European Flyers

[hotwings]

A real shame to see European Flyers cease trading.

At least they have told it like it is:

"General Airline Ltd t/a European Flyers

"It is with enormous regret that European Flyers has suspended trading today.

"We have, in the past, overcome many setbacks but the realisation of the spiralling costs, in more than just financial terms, which are coming into play since the terror attack in the States - sharply rising insurance premiums, security regulations, safety perceptions - has beaten us.

"In the past 18 months not only, along with other FTOs, have we been badly affected by the appalling weather, the costs of implementing giant rafts of JAR rules and regulations, and the Inland Revenue demanding NVQ subsidies back but also the utter confusion in the marketplace, the overzealous implementation of JAR regulations by the CAA, including the Authority awarding JAR approvals to the US where the training is cheaper, the lack of movement on the NPPL and the "ten-a-day" miles of red tape the Government has heaped upon us and the major problems in instructor/ examiner/ training costs - the list is endless.

"The high cost of fuel (78% excise duty), the high cost of aircraft maintenance, and relate problems, along with rising airport costs - all these things have helped to place the cost of learning to fly outside the average person's pocket - all this has joined hands with a massive downturn in business across the board in General Aviation and we can no longer, personally, carry on subsidising a business which appears to have absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel and a black hole when it comes to costs.

"After discussions with our bankers we have been told to suspend operations and restructure the company

[Cusco]

Well, I suppose it means that someone else will have a chance of getting the European Flyers Cup for the club sending the biggest number of aeroplanes to the Alderney Flying Club Fly-in next year, Unless of course they ask for their cup back

:eek:

[BEagle]

When I was fighting the CAA over the effect that their precipitate embrace of JAR-FCL would have on GA, they refused to accept it. No - there wouldn't be any increase in costs and safety would improve. But the UK has a GA record 4 times as safe as the rest of the world, according to the head of the CAA, so why the perceived need for such absurdly expensive changes? The CAA's Regulatory Impact Assessment presented to the House was a thoroughly flawed document which conveniently omitted to explain the full impact of their Eurocracy on our industry.

Since this utter cr@p of JAR-FCL was forced upon a resentful industry, every single area of flying training has faced increased costs. Even FIs teaching farmers to PPL standard now have to meet the same medical standards as a BA Concorde captain, the BCPL was thrown away merely because there was no JAR-FCL equivalent, training for and revalidation of both FI and FE qualifications is now far more difficult and expensive and demand for training has also decreased due to the inability of the CAA to regulate 'overseas training' - which does not have to pay the high UK fuel and maintenance costs.

So we've seen more and more companies creaking and folding, most of whom were suffering long before the terrorist atrocities in the US. Virtually everything I warned the CAA suits would happen if they didn't stop their lemming-like rush over the JAR-FCL cliff has happened; the NPPL will help, but won't reduce costs substantially until far more realistic requirements are in place for PPL FIs and FEs to give anyone interested in an aviation career access to affordable, UK-based flying training.