Varsity Express
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: UK
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: elko, nv
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he is a dodgy con artist! he should name his next airline CON-AIR! his american gf is smitten with his accent i guess. with his prepay credit card.........lol......... he is great at spending other peoples money!
Join Date: Sep 1999
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Well I thought it was funny
Due diligence should be used as standard in the airline world. Especially by anyone considering P2F.
Good luck to the guys involved, but I doubt they will ever see that cash again
Due diligence should be used as standard in the airline world. Especially by anyone considering P2F.
Good luck to the guys involved, but I doubt they will ever see that cash again
Agreed, fascinating story from beginning to end. I could have seen myself being sucked in, desperation to get a real piloting job in today's climate etc, I can really empathise with those three, daft as it looks from looking in on the outside now with all the facts. Hope they get it back.
IJM - bit sanctimonious? Maybe not that 'funny' - but no-one died. Buzz was 'LOL-ing' at his/her own comment.
IJM - bit sanctimonious? Maybe not that 'funny' - but no-one died. Buzz was 'LOL-ing' at his/her own comment.
Join Date: Apr 2001
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I also have huge sympathy for the pilots caught up in this. Given the way the industry is allowed to run recruitment it's no surprise that some wannabes, all of whom are highly educated people who know the risks, shell out vast amounts of their own money in the hope of getting a job.
In my view this sort of thing should be illegal. Consumers get protection from cowboy operators through ATOL etc. The government thinks endless expansion of air transport is a great idea. They should step in to provide tighter regulation of pay-to-fly schemes etc.
NS
In my view this sort of thing should be illegal. Consumers get protection from cowboy operators through ATOL etc. The government thinks endless expansion of air transport is a great idea. They should step in to provide tighter regulation of pay-to-fly schemes etc.
NS
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PTF is an interesting topic and one that is raging in 2 other thread right now:
http://www.pprune.org/terms-endearme...-aviation.html
http://www.pprune.org/terms-endearme...ng-j-curd.html
With PTF rife in the airlines it was always going to be only a matter of time before it hits other areas and is exploited, in this case by MH and through his VE facade. Others could well follow. The GA sector could be next making PTF universal throughout the industry.
There are some interesting points made in both of the above threads and suggested actions to prevent it spreading.
http://www.pprune.org/terms-endearme...-aviation.html
http://www.pprune.org/terms-endearme...ng-j-curd.html
With PTF rife in the airlines it was always going to be only a matter of time before it hits other areas and is exploited, in this case by MH and through his VE facade. Others could well follow. The GA sector could be next making PTF universal throughout the industry.
There are some interesting points made in both of the above threads and suggested actions to prevent it spreading.
Just think, if the first flight of Varsity Express had been today instead of the 1st of March, some of the journos who were originally taken in might well have been comparing it the the Panorama spaghetti tree spoof.
However, I think I've worked out what was written on every single page of the robust business plan Mr Halstead boasted of...
"Something will turn up"
However, I think I've worked out what was written on every single page of the robust business plan Mr Halstead boasted of...
"Something will turn up"
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Plt +ve:
Sorry to say you're well out of date. Pilots flying for no pay in at least one GA operator I know for some time.
NS
The GA sector could be next
NS
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Pilots flying for no pay in at least one GA operator
However, the nature of PTF NOW is that wannabees are committing sums of money for a specific number of line hours before being asked to make way for the next PTF.
Currently, this is not so prevalent in the GA sector but is growing within the airlines...How long before the GA sector realise this could be another revenue stream in what is a very tought market? How long before GA operators start to charge for line hours? Not so out of date methinks....
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Not sure about the fraud probe or any repayment to the pilots, but MH has definitely been trying to erase records of his adventures online. His Wikipedia screenname (Cryton4) appeared again this last Monday on the "history" section of his Wikipedia page - this time trying to delete the page. Unfortunately for him, Wikipedia leaves it up to other editors to see if there's valid reason for deletion. There's not....nothing beyond him wanting to pretend the whole thing never happened.
This appears at the bottom of his user page (written to him from another Wikipedia editor):
"Cryton4: your diligence in creating and nurturing the [MH] page was notable. But that does not mean it be so easily deleted. You used it very effectively to promote yourself and your airline. But that confers no right to then delete the page."
I would imagine MH has attempted to jump ship at this point since his gf is from the US, according to Wikipedia. I wonder where the money to do that would come from....hmmm....
This appears at the bottom of his user page (written to him from another Wikipedia editor):
"Cryton4: your diligence in creating and nurturing the [MH] page was notable. But that does not mean it be so easily deleted. You used it very effectively to promote yourself and your airline. But that confers no right to then delete the page."
I would imagine MH has attempted to jump ship at this point since his gf is from the US, according to Wikipedia. I wonder where the money to do that would come from....hmmm....
