Flying school Fraud in Miami, FL.

[Khantoronto]

I am a Canadian citizen, who was promises of 14 days accelerated program for PPL.
i got TSA clearance and landed in Miami on January 13,2020 and when i reached at the apartment i was promised (it was shocking). I decided to move out same day and went to air bnb place 15 minutes from the flying school.
Next day when i went to the address i was told to, so it was a FOB (Fuel depot for small planes) and the guy sitting there waiting for me. When i asked where the flying school is so i was told (oh i have freelancing flying school and no office,classrooms or office). On top of that the owner/guy can hardly speak English).
I went to the washroom and did talk to myself in mirror (Ok this looks bad but it shouldn’t be that horrible and as i am already here from Canada, so i should give it a try).
As soon as i came our of the washroom , the guy said OK this is your instructor for tonight lesson so pls make the half payment (it was 7pm in the evening and i said you want me to start the very first lesson at night in dark) ? The guy said , well you have to do 3hrs pf night flying anyway so lets start from today. I refused and said will start from tomorrow.
next day when i went to the same FOB area. There is a new instructor waiting for me and he told me (i dont know the owner but i am your instructor and lets start training). First 2 days went fine then the owner asked for payment but i was promised for making 4 payments as per agreement for each 10hrs block of flying so i said we just started and didnot finish 10hrs but no problem and i paid first payment.
right after that day the instructor told me (oh i have other students too in other flying schools so tomorrow cannot come but day after will do the lesson). I said fine as the instructor knows i am here for 14 days accelerated program (but guess what ? Next day instructor told me he thought i am here for a month).
i called the owner and then they both speak to eachother in Espaniol which i couldnot understand at all but instructor said fine it will be intense training but will help you (now remember this is my 5th day already now).
next day i asked the owner what about the written exam as i am ready and i was promised for written exam the very first day i arrive, he said the riles are changed so i should do research myself and see whats new 😳
ok i did research and booked exam and passed my written exam in like 2 days.
by then owner asked me for second payment and i just did 18hrs but i paid for next 10hrs.
After that the instructor gave me good 2 days time and we did training of 9hrs in 2 days (so i was hopeful that i am at the right place and will go back to Canada with PPL in hands after 2 weeks).
the owner comes to my accomodation and asks me to pay third payment for 10hrs (which i did), when asked for the invoice he said oh dont worry tomorrow you will get it.
next day i am sitting there at the facility and guess what (no plane available and no instructor available) neither owner or instructor answering my phone.
then i get a text msg from instructor saying that the owner has given the plane to another student so no flying today and i just have 4 days left in my flight back to Canada. Whereas we have to still finish the required hrs and training and even book for checkride.
Anyway next morning the owner said (well i only have C172 available so fly on that and do checkride on that) 😳
i said but i did my almost 30hrs on C150 and im expecting a checkride in 3 days so i cannot change the plane at this moment as i will for sure fail the checkride (guess what ? The owner said oh dont worry just fly in 172). When i asked where the Airworthiness certificate is so he said oh its not with me right now but don’t worry.
and you know what (it was expired Airworthiness certificate). So that day i argued with the owner that this is not fair what he is doing to me and i want to continue in C150 and also do my checkride. He said OK tomorrow for sure will arrange C150 for me.
today whole day I waited for instructor or owners text or call but guess what (i get a reply later that now do the lat payment first then we will see what we can do for you).
i said i am flying back to Canada and in 2 days neither can i finish my requirements and nore will you or your instructor help me with checkride.
the guy said oh dont worry the last 3hrs we can just pretend you did fly and will get you the endorsement letter 😳😳
at the moment I realized this is not going anywhere forward with these fraudsters so i quit.

long story short i got more than 30hrs of flying training which i paid for but then all nightmare (no plane available, instructor doesnt care as he is just busy making money with other students in other flying schools and on top of that they want to give me nonflying hrs if i make last payment in advance, which i refused as it is a fraud to do that and now i am back in Canada today without PPL 😞

hope i can utilize my US flying hours in Canada and proceed ..... 🤞

[selfin]

Re "utilize my US flying hours in Canada "

The flying training may be credited towards the Canadian private pilot licence following a positive review by the holder of a Canadian flight instructor rating. The foreign experience credit is described in standard 421.26(9) (https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/transport-canada/corporate/acts-regulations/regulations/sor-96-433/standard-421.html#421_26) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations. The relevant paragraph is:

(c) An applicant who does not hold a Private or higher pilot licence–Aeroplane issued by a contracting state may be
credited foreign dual and solo aeroplane flight training time and aeroplane ground school time towards the
knowledge and experience requirements for the issue of a Private Pilot Licence–Aeroplane, if the applicant provides
certification from the holder of a Flight Instructor Rating–Aeroplane that all ground and flight training exercises
have been satisfactorily reviewed.

An appropriate training programme will be developed once your needs have been established. Transport provides a searchable database of flight training units (link (https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CAS-SAC/ftaefveas.aspx?lang=eng)).

Re " freelancing flying school and no office,classrooms or office"

Normally Canadian citizens seeking flight training in US will be admitted with M-1 student status—a physical visa being unnecessary—and the flight training course must be pursued on a full-time basis meaning 18 or 22 clock-hours of attendance per week. Admission to US with M-1 status requires Canadians to physically possess an appropriate Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status (I-20). That certificate can be issued only by an educational establishment that is certificated by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (link (https://www.ice.gov/sevis)). A flight school must be certificated by FAA under 14 CFR 141 to be eligible for certification by SEVP. There are of course exceptions, eg First Nations and Native Americans may freely cross the border to study or work etc pursuant to the Jay Treaty (https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/jay-treaty), Canadians admitted under an E-class visa, and so on. See the guide Nonimmigrants: Who Can Study? published by SEVP (pdf link (https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/Nonimmigrant%20Class%20Who%20Can%20Study.pdf)).

Note that TSA "receives FAA airman registry data on a monthly basis, and uses an automated process to match FAA data against TSA Alien Flight Security Program (AFSP) data to determine if any foreign nationals received an FAA pilot’s license without first undergoing a TSA threat assessment." Note also that "In November 2010, the Transportation Security Administration began working with the Immigration Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Counterterrorism and Criminal Exploitation Unit (CTCEU) and the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US VISIT), to check US VISIT Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS) against Alien Flight Security Program (AFSP) applicant data to determine applicants that may be in violation of U.S. immigration law." See comments in response to recommendations for executive action by DHS and TSA made in General Aviation Security: Weaknesses Exist in TSA's Process for Ensuring Foreign Flight Students Do Not Pose a Security Threat. 12 Jul 2012. GAO-12-875 (link (https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-875)).

[ShamrockF]

What's the name of the school so others can be aware.