Airline Scams and Scandals
 

Hi all,

I'm doing a bit of pre-research on airline scams, scandals and interesting stories (or should I say aviation scams and scandals - want to include stuff right back to pre-WWI) for a possible book.

So far have considered things like the Great Plane Robbery (Cooper and the 727), the very recent Victor Bassey case, the 19 year old who pretended to start an airline and some other stories.

Anyone got other ideas?

Of course would have to be very careful with libel.

Many thanks,

Aero Mad

There's of course the business covered in the film "Catch Me If You Can," Leonardo diCaprio playing a real-life character, Frank-something, who successfully pretended to be an airline pilot for some time. And there have been a number of threads on the "Rumours and News" forum here about fake pilots; I think there's one current right now.

And don't forget "the Barefoot Bandit," here in the U. S., the nonpilot kid who stole a bunch of airplanes and was finally caught recently.

Also the man who tried to disappear--again in the U. S.--a couple of years ago by, as I remember, jumping out of his single-engine Piper Malibu (?) and letting it crash--I'm hazy on the details, but a search should turn it up.

What about the 707 that took out the approach lights at Bristol about thirty years ago. Very dodgy operation as I recall and there was a thread on here I think.

This one...

Google Captain Kozubski.

You could try looking for info on Cowboy's Caravan. Cowboy apparently was involved in drug smuggling by night and flew skydivers by day but at some point someone took exception to his nocturnal activities and sabotaged the plane causing it to crash.

Dropzone.com Skydive Forums: Skydiving: Skydiving History & Trivia: Cowboys <b>Caravan</b>

There was a Scotsman in CPT in the late 80's, I think his name was Neil xxxxxxx, who took a number of people for a ride by getting them to invest money in some hare brained scheme for a start up airline to take on SAA and BA on the London route. He was previously connected with a helicopter company (Court?), and had some involvement with a company that was going to market a revolutionary new ticketing system.

I have to say that I'm not sure if his actions were fraudulent or if he was just a dreamer, but he was definitely a most eccentric, and interesting, character.

If you are referring to the person I think you are, when last heard of he was serving a life sentence for interfering with young children.

And a PPRuNer who got a lot of people quite emotive on these forums - aka 'The Guv'ner'.

There was an "interesting" ad. that appeared in "Flight" (once only ) in the late 90's for a start up operation with 757's out of Prestwick...not sure if this was associated with the aforementioned paedophile but I think the scam was based in the South East of the UK.

Being curious, the shift sent for an application form / details etc. The T's and C's were along the lines of you would be paying them..well almost, I think there was a request for some ££'s up front...not sure about this bit however...but the really interesting bit, and to a certain extent, the "clever" bit came some way into the application form when you would be in "form filling mode"...a well known ploy used in many areas...there was a whole page which required some rather "interesting" information...notably what airports did you have security clearance for, what was your Mil Service number and what was your F1250 no. ( Mil ID card for overseas and civilian readers )....strangely, a distinct aroma already present with the ££'s aspect now became overwhelming at this point.

I am sure there was a court case about the scam a year or so later, but can't recall any details.....others might however?

KnC, the man mentioned above serving life for paedophilia was the 'founder' of Caledonian Wings, which wanted to operate 44 Lockheed Tristars from Shannon. It also had interests in Prestwick. The man had his registered office at Prestwick and it was little more than a premium rate fax machine and a briefcase. You might be thinking of this?

Not to forget my old mate Chris Barret-Jolly.:E

AM,

On reflection, I am sure the ad. was a different "enterprise" and involved 2 / 3 individuals from Hounslow / Southall...there were "plans " for a hangar as well I seem to recall. The court case itself got very little attention in the media, but when we read a brief story, we all went......hmmm !

Thanks very much for all the replies so far - if you wish to be acknowledged please PM me. Reading about The Guv'nor was enough to chill me to the bone - what a dreadful man and it took Capt. PPRuNe to bust him. 20 years min. for him and no regrets :-/

A loose definition of aviation scam might cover the shennanigins going on over at JB. There might be some connection to books and dogs - apparently.

Don't forget to add the little fix they brought out, a little plate that the airflow turned to prevent the door from being opened again in flight.

allan907, could you clarify? Are you referring to JetBlue, Helijet or something else? Thanks, AM.

Check out the National Safety Council of Australia in the late 70s? or 80s

In 2003 a 727, formerly of American Airlines, was stolen from Luanda's international airport in Angola. As far as I know, it's current whereabouts is still unknown.

There was an article about that 727--at least I think it's the same one--in Air & Space Smithsonian several months ago.

And if it's the wrong airplane, the article is still worth reading because it involves a Boeing that "disappeared" and remains a mystery. Well worth adding to your list.

Air Rhodesia, during the UN Rhodesian sanctions, buying a whole fleet of Boeing 720s from a dealer in Basel, Switzerland who had them up for sale from a Scandinavian holiday charter airline who had upgraded to newer aircraft. Front was that they were for a new airline startup in Paraguay. Paid cash for them, flew them off to Las Palmas, flightplanned for an evening departure for all of them to South America, set off with full tanks into the night, but landed in Salisbury, Rhodesia, and brought jet operations to Air Rhodesia. Real Boys' Own story buccaneering stuff.

Then what about Hank Wharton ? Every grey market operation going !

Without a doubt the centre of operations for your stories used to be, and to an extent continues to be, Miami airport, especially the ramps on the north side with the various independent operators and the local freelance crews who knew the interesting way to the Caribbean and Latin America.

As you probably know, those ramps at MIA were generally referred to as Corrosion Corner.

Thanks v much for all contributions so far - will post the 'line-up' soon ;) Keep 'em comin!

I think it was Norwich Airport, back in the mid to late 80's, brain cells aren't what they were but something like a businessman approached the airport, he claimed to be moving in/setting up an exec jet, or even an airline, operation, he wanted some backhanders from the airport to bring his business there, the airport were falling for it but it transpired to be a scam, a fantasy.

As I say my brain cells aren't what they were, perhaps a NWI local from the mid to late 80's might have more accurate info.

Thanks PF, you are as ever a mine of info! Will ask around.

Aero Mad,

I think I recall NWI airport running around, new buildings to be built, exec jet centre blah blah blah, my memories are faint but I seem to recall this guy had NWI airport tripping over themselves.

You could look at low cost ticketing policy. Or how a return flight from Manchester to Rome advertised at 39 pounds one way and 49 pounds return ended up costing 940 pounds for four people.

Both a scam and a scandal in my book!

Aero Mad: A search for Luke Butler might interest you, and if it does tail wheel will undoubtably be able to answer any questions you might have about Luke.

Hi HC, thanks very much however Luke Butler's history is so 'colourful' and complicated that I do in fact have suspicions that it would not actually work in print. A thread about him on had such a long list of his failed ventures as a reader one would be unable to keep track of it! Wish he would make a few less blunders :)

Blimey, never heard of Luke Butler before - just skimmed the thread; he has been a bit of a bad lad!

Not sure if it fits into your scope, but you might also be interested in the last flight by Marga von Etzdorf, in 1933. She was hoping to get back into a long-range flying career after various failed flights, and was given the chance to start for Australia with the help of Klemm and some German business people, but crash landed in Aleppo, Syria, then shot herself. What's funny about it is, she allegedly was covertly carrying a latest-model submachine gun (in addition to what she used on herself), so an investigation concluded it was an exploratory flight for some arms smuggling operation. Very murky, sad ending of an otherwise bright life.

How about the 'Package Holiday' company flying out of Luton using Britannias.

Their brochure proudly claimed an 'all jet fleet', and that was true, but the image on the front cover, a ground shot, had all the propellers airbrushed out and an a nice black orifice intake stuck on the front of all visible engines.

PeterA

Not unknown at that time. Look at this Viscount at a well-known major US carrier with "Jet Power" boldly on the tail.

Photos: Vickers 812 Viscount Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Bermuda Sky Queen
 

I'm not sure if this is the sort of thing you're after, but it certainly is an interesting read...

National Affairs: Broomstick at the Mast - TIME

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/1804/threez.jpg
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5519/onell.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/4634/twoz.jpg

stepwilk I believe the incident you referred to some posts ago is this one:

ASN Aircraft accident 11-JAN-2009 Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian N428DC

Apparently the pilot involved was wanted for securities fraud amongst other things and wanted to do a DB Cooper.

UPDATE: Pilot on the run from Alabama authorities Local News The Herald Bulletin

The unmanned aircraft flew through the circuit at NAS Whiting Field shortly before impact in the Blackwater River basin just East of Milton, Florida.

AeroMad http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/3680...-dogslife.html

907, that's less of a scam than Foss not being terribly clever. He did write the book, he was just an idiot in distributing it and his publishers were :mad: useless.

Ah, Airline Scams and Scandals, such a rich field of endeavour in which I have failed repeatedly to succeed, in spite of learning at the feet of so many masters, among whom my favourites are/were....

• BAF in the '70s and early '80s, with its unique support of needy CAA staff, allied to its unique AOG policy, unique pilot rostering (20 days no break, then a 7 day break), and unique flight planning rules (plan for a place, then divert from overhead to the real destination 100 miles on = more seats to sell in a fuel hungry Viscount)
• B. H*dd*c*n and his special line in very private flights from N Ireland and to Libya
• A variety of very sharp gentlemen, in GF and elsewhere in the Middle East, eg Palestine Airlines, who knew how to get the best out of a willingly compliant aircraft manufacturer.

It's a lot duller now....

Thanks all for your info, any more would be gratefully appreciated.

On the subject of BAF there was an occasion when two of their own aircraft were involved in a ground collision with each other ..... all for the insurance payout of course.

On the subject of scandals .... ABZ had been snowclosed, the airport cleared it, the grass areas of the airfield were white and extremely saturated, and an Air UK F27 taxied out for take-off and lined up with the runway centre-line lighting.

Rolling for take-off it was only once they cleared the ARP (the widened area at the end of the runway) that they found out, the hard way, that ABZ didn't have centre-line lighting, only runway edge lighting ..... and that was from an ABZ based crew!