JAC Academy (Merged)

[santan17]

I was doing an A320 type rating with them and to cut a very long story short, the whole thing was so suspicious (We had no manuals, no syllabus, no FMGS trainer, no Fixed base sim, and our "instructor" wasn't even rated on the airbus!) that we (myself and the other guy I was doing the rating with) called the police. This led to the arrest of Andrew Alexandre (also known as Gonzague Alexandre) and Olivier Auclerc who is apparently the brains behind the whole thing, yesterday morning in Frankfurt by german undercover police officers.

They are now being questioned by Police and at this time it looks likely they will both be going to jail.
Also of interest is that the police have contacted the relevant english authorities and apparently JAC Academy doesn't actually exist.

What we are tryiong to do now is gather as much informationa as we can about the "company" and anybody else that might be working for them. If anybody has any information they consider might be relevant I would greatly appreciate if you could pm me.


On a personal note, the thing I have the most difficulty understanding though is how they can have got away with this for so long? I have seen their adds in Flight for at least a couple of years now, surely I am not the first person to be scamed by them?





Santan17

[flite idol]

WOW!!!! Can this be true? Keep us informed!

[santan17]

Its true all right, we were with the police until 3 in the morning last week. It turns out that there has been a warrant out for Andrew Alexandre's arrest in France since 1994 and Olivier Auclerc has been wanted since December 29th, neither of them are even alowed inside the EU!

The whole thing is completely surreal, and needles to say we will never see our money again.

Santan17

[trainer too 2]

Unfortunately the search engine is not available to me but this place had FRAUD written on it from day one. I mentioned in a number of postings that you should stay away from brokers for type rating specially when they operate out of a Mayfair mailbox!!

I have been equally wary of places like AGS, Aviation Solutions etc because it was not clear who they worked for etc. Since then we know Aviation Solutions is ok but AGS is best avoided. The TRTO's like Altheon, CAE and GECAT are always a much safer bet! :hmm:

Might sound hard but it gives me a big: Told you so feeling :ouch:

Sorry Satan but do use the Pprune forums to figure companies out... a brochure and website are cheap to produce but prove to be expensive!

[santan17]

Thats a fair point, but I actually did my TR with a company called JCAB-ATP, I checked it out here on pprune, but couldn't find anything about it. The guy who sold me the type rating is called Gonzague Alexandre, who as I mentioned earlier turned out to be none other than Andrew from JAC.

Its always easy to be wise afterwards but the reason I went with them is because I wanted Line training and none of the big players like GECAT or CAE offer that.



Santan

[Danny]

For information, JAC Academy did advertise on PPRuNe for a short period about a year or so ago but I withdrew their advert after I received numerous complaints from both dissatisfied customers and others claiming to have more detailed knowledge of the legality of some of their dealings. I am currently under threat of legal action by them for withdrawing the advert prematurely. However, I am more than prepared to call their bluff, especially with the breaking news on this thread.

[eagerbeaver]

I spoke to this olivier charachter last feb about some training but he was illusive and never had any facts. I thought i would research him, i got a contract from him for training via fax but it still had somebody else's details in the various fields.
My father then checked out his office on the Strand which was just a P.O box and the lady on reception used to forward his calls.
Astraeus had some contact with the guy but nothing solid.

Everything about the JAC Academy stank of a con, I even emailed Scroggs about my concerns.

I dont wish to sound smug at all.

I am gutted for those who have lost money, but the guy was (to me) obviously a con-man and i did post my feelings.

Once again, i am not being a smug git.

Although i am delighted he and his fellow shysters are off to the nick.

[Khaosai]

Sorry to hear about your very unfortunate encounter with these jokers. Hope you can recoup the money lost, and finish the rating with a reputable company. Rgds.

[Boss Raptor]

Aside of the unfortunate circumstance of yet more conmen in our industry and good people losing money yet again...

I am intrigued as to how these people were/were intending to sign off the type rating, whos' simulator, whos' authority, whos' TRI? They clearly have been doing this one assumes successfully for sometime!

Doesn't say much for the anti-terrorist screening that is now supposed to be in place to counter their use of simulators...anyone who has tried to book a simulator in the UK recently for foreign airlines/personnel will know what I mean... :cool:

[Headset starter]

Very well put,

The US seem to be over eager when it comes to ruining type ratings for legit people so lets hope they can screw this guy for everything they can. Bring on the US Justice Department.

Take it easy 17,

HS

[santan17]

They never once asked to see a copy of my ID, licence or logbook. Absolutly nothing. Also it was kind of hinted that if we needed more time or got a few too many questions in the exam wrong, it wouldn't be a problem. The list just goes on and on.

What I would be really interested in knowing is if anybody ever succesfully completed a type rating with them? How they managed to open up bank accounts in the UK with names like JAC Academy and Air Palma if they are not a legitimate business? And how come it has taken so long to arrest them?




Santan17

[witchdoctor]

Oh dear,

And I bet you though Oxford robbed you!

Seriously though, my sympathies and nice work on getting the op closed down if indeed that is what happens, and the rogues behind bars.

[MrPilot28]

WE GOT HIM!!

The german police have been asking me to take contact with as many as possible "affected" by JAC Academy. Please establish contact ASAP. They have been playing around enough!

[Boss Raptor]

Santan...I am assuming you were expecting to undergo sim training and certification, which would have been at a third party facility contracted by/to JAC? if so whom did you think/were led to believe would be providing the facilities (should you feel at liberty to disclose of course)

[CH4]

Mr Pilot 28 & Santan,

Well done for getting them in front of the police. Hopefully, the right and appropriate action will follow. I suggest that you provide the police contact information to ensure that the relevant individuals that have the evidence can contact them and provide the information they are asking for. If you do not wish to post it in the open forum, then send me a PM and I will ensure the right people get the info.

Trainer Too 2, please check your PM's

CH4

[Engineer]

congrats really please for all concern Feel the world is a safer place :ok:

[trainer too 2]

In response to a request by CH4 I would like to point out that I do not consider Aviation Solutions to be in the same league as JAC. This after some of the moderators where able to back them up on pprune a while back. Also eventually the most important question (who do they train for) was answered in the thread as well

I have however on the appropriate forum been bugging them and all other providers to "come out" regarding who they train for. Ever since the great Govner with big ideas and places like JAC based on the Strand (I beg you pardon not Mayfair, that is probably the location of the JAC Medical department :8 ) I have been wary with regards to any training solution that looks to good to be true. And thus it is all our duty to get the answers for all wannbees out there.

Thus I made a small change in my posting above :\

[MrPilot28]

A question to all those making good notices an tips. It seems like you all guys know quite alot regarding JAC-Academy and some of you probably lost money there as well. How come, that nobody got them caught since 1994?

Just a question turning my brain up-side-down...

[flying carpet]

Well done. Students getting revenge on the rip off trainers. Sounds like a break from the norm.......

[santan17]

Boss Raptor, the TRTO changed three times over the past two weeks, I am not however at liberty to discuss who they are. The two that I have contacted so far however have both been very professional, and helped wherever they could. In fact one of them played a major part in helping us make the arrest and it is doubtfull we could of done it without their assistance.

CH4 I will check with the police and get back to you about that.


Santan17

[CrashDive]

For some ( hopefully useful ) background & advice about JAC Academy see below some previous contributions:CrashDive posted 3rd June 2003 20:47 in the thread who does self sponsored type ratings (http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=91992&highlight=JAC+Academy)

I'd like to clarify a certain point, in as much that I think you'll find that the JAC Academy are completely discredited, having not paid their ( substantial ) bills to a number of the leading training providers !

I.e. JAC acted as agents / brokers, wherein they pocketed the trainees money, but did not then subsequently pass it on as payment to the companies that provided the actual hands-on training - and by all accounts it was nice little earner, e.g. their last know address was in Monaco !

Indeed if anybody knows the actual whereabouts of the brothers Auclerc ( i.e. Olivier and / or Nicholas ? ) who head-up JAC, could you please post it here ( or contact me privately ) so that the information can be passed on to the relevant legal authorities.

Nb. This action is being taken in conjunction w.r.t. the thousands of €/$/£'s that they ( JAC Academy / the Auclerc’s ) have extracted from a great many honest & hard working people.CrashDive posted 3rd June 2003 21:31 in the thread who does self sponsored type ratings (http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=91992&highlight=JAC+Academy)

If you pay JAC any money then you stand to risk not getting issued with your Type Ratings ‘Course Completion Certificate’ – and this is something which you must have in order to get the CAA/JAA to issue the rating – and without which you are stuffed !

You see the way it works is that if you form a contract with JAC for Type-Rating training, and they ( JAC ) then form a contract with a (reputable) TRTO / training provider....... but that the TRTO does not subsequently get paid by JAC for provision of your training – something which was conducted on your behalf at JAC’s behest and to whom ( JAC ) you have paid your money - it is you who must chase JAC to ensure that they pay the TRTO for the training that you have had – such that the TRTO will issue the certificate to you.

Basically your contract is with JAC – and not with the 3rd party TRTO, to whom JAC ‘sub-contracted / brokered’ your training.

Nb. TRTO = Type Rating Training Organisation - which is a very difficult approval to get and to keep - and JAC have not been issued with one, so they buy-in / contract TRTO's to provide the training; So if you do business with JAC ask to see their TRTO certification and also check it with the relevant issuing authority.

Given the amounts of money involved in aviation training - especially so when it comes to large jet aircraft - I cannot caution people enough to be very careful with whom they give it to ............ and please remember that many of us PPRuNe elder statesmen have also been there, done that, been ‘burnt’ – and resultant from which PPRuNe was born !CrashDive posted 29th August 2003 07:52 in the thread JAC-academy (http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100585&highlight=JAC+Academy)

It is true to say that we know several entirely successful type rating candidates who have nothing on paper within their license to prove that fact, despite having payed JAC up front for their course.
We are similarly able to confirm that it was the non payment of bills, by JAC, in respect of services provided by UK training establishments (note the plural) which led to this situation.

Would you please post any contact details (web links, email addresses, phone numbers, street address, etc ) which you have for JAC academy, as there are debt collection agencies, and others, who would like to get in touch with them.There's not a lot more I can add to the above, other than ones hope that these ******s don't manage to winkle out of the clutches of the law.

For those people thinking of doing self-sponsored type-ratings - as you can see from the above - it can't be emphasised enough that you should properly research your training provider, and most certainly in advance of parting with any money !

[MrPilot28]

Hallo again to all of you guys concerned regarding the JAC-Academy disease.

We have had alot of response the last 24 hours (thanks).
We have noticed that there are alot of Pilots being ripped off.
I am still very concerned to get more information/contacts of all those whom had anything with JAC-Academy, Andrew Alexander, Gonzag Alexander Gay, Oliver Roland and/or Auclerc Oliver to do. This is a request from the german police (Criminal departement).
Fact is, they are found guilty and it is time to sort out as much as possible of the crimes they are responsible for.

Please forward anything to following E-mail: [email protected]

Best regards for a safe future in all matters

-An expierienced Pilot

[Tinstaafl]

Just curious, have they been found guilty, or arrested & charged? There's a difference...

[Tinstaafl]

Just got this PM from MrPilot28:

JAC

We only give more detailed information regarding JAC when we have set up a communication with names.
If you have been affected, you can please send us your details.

Best regards

For christ's sake. It was s a simple question from a curious bystander. There's another thread currently running about this dubious organisation claiming the principals have been arrested, while you seem to be claiming they've been convicted. .What's so bloody secret about my question?

[MrPilot28]

Tinstaafl:

I don´t know what those mails from you are all about?
Facts are, we and alot of others, are dealing with criminals and we are trying to sort out this situation and get in contact with those affected of JAC-Academy. If you cannot understand that we do not give all information in public, it is a petty for you. But rather keep your not helping mails for yourself.

Not to forget, it is a complex situation we are dealing with, and there might be more of "them" out there....!!!!!

I do not think that anyone with common sence, will loose their money to criminals, and that is what we are fighting for.

[flite idol]

Tinstaafle, sometimes dont you just wish you hadn`t botherd. I guess something got lost in the translation!

[Pointer]

As i was shopping around for a type rating i found JAC Academy and first love took place; at least an affordable type rating!

Then i compared note's and saw that it looked to good to be true. Alarm bell's traded places with the affection; If it looks too good to be true it frequently is!

So i set out to check their claims; they said they dealt with a certain TRTO, so i called those good souls. "never heard of them" was the first answer, but later i was called and given a telephone number of someone to call. It didn't look very promising.

So i thought.... lets confront JAC with the suspicion and see if they would play ball; i offered them to pay the "overhead" to them and the actual fee to the TRTO directly.

Never heard of them since! I will offer my limited info to the needy but if you stay sharp you won't end up on the short end of the stick!

Pointer

[PorcoRosso]

Well

Being a French Forum members, more or less, in the knowledge JAC was to be avoided at all cost, am a bit deceived to see no mention of those warnings by your french friends (I think we made it very clear many times on the FF )
Flyblue delivered our concerns to Danny, and she is to be thanked for that.

I hope those little crooks will have some time to think about it.

[Tinstaafl]

What drugs are you on, MrPilot28??? I haven't sent any emails to you. :rolleyes:

All I was trying to do was clarify a discrepancy between the two pieces of information in the original two posts. One person said they've been arrested, you said they've been found guilty. Which one is it? Is that really so difficult to comprehend? :hmm:


You're right, flite idol. Am I using a different English language?

[santan17]

Hi guys


Sorry to keep going on about this but I've just spoken to the police and they have asked me to post their contact details here. A Judge ruled on Friday evening that Auclerc and Alexandre posed too much of a flight risk so therefore must stay in prison until trial (about four to six months).

They really want to hear from anyone who has done business with them, anyone who lost money with them, or anyone with any info about them.

So if you know anyone that might know something it would be appreciated if you could pass on the contact details.


Thanks



Santan.

Contact Person:

Mr. Hans Jürgen Mertes
Kriminaloberkommissar

Address of the police

Polizeipräsidium Frankfurt am Main
Kriminaldirektion - Kommissariat 32
Adickesallee 70
60322 Frankfurt am Main


Tel.: ++49-69-755-53212
Fax.: ++49-69-755-53209

[Boss Raptor]

'Posed too much of a flight risk' being a rather appropriate but unfortunate pun under their circumstance :hmm:

[trainer too 2]

Any updates on these friendly :mad: gentleman??