Africa to get a South African validation.
At the end of July 2002, on a Sunday - a day off for everyone - I climbed Mount Nyriagongo {the volcano at the end of runway 36) with a bunch of other NGO friends, locals and a French volcanologist. All went well. Upon returning the local ASI manager, Mrs. Rachel Scott Leflaive, congratulated me for a nice climb which she wished had been a part of!
In mid-August I was flying a "ZS registered" Caravan from Goma to Nairobi via Entebbe where I had picked up Ray Snaith, the Chief PIlot.
Ray was supposedly going with me to Nairobi to show me where the maintenance shop was and to introduce me to the mechanics so as to facilitate future trips.
Upon landing and after the presentations with the mechanics, we left and went to a restaurant for dinner.
During dinner Ray Snaith told me that I was fired. FIred because of the climb two weeks earlier.
He also added: " I personally had no problem with your work. I will write a letter of recommendation to help you out".
I never saw Goma again, never saw my friends, my stuff and ... never received Ray's letter.
In retrospect, what a spineless
hypocryte this Ray Snaith guy was! Wouldn't risk his paycheck to stand for his pilots.And what about Susan MacGregor, the program director?
A blonde, hired on her looks and cup size, whose aeronautical knowledge consisted of what she had acquired from the inflight magazine on the way over.
Now, wouldn't you say that this is about the most cowardly/underhanded thing that you have ever heard of ?!
Because my house had been rented for one year I spent close to 200 days in the streets.
Sooooo, after busting my butt for Air Serv International, I was homeless, broke and jobless. Homeless, broke, jobless.
PS: They had a pilot who flew in the Goma program with me 02 and later in Iraq in 2003. Over time he became so pissed, desillusioned and depressed with Air Serv that he took his own life.
Last edited by aime; 28th Oct 2007 at 11:45. Reason: correct syntax
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Most of what you relate took place before my time and I have no personal knowlledge of the circumstances relating to your tragic friend... I did make the aquaintance of the two ladies mentioned .. neither impressed me but my opinion of them has no place in these forums. Certainly one of the weak areas of ASI has been their choice of country directors.. It was Stus policy to avoid appointing pilots as CDs.. maybe one at one time ran over his dog I don't know. Why you wouldn't have got paid I also don't know and it was the comments about people not being paid and ASI not adhering to contracts that provoked the responses from myself and 'Nikerbal' .. Incidentaly.. while working in Afghanistan we were subject to numerous restrictions many of which we considered draconian and unnecessary and duly ignored... letters of warning were distributed like confetti by the CDs appointed rottweiler ( aka The Gorgon ) but to my knowledge nobody was fired..
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hey, I heard ASI stopped recruiting. Many interviews were cancelled this year. Anyone knows the reason ? Or has it become such a hot-shot place that everyone must work there now ?!
ASI
To get an idea of how a company is managed and operated, just go to its website every once in awhile. In the case of ASI, the number of management changes over the past year, from the Board of Directors to CEO's to Country Directors, certainly indicate a company mired in something serious. The turnover and lack of contract renewals by pilots, especially in the now defunct Afghanistan program, strongly reinforce that idea.
If I was an astrologist, I'd say their stars are aligned for a cosmic collapse.
If I was an astrologist, I'd say their stars are aligned for a cosmic collapse.
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ASI doings
1. If can remember correctly Ray was fired by Don Cressman ... but I might be wrong.
2. Susan Mc G has resigned (thank God for that)
3. They have another "not so new" CEO = Chris Johnstone = I have met him & think he is a good guy
4. The biggest provider from SA for ASI was / (is) Naturelink = only 1 aircraft left an EMB120 in Amman.
5. The Afghan contract is still only "good for Berger" ie the helicopter is what I heard.
6. Personally if I was a betting man I have a very good feeling re ASI as they have hired a guy = will be public in about 30 days time that I know will turn things around at AS (L) in Uganda that now has WFP authority to fly in East Africa.
Overall am sad to hear that you were not paid and reading what you wrote its a sad state of affairs, what if you send a mail with all your things to CJ & see what happens?
I am not associated with them anymore but still maintain that I had a very good time with them
Take care
2. Susan Mc G has resigned (thank God for that)
3. They have another "not so new" CEO = Chris Johnstone = I have met him & think he is a good guy
4. The biggest provider from SA for ASI was / (is) Naturelink = only 1 aircraft left an EMB120 in Amman.
5. The Afghan contract is still only "good for Berger" ie the helicopter is what I heard.
6. Personally if I was a betting man I have a very good feeling re ASI as they have hired a guy = will be public in about 30 days time that I know will turn things around at AS (L) in Uganda that now has WFP authority to fly in East Africa.
Overall am sad to hear that you were not paid and reading what you wrote its a sad state of affairs, what if you send a mail with all your things to CJ & see what happens?
I am not associated with them anymore but still maintain that I had a very good time with them
Take care
ASI in Afghanistan
Re the Berger contract: The latest helicopter (a Canadian registered B-212) was written off in an accident near Bamian in January, while carrying NATO soldiers to an FOB. The previous one was destroyed by an RPG in April, after a froced landing near Ghazni. The one before that was shipped home after the aircraft was attacked and the pilot was shot and killed. The one before that was written off in a weather-related accident. ASI has operated four helicopters for Berger since the beginning. All four have met with disaster. Sadly the Berger connection, and the nature of the tasks associated with that, will be what does ASI in.
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Aime... So that I am clear on this, I want you to know I am not questioning your story, I am seriously want to know why that jackass would fire you for climbing that mountain? The reason I ask is because that is exactly what I would have done in my free time as well... Why would he do that?
This thread is frigging depressing...
This thread is frigging depressing...
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Aime's Rest Of The Story
Aime's story is very telling about AirServ, I experienced almost the same. Not everyone, but most managers and staff, as well as the few pilots I met (both in-country and at US HQ) were arrogant, incompetent and deceptive. If you are in AirServ "Gods" inner circle, than everything is allowed. The country director at the time did not even speak a word of the country language. The local employees (cooks, house-cleaning, drivers, etc.) were treated like **** (even though they all performed an excellent work) and paid through questionable middle-men, so that in effect AirServ was not their legal employer. At AirServ bribes and overpayment for goods & services not needed are the norm. So is cronyism . In my opinion they were also abusing the privileges of Part 91 as they were selling tickets basically to whoever wanted to fly. The AirServ I saw was NOT a humanitarian organization by any mean, let alone "not for profit".
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late answer... etc.
to your question.
The "Jackass" fired me because she was a control freak and a ... Jackass. In retrospect it is clear that the mountain climb was just a pretext.
She wanted ( Susan Mac Gregor/ Program director for the DRC at the time) to tell every pilot what to do, how to fly etc. etc. She had no f* knowledge about aviation, safety, weather. Only her pride as "director" mattered.
The problem is that - at least in Stu Willcuts' time - she was well liked at headquarters; she would bend over and suck d*ck when Stu came Goma. The bottom line is: directors like Susan Macgregor are dangerous in the field of aviation. She put pressure on pilots to do whatever she had promised her NGO friends and/or acquaintances.
Then, it was her "way or the highway" ... in view of what has just happened in Bukavu, I wondered if things have now become a case of... "Do or Die".
The "Jackass" fired me because she was a control freak and a ... Jackass. In retrospect it is clear that the mountain climb was just a pretext.
She wanted ( Susan Mac Gregor/ Program director for the DRC at the time) to tell every pilot what to do, how to fly etc. etc. She had no f* knowledge about aviation, safety, weather. Only her pride as "director" mattered.
The problem is that - at least in Stu Willcuts' time - she was well liked at headquarters; she would bend over and suck d*ck when Stu came Goma. The bottom line is: directors like Susan Macgregor are dangerous in the field of aviation. She put pressure on pilots to do whatever she had promised her NGO friends and/or acquaintances.
Then, it was her "way or the highway" ... in view of what has just happened in Bukavu, I wondered if things have now become a case of... "Do or Die".
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Once again 'aime'... I do sympathise with you over your predicament but let's not compare apples and oranges here... The recent tragic event at Bukavu involved a sub-contractor of ASI not AirServ itself. AirServ could just as easily been contracting out to any one of several other SA companies who would be reponsible for the aircraft's maintenance and crew training...
All pilots sitting in the left-hand seat come under pressure from management to fly against their better judgement, it goes with the territory, it's happened to me regularly throughout my career..... on one occasion in southern Sudan I had to endure a series of calls from UN personnel starting with the on-site lowly appointee and continuing up the ladder almost to the top all wanting to impress on me how vital a particular flight was (no it wan't even a medical case)... it would have involved me in setting off later in the day to fly 600 miles to an airfield with unreliable lighting, arriving after dark and with no accessible alternate... I had no trouble saying no... nor will I ever have any trouble saying no when my mothers favourite son is likely to be first on the scene of the accident. Never has any decision like this had any affect on my career, other than to ensure that it continued safely.
Sounds like you genuinely had a bad break with ASI ( in my experience that itself is unusual ) ... Most of us would agree that the lady was a waste of space. Let's keep it seperate to current events.
All pilots sitting in the left-hand seat come under pressure from management to fly against their better judgement, it goes with the territory, it's happened to me regularly throughout my career..... on one occasion in southern Sudan I had to endure a series of calls from UN personnel starting with the on-site lowly appointee and continuing up the ladder almost to the top all wanting to impress on me how vital a particular flight was (no it wan't even a medical case)... it would have involved me in setting off later in the day to fly 600 miles to an airfield with unreliable lighting, arriving after dark and with no accessible alternate... I had no trouble saying no... nor will I ever have any trouble saying no when my mothers favourite son is likely to be first on the scene of the accident. Never has any decision like this had any affect on my career, other than to ensure that it continued safely.
Sounds like you genuinely had a bad break with ASI ( in my experience that itself is unusual ) ... Most of us would agree that the lady was a waste of space. Let's keep it seperate to current events.
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So, are they hiring ?
Hi guys, touched with the stories about assholes in the company. But I would still like to join. Any news on ASI's hiring situation at the moment ? What experience are they looking for ? I've sent my resume twice via the website but heard nothing at all.
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I have been following the thread here.......
ASI=AssSupport Intrnational !!!!! Run by inefficient likes of Susan and Stu, both regarded by myself and numerous more pilots as the worst of the worst.....
HH, can you get a permanent supply of Prozacs, in case you do still want to join ASI, to be "high" and feel zip for nobody.
The support and backstabbing from management ( especially two names mentioned), will make you feel like pucking permanently. Carefull
, you should rather persue your dreams at another company !!!! 
I was involved flying in a disaster area, flying our 6-8 hours a day, without proper resting places, and ASI wanted to decrease our resting times. And what if an accident happened???? Would Stu or Susan back you up ? NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those two should have been fed to the frontline fighters in Iraq !!!!!
Needless to say, there are a lot of pilots who do NOT have to fly supporting ASI.......
Take note of the seroiusness of this thread.
ASI=Ass
Support Intrnational !!!!! Run by inefficient likes of Susan and Stu, both regarded by myself and numerous more pilots as the worst of the worst.....HH, can you get a permanent supply of Prozacs, in case you do still want to join ASI, to be "high" and feel zip for nobody.
The support and backstabbing from management ( especially two names mentioned), will make you feel like pucking permanently. Carefull
, you should rather persue your dreams at another company !!!! I was involved flying in a disaster area, flying our 6-8 hours a day, without proper resting places, and ASI wanted to decrease our resting times. And what if an accident happened???? Would Stu or Susan back you up ? NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those two should have been fed to the frontline fighters in Iraq !!!!!
Needless to say, there are a lot of pilots who do NOT have to fly supporting ASI.......
Take note of the seroiusness of this thread.
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Last i heard Airserv is only operating twotters and vans. They also use 1900s from executive kenya. Pretty good company for they prefer americans to fly there fleet. You can call Dawson Tanner he is the international chief pilot as they are planning on bringing there own 1900s........ +243810309376 in Goma for application infos. All the best
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Why am I always jumping to defend ASI ? Anyway, that's how it feels...
124.8.. your comments were relevant a year or two back but things have changed for the better... Stu disappeared to who knows where, and who cares where.. last I heard he was screwing things up for ASI from a distance ( Herat )... pity as I like Herat.. maybe the Taliban will kidnap him.. best thing for us.. worst thing for the Taliban... great all round
Contact ASI through their website if you can but don't hold your breath... maybe a direct contact to Dawson would work but he's always under a lot of pressure... just keep pushing.
124.8.. your comments were relevant a year or two back but things have changed for the better... Stu disappeared to who knows where, and who cares where.. last I heard he was screwing things up for ASI from a distance ( Herat )... pity as I like Herat.. maybe the Taliban will kidnap him.. best thing for us.. worst thing for the Taliban... great all round
Contact ASI through their website if you can but don't hold your breath... maybe a direct contact to Dawson would work but he's always under a lot of pressure... just keep pushing.
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4, 5 CEOs ago, but whos counting? LOL! Air Serv International has lost 90% of thier gov funding due to the Labor Day weekend crash. The crash brought to light that they are operating under part 91, doners decided they are not safe and refuse to continue flying with them. Safety First!
They are now scrambling to find a new business plan! Word on the street is they are looking to merge wiyh someone (SkyWorld) who already holds a 135 certificate, thus allowing them to continue bidding for gov grants/contracts and continue operating in thier unsafe manor!
The more things change - the more they stay the same.
Safety First!They are now scrambling to find a new business plan! Word on the street is they are looking to merge wiyh someone (SkyWorld) who already holds a 135 certificate, thus allowing them to continue bidding for gov grants/contracts and continue operating in thier unsafe manor!
The more things change - the more they stay the same.