View Full Version : Wellesbourne Aviation sold again
Wellesbourne Aviation, which was bought by Cabair in 2007, has now been sold to Pilot Flight Training (Wellesbourne).
It is also understood that PFT is in the process of changing its name to Aeros, following an earlier acquisition - although it is not known at this juncture whether Wellesbourne Aviation will retain its own trading name.
1d2d3d4d
1st Apr 2009, 21:10
Hi znww5,
Any idea what has happened to the WA fleet especially the Robim HR200s. The last news was that two of them were being relocated today. Has that still happened or is the fleet (hopefully) still intact?
Chris
Ex Oggie
2nd Apr 2009, 04:56
Wellesbourne Aviation will cease to be, with Aeros taking over the building and some of the aircraft. RIP Wellesbourne Aviation.
Another highly successful & profitable company destroyed by Cabair :mad:
It was never the same after all the original staff left and the standards dropped.
XO
1d' - They are hanging on to 2 of the Robins: one HR200 and the aerobatic H2160(?). This is presumably to try and keep some ex WA pilots happy and to give them an aerobatic aircraft.
The plan appears to be to standardise on PA28 Warriors with an Archer and a Saratoga also being available. Pilot Flight Training (PFT) had ordered two Cessna Skycatchers to replace their old C152s and that plan will still to go ahead.
As for name changes, the plan appears to be that eventually all the various companies will trade under the Aeros banner, but whether they will remain financially separate remains to be seen. Company practice seems to be to transfer the ownership of the aircraft to their own leasing company, which then leases them back to the flying schools/clubs. Apart from protecting major assets if a school folds, this will also give flexibility in terms of how the fleet (currently of 20 aircraft) is deployed.
Hopefully, the staff of both schools will be OK - this is not a good time to be looking for work.
tmmorris
2nd Apr 2009, 12:28
Two Robins certainly visible on Monday - I know that doesn't contradict the suggestion they have been sold since.
Tim
A and C
3rd Apr 2009, 16:14
I looked at buying W.A. a few years back and it may have seemed like a healthy company and the books would have looked good to those outside aviation but all was not well.
All the aircraft had large morgages and the engines would have reached TBO before enough money was in the bank to pay for the engine overhauls.
The situation was so bad that the accountant that I asked to look at the books called me half way into his investigation to ask me if I wanted him to continue in the light of what had been unearthed.
It pains me to say this Cabair saved that business from going broke, I think that getting a foot in the door at another airfield was more important to Cabair than the future losses at W.A. that they would have expected to turn around with agressive marketing to those customers new to aviation but that stance is now coming home to roost in these harder economic times.
I hope that a new company can make a go of W.A. or what ever it is re-branded as but I cant see this being the time to pin ones training plans on a new and expensive aircraft such as the Skycatcher.
It the light of the problems that the skycatcher has (two prototypes destroyed in spin testing) I would think that the trusty C152 would require a bit more investment to keep them flying.
tmmorris
4th Apr 2009, 13:13
PFT of course already has a base there, so in effect this means the closure of WA and the absorption of its business activities into PFT. As such I would think the sensible thing to do is to reduce the joint fleet; if as A and C says the Robins are coming up to TBO it might be best to sell them and cut the losses. A lot depends on what PFT paid!
Tim
Lurcio
4th Apr 2009, 15:53
Hi All,
I'm a Wellesbourne Aviation member and was down at Wellesbourne this morning - PFT next door have definitely taken over.
There has been a doorway knocked through to connect the two buildings and WA's reception has now moved next door.
Two of the blue Robins have gone, I think to CabAir at Blackbushe, but the rest of the fleet is still there and will be staying for the short term at least. The third blue Robin, Victor India, is actually being leased back again, to enable students that have started on the type to complete their training.
It seems the problem with the Robins is that spares are difficult to obtain now, especially engine parts, and down time tends to drag out very uneconomically, so sadly they have a limited career.
It is confirmed that the name "Wellesbourne Aviation" will soon be dropped and the new business will have the name "Aeros".
The old WA phone number will be redirected to the new reception so can still be used.
CabAir have completely pulled out, and taken back all their computer systems. As a result, if you have sent WA an email recently it won't be read for a few more days yet - it's probably better to phone at the moment!
I hope this helps shed some light on what's going on for those that haven't had chance to get there lately!
A and C
4th Apr 2009, 22:52
Robin have gone bust not Lycoming so I think you must mean that the airframe parts are hard to get.
I am having no problems with Lycoming bits!
seb1982
4th Apr 2009, 22:56
I quit training with Wellesbourne about a year ago, after doing my first solo.
It started out as a friendly local club, but pretty soon after I joined things started to go downhill. At one point, I had had seven lessons with seven different instructors, and it was just impossible to make progress as they all had their own ways of doing things, and were giving me conflicting advice.
I pulled out as soon as Cabair reared their ugly head and the prices got too complicated to even understand.
I hope that Victor India continues for a while - it was the one I soloed in, and is a lovely little aircraft.
I've given up with the Group A clubs for a while, as they all seem to be out to fleece you rather than provide any kind of solid flight training, and I'm now to be found keeping myself in Class G with an Ikarus C42, being taught by one chap who loves his job.
Bliss!
Lurcio
5th Apr 2009, 07:43
A and C
Point taken about Lycoming! For sure, no problem with engine parts. I was thinking about the exhaust system, as we had the 2160i Robin out of action for a while last year, waiting for an exhaust part to arrive from New Zealand. Not sure if that's a Lycoming or a Robin part? I would have thought Robin, but happy to be corrected!
A and C
5th Apr 2009, 08:04
It's a Robin part and we are having the same problems getting Robin bits.
Despite being a DR400 owner I would only ever opperate one as a private aircraft due to this sort of problem, it is only the Americans who do customer support anything like it should be.
You cant run a business relying on the French!
scaryplane
8th Apr 2009, 11:08
Unfortunately, Aeros is suffering after the takeover of PFT. Hope the same doesn't happen to WA. :sad:
Post #13 - in what way?
I was led to believe the new operation has been a success
scaryplane
8th Apr 2009, 18:53
You can't hire an aircraft now for love or money. Some of the aircraft were sold, and we were led to believe that they were going to be replaced, which turned out not to be the case at all. I was talking to the commercial students when I was there last, and they're extremely unhappy that their courses are being held up because there isn't the aircraft availability for them to fly as much as they need to.