Bristow Group sells Bristow Academy

[chopper2004]

https://www.verticalmag.com/news/bristow-group-sells-bristow-academy/

[Gordy]

How to make a million dollars in this industry----start with $2M. It seems the purchase price they paid was $16M. Glad I left before it all went South.....

[HeliboyDreamer]

Looking at the comments from the article I can see that the school is not as prosperous as a few years back… Really sad, it was a great school…

I wonder what happen there (it can’t be all down to management as said in the comments).

[GoodGrief]

Really sad, it was a great school…

I wonder what happen there (it can’t be all down to management as said in the comments).
Sorry, but it wasn't.The people in charge did a lot of damage to its reputation.

It was great when Patrick ran it.

[Gordy]

Sorry, but it wasn't.The people in charge did a lot of damage to its reputation.

It was great when Patrick ran it.

Yes Indeedy... :ok:

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

Watching the demise of what used to be a great company is truly sad.

The price seems a bit low, especially with payment over 4 years ?

NEO

[212man]

Watching the demise of what used to be a great company is truly sad.

The price seems a bit low, especially with payment over 4 years ?

NEO
It’s a pittance! They paid 20 million for it. Does the sale include the IR school at Staverton (or had that gone already?)

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

Does the sale include the IR school at Staverton (or had that gone already?)

AFAIK only the US parts are included. I heard a while ago that the Staverton school had gone.

NEO

[hihover]

I am a great fan of Bristow Academy. Patrick made a bold move to Florida and the school flourished, the time was right and the market was ready for a one-stop large civilian school. Patrick did a great job and Bristow reaped the benefits for quite a few years.

Those days were over a couple of years ago. If there are no jobs to go to, who is going to spend all that money on training for them??

I think it is quite unfair to put the blame on "The Management". I have no doubt they made whatever changes were made in the best interests of the shareholders....thats the way life is. The Management were not responsible for the downturn in helicopter ops worldwide.

It was a phase, and that phase is over..... it was great while it lasted, and it spawned many many helicopter pilots in good jobs today.

Tam Macklin

ps. I am not management from Bristow Academy, never have been. These are just my thoughts on the situation.

[paco]

The outfit at Staverton is now Castle Air, unless that's changed already :)

[DonQuixote23]

I left BA in 2015 and at that time it was still buzzing with activity. Really sad to see how it went downhill from there. I had a great 2.5 years in Titusville. Hopefully he new owners will make something good with it.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

I think it is quite unfair to put the blame on "The Management". I have no doubt they made whatever changes were made in the best interests of the shareholders....thats the way life is. The Management were not responsible for the downturn in helicopter ops worldwide.

I must have missed the post blaming the management ? I guess we're all in agreement; market forces, i.e. supply and demand have caused this decline.

NEO

P.S. Are you ex British Army Tam ?

[helicrazi]

Tam, you did my CPL skill test at BA many years ago! Hope you are keeping well!

Sad to see BA go too, had some good times, visited the school only a year ago, a shadow of its former self, no helicopters at all buzzing around, and 2 students in the newest intake at the time, times had changed.

[gwelo shamwari]

While I was there there was a noticeable shift from catering to all markets to catering to #1 Military contracts, #2 JAR Program, and if there was anything remaining for the FAA program. The attitude to the FAA program also changed as it was noticeable that management (exRN) deemed it substandard to the EASA.

I guess the idea was to chase the big bucks, which was a shame was if look around most of the people that I know in the international industry were self funded FAA students on the J1 visa. These were the people that flocked to HAI to get ratings and experience before either staying in the US market or returning to their home countries to do the infamously ridiculous JAA/EASA exams and ratings (I do hold an EASA ATPL).

This shift from focusing on the individual to the corporate client was good while the corporate clients spent money, but it drove many individuals to other flight schools and damaged its repuataion because of their second class status. There are still plenty of flight school doing well in the US and there are a number of sectors non O&G doing well internationally.

Its sad to see what corporate greed and a poor regard to the FAA program has done.:ugh:

[[email protected]]

Wonder if the UK Government considers it got a good deal since 70% of the Bristow profits now come from the UKSAR contract and they are cutting costs within that contract wherever they can.

[gwelo shamwari]

Actually it was 11 years ago at the end of 2006 when Bristow bought HAI. It was a great party at Heli Expo was it not? :ok:

Oh my... What does veterans day have to do with stating the facts of the situation. Managements attitude set the tone of the desired customers, unfortunately that tone was of the FAA program was not to the same standard as that of the JAA and did not generate the same short term revenue of the JAA and Military contracts. Thankfully they were able to jump "ship" before it sank... ;)

Rot sets in slowly. Those private individuals that would have now sustained Bristow Acadamy are going elsewhere. Bristow Academy's reputation is that the private individual who is pursuing a FAA certificate is not the client of choice, hence not welcome.

[helonorth]

Actually it was 11 years ago at the end of 2006 when Bristow bought HAI. It was a great party at Heli Expo was it not? :ok:

Oh my... What does veterans day have to do with stating the facts of the situation. Managements attitude set the tone of the desired customers, unfortunately that tone was of the FAA program was not to the same standard as that of the JAA and did not generate the same short term revenue of the JAA and Military contracts. Thankfully they were able to jump "ship" before it sank... ;)

Rot sets in slowly. Those private individuals that would have now sustained Bristow Acadamy are going elsewhere. Bristow Academy's reputation is that the private individual who is pursuing a FAA certificate is not the client of choice, hence not welcome.

Sums it up pretty well.

[jonnyloove]

Is there anymore information on who bought the Bristow Academy yet.?

[212man]

Is there anymore information on who bought the Bristow Academy yet.?

According to google maps, it is this outfit: U.S. Aviation Training Solutions Inc

[whirlDogs]

any more news?

[SASless]

Its sad to see what corporate greed and a poor regard to the FAA program has done.https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies2/eusa_wall.gif

Nothing new to the bias shown by those on the eastern side of the Great Saltwater Divide.

But as is well known....Pride goeth before a Fall!

[whirlDogs]

heard the EASA Head of Training just resigned??

[212man]

Nothing new to the bias shown by those on the eastern side of the Great Saltwater Divide.

But as is well known....Pride goeth before a Fall!

?? Apart from no longer being part of Bristow, nobody on the eastern side of the Atlantic had any say in its running when it was. They simply put more focus on the more profitable foreign military and EASA programmes - kind of a normal business practice......

[muermel]

heard the EASA Head of Training just resigned??

Philip W. or Peter W.?

[SASless]

The attitude to the FAA program also changed as it was noticeable that management (exRN) deemed it substandard to the EASA.

Try again 212 Man.

One could "raise" standards and use that as a selling point claiming "Centre of Excellence" bragging rights.....eh?

[muermel]

Philip W. or Peter W.?

Peter W. is leaving from what I read on the FB site. Did my EASA LST with him, such a nice guy, great instructor. Does anybody know what he'll be up to next?

Ciao

[Hot_LZ]

Off to Air Methods.

LZ