EFT (Florida) LATEST FINANCIAL NEWS

[quackers]

According to local newspapers Charlotte Hale (EFT secretary) is currently in St Lucie jail (bail has been set at $500,00, which presumably she cannot raise?). Reports indicate that she has been arrested on 'suspicion' of stealing more than $100,00 from EFT by paying cheques into her own account and spending same on restaurants, nail salons etc. plus her cleaning business. Those interested/owed money are advised to do a 'google' search on Charlotte Hale, this will bring up reference to her arrest yesterday. Couldn't happen to a nicer woman (doesn't get me my money back though!!!!)

[XL319]

Woman accused of bilking employer (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/tcoast/epaper/2008/06/26/0626slembezzle.html)

[geordiejet]

That's a real shame - I really likes Charlottle when I was there. I can't imagine she would be spending the money on things like that all things considering.

She actually took out a 25% APR loan in EFTs name to cover her dodgy dealings. I really am shocked at that.

Maybe this has been the issue of payments? People claiming to have paid for things, but EFT not being able to actually see the money in their acocunts.

I've read the news reports through news.google.com - and it is a serious case of fraud!

[Dane-Ger]

Has eft closed down? Now their website is down.

Are there any students left out there?

regards D-G

[AlphaMale]

They are still mentioned on their neighbors website here (http://www.aribenaviator.com/jaapro.html).

Real shame to hear this, but with all the money issues with former students I guess it all makes sense now.

[geordiejet]

It looks like the domain has expired, and hasn't been deliberately taken down.

Perhaps it's just been overlooked - what with all this going on?

[commpilot76]

Just to let you all know, EFT is still operating and the website is still up. It was an oversight on the company hosting the website.

[nh2301]

What kind of training are they doing without JAA approval? Just overpriced FAA ratings?

[Privatairdreaming]

This does not suprise me at all. When I was at EFT we was always told that Charlotte was the ONLY person who could access the accounts. Hopefully this will light a fire under someones ass and get the money returned to students who have been sending email after email to this company with no success.
KARMA is served.

[SOLUS]

I telephoned the Licensing Dept at the CAA in Gatwick today, and as far as there concerned EFT has all its approved training requirements in place until July 2009.
I believe there a good company, they just need to get back on track. and release a positive statement that will answer all these rumors.

[Keygrip]

That's an interesting first post in three years there, Solus.

I'm even more curious now - as the resident examiner at EFT told me personally that they had ceased training.

[Matthew Adams]

I wouldn't normally post on this thread, however, as an instructor there I can tell you:

We have approval and there's an approval certificate up on the wall valid until 31 July 2009.

[quackers]

Mathew,

You may be authorised to train until next year, but - do you have students there at the moment?

[Matthew Adams]

Plenty of them learning to spread their wings. :ok: Some learning to teach others to do as well....:8

More arriving next week. :eek:

Those of you who have outstanding business with EFT please email [email protected] for more information. Unforunately, the information given to you, and to the management, about your case was probably unreliable. :*

[quackers]

Glad to hear that. As you're on line at the moment perhaps you could tell us the latest situation with Charlotte and, more importantly, when we can expect our refunds (EFT owe us the money NOT Charlotte!!). Nobody from your school as had the decency to contact us with information !!! I feel sorry for all conerned at EFT but I (and I'm sure others as well) need the money which is rightfully ours, to continue training. Thanks

[Keygrip]

I stand corrected - the resident examiner appears to have been talking bo****ks (no change there then).

Telephone call today from the CFI assures me they are still training.

[Mordacai]

Keygrip, you know I love you!
I'm not sure who the resident examiner you are talking about is, I hope it's not me, maybe SBF? But he's not a resident examiner, there is only one, and thats me...............
AnywaYs we have some good people here now who wanna give folks back what thy are owed, and provide the best quality training we can.

Fun fact.....did you know that EFT have a 100% first time pass rate in 2008? I have to say mostly due to some first rate instruction given by a certain Mr Matthew Adams.....

We are approved, and we're gonna try real hard to make it right.

[Rollerboy]

Guys

Anyone looking at training with EFT should have no worries about the airframes or quality of the JAA training. Presuming all the same instructors are there, which I believe they are I found them to be friendly, well versed and excellent tutors.

My dealings with EFT were in 2006 JAA FIC course which I completed there and passed the test 1st time. Unfortunately I was unable to instruct and use those skills as I almost immediately got a job with a UK airline. Partly thanks to the above qualification I am just completing training to begin a new role as F/O ground trainer with said airline.

This business with Charlotte should have no bearing on your training at EFT.

Roller

[quackers]

Thanks for that 'Rollerboy'. I also had a good experience there several years ago but that is in the past and has no bearing on the current situation. Things have changed a lot at the school since then I can tell you from personal experience. When I was there late last year there were only two full-time instructors. One of the biggest problems is that Trevor Brackston is hardly ever there as he works for a Florida based airline (together with his ex business partner, Ben Wood). Unfortunately, I believe this has led to the owners eye being taken off the ball, hence Charlotte being able to rip the company off. I like Trevor and truly believe that he is an honest, decent bloke which is why I'm surprised that he hasn't contacted all of us ex-students that are owed money. I reiterate - 'EFT OWES US MONEY NOT CHARLOTTE' - we should not have to wait for the result of her prosecution to get satisfaction. Perhaps some current students would like to speak to us on Pprune - are things running smoothly and how many of you are over there at the moment??

[Telstar]

One of the biggest problems is that Trevor Brackston is hardly ever there as he works for a Florida based airline (together with his ex business partner, Ben Wood)

It was like that 4 years ago when I was there too. They were absentee owners, I absolutely knew something like this was going to happen, even then. That's not to say they aren't two very nice guys, they are.

I saw something very similar happen to a family friend, who loved sailing, started taking ever increasing amounts of time off work to pursue his passion, and took his eyes of his cash business, with similar results. When it comes to handling money, no one, but no one can be trusted. Even family members or people who have worked for you for 30 years.

I similarly had trouble getting my money as I was leaving. Fortunately I was still in Florida a few weeks later and stood in the office of EFT and stated that I wasn't leaving until I had the money in my hand.

The charming Charlotte.... What a surprise, who ever could have thought that self important spoilt brat could have done such a thing!?

[Farrell]

Ahhh the judges and juries of Pprune out in force again.

I can understand how it feels to be owed money by a flight school. I know it is hard and that some, if not all of you, need that cash to get on with your training.

I have also seen firsthand, the devastation that a rogue accountant can cause in a business where they have been trusted to look after the funds and then go walkabout with them.

If Ben is out of the loop now, as it appears he is from looking at the affidavit that was issued, then poor Trevor is on his own right now, trying to handle this mess.
It looks also from the contents of the above that he was completely oblivious to what was going on behind his back. Please remember that Charlotte has worked for him for longer than the three years that she had been an authorised signatory on the EFT books.

Trevor is no doubt reeling from this right now. I know the man and can vouch that although he is seldom at the school due to other commitments, he is a solid and honest individual who is highly regarded in his local community.

Those of you who think you have been strung along by him, need to realise that he has obviously been fed as much bull**** as you from Charlotte.

I would also imagine that he is scrambling around trying to make sure that existing students are being catered for. The ones that are there in my opinion, take priority.
As Mordicai said, they will try hard to make it right and, knowing him for a number of years now, I would trust in what he says.

Everyone at EFT is probably wondering what has been truth and what has been lies in relation to finances and until a full investigation is done, it will be impossible for management to know what really has transpired.

I am still at a loss to imagine how Charlotte got herself into this situation and can only guess that it started as a few hundred dollars here and there and then snowballed into the situation she is in now.

What I would ask you to remember, and with respect to your own situations, is that a member of your aviation community has had the wool pulled over his eyes for what looks to be well over a year now. I am sure he feels terrible and will no doubt do his level best to rectify accounts as soon as he can.

Chin up, Trevor and the EFT crew

Farrell

[chrisbl]

But the buck stps with TB - no ifs or buts and there should have been sufficient oversight in place if he was going to be there.

[dapilot6]

How can we judge others?? It is a well known fact that Trevor is no longer a part of the business on a daily basis, so I see it as there is NO head of training and no CFI at EFT. Ben Wood has not been a part of the business for a couple years. As for the situation regarding Charlotte, shouldn't we all remember that one is innocent until proven guilty?? WE all have our opinions I know, but I know that absence of management in any company causes problems, and that companies always make it sound worse than it really is for gain of pity and to lure others back on their side after mismanangement by others. Who am I to say that anyone else was in on it also?? Maybe they had a personal relationship that went sour??? Those are the rumours I have also heard. So, I will not place judgement until it is all over. Like EFT, we should all look at the ending of this for the true facts, as they not all come out till the bitter end.

I can say this though, I trained at EFT, I had no complaints except I was unable to finish my CPL due to lack of instructors that were JAA certified and fact that there were 6 days in which I could not fly due to maintenance issues. Does this belong in Charlotte's blame also?? I think not. Will this still an issue in the future?? As long as they attached to Ari-Ben, I should think so.

[SOLUS]

I have just returned from Florida, EFT. after hearing the bad news..I met with the CfI and Several Instructors, who are all very much working and instructing "wannabe" pilots, they have all of their training facilities in place from the CAA, and my training will commence in October, with hour building, MEP and CPL, Trevor will also be carrying out some of my check rides, sure he is not there all of the time, but the team that is in place are professional, experienced, English, and reliable individuals, and I look forward to my return.

Before passing judgment make sure you have all the facts, thats why I went out to visit them.

[Irish_Stu]

Solus,

How can you possibly know you are dealing with "reliable individuals" or that Trevor will conduct your checkrides?
Either you have been sucked in by the PR department or you work for EFT.

If you are going there to train, perhaps you should wait until you have your licence or whatever in hand before you stick up for the place. Many of us do have all the facts. We went there to train, left with a lot less than promised, and are still waiting on money back many months later. Those are the facts.

[topgun23]

So what's the reality of getting a CPL done with these guys in 3/4 weeks if at all??!

Have they got the Jaa instructors anymore? Micheal Adams seems to think so.

And from reading Mordacai's comments they're getting it sorted.

Would be nice to actually speak to one of these people instead of Ari.:ugh:

Any advice on any of the other JAA schools in Florida?

[dapilot6]

Top Gun,

Matthew Adams and Modacai are the only two instructors they have so of course they are on here touting EFT's good training. And Mordacai does testing as well. I agree that one of these instructors is good to deal with and the other an ass even on the ground and rude to anybody who approaches him. I believe Trevor can only do PPL and MEP testing. THe actual CAA examiners are Ben Wood, which seems a conflict of interest to me, and Paul Thompson and Steven Fischer. But I never saw Paul Thompson while I was there, I understood he would not test for EFT anymore. I do not think this is still true, but it was while I was there last year. I have many times tried to get my refund or reschedule the rest of my training with no success. I ended up finishing it back home, and still no monies from them!

[Telstar]

Any more news on this? Sorry to be a voyeur into something wot int my business, but I'm munching my popcorn on the edge of my seat watching this Sooap Opera unfold. :O

[Katamarino]

Wow :eek: And there was me thinking her worst crime was putting your name on the no fly board if your account ran too low! Hope that EFT gets through this - I had a fantastic time there in 2005 (with a SUPERB instructor), and found Trevor to be a great guy!