Aero Toy Store taking over Stansted Diamond Hangar?
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Aero Toy Store taking over Stansted Diamond Hangar?
Evening all,
Has anyone else heard the Stansted rumour mill on the above? I've heard that its 90% true but no one seems to have any informtion on what they will actually be doing or what services they will be offering?
I'm working on the believing and seeing but the lack of info is driving me nuts? Maybe I should ignore the airport gossips.....
Cheer's,
Punch
Has anyone else heard the Stansted rumour mill on the above? I've heard that its 90% true but no one seems to have any informtion on what they will actually be doing or what services they will be offering?
I'm working on the believing and seeing but the lack of info is driving me nuts? Maybe I should ignore the airport gossips.....
Cheer's,
Punch
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the scam spreads out
The owner (***) of Aero (ex-Auto) Toy Store is quiet a character. Over 20 years in the making and still not of the face of the earth.
In the beginning there was Auto Toy Store in Fort Lauderdale. Famous for cars with mileage changes, and parts that were made to fit on others. The Ferrari's with timing belts of Fords and many more exotic examples. The further the owner came from the better, as he was less likely to knock on his door. Argentinians and Brazilians got taken for very expensive rides.
The he went into aviation. Aero Toy Store. High (very) time Hawkers and Challengers (old) with brand new paint and interior (sometimes not so working) were sold to foreigners for ransom prices. Promises of range and capabilities told by commission sales people that owners never could duplicate. And as they too came from far away places, recourse was a hassle to settle the arguments.
Pilots were as a revolving door, as long you had a type some kind of history of currency and at least passed a medical, you could sit in it and do a sales demo flight. Under Part 91 legal as long as it was not charter. But there was a charter department in the building, so who were they using ? Yep the planes on their ramp.
So many pilots did some time there but as your recurrent came up, promises never were kept and after your 13th month you were out of a job. paychecks were always kept one in a rear as a ransom to get you back to work. I have seen so many Chief Pilots trying to do the right thing, only to be fired or leave out of frustration and not burning their own career for the future.
The lack of knowledge of owners and desperate pilots has kept this man in business. For those who are willing to work with this man a word of advice.
None of the contracts or papers drawn up are held up and any dispute will be a lengthy battle to get your money so kind of reprieve.
You will end up with pennies/cents on the dollar/pound/euro.
Many pilots I have known have skirted the boundaries of legality or lost their currencies. It is not a place you would even send your enemies to.
I hope our community of watchful and prudent pilot friends gets a really good look at how a man can have his own helicopter, fly around South Florida and "make" his money and yet has impoverished so many families and those who worked in maintenance or completion for this company.
Stansted does not need this operation nor anywhere else in Europe.
Be careful our out there
In the beginning there was Auto Toy Store in Fort Lauderdale. Famous for cars with mileage changes, and parts that were made to fit on others. The Ferrari's with timing belts of Fords and many more exotic examples. The further the owner came from the better, as he was less likely to knock on his door. Argentinians and Brazilians got taken for very expensive rides.
The he went into aviation. Aero Toy Store. High (very) time Hawkers and Challengers (old) with brand new paint and interior (sometimes not so working) were sold to foreigners for ransom prices. Promises of range and capabilities told by commission sales people that owners never could duplicate. And as they too came from far away places, recourse was a hassle to settle the arguments.
Pilots were as a revolving door, as long you had a type some kind of history of currency and at least passed a medical, you could sit in it and do a sales demo flight. Under Part 91 legal as long as it was not charter. But there was a charter department in the building, so who were they using ? Yep the planes on their ramp.
So many pilots did some time there but as your recurrent came up, promises never were kept and after your 13th month you were out of a job. paychecks were always kept one in a rear as a ransom to get you back to work. I have seen so many Chief Pilots trying to do the right thing, only to be fired or leave out of frustration and not burning their own career for the future.
The lack of knowledge of owners and desperate pilots has kept this man in business. For those who are willing to work with this man a word of advice.
None of the contracts or papers drawn up are held up and any dispute will be a lengthy battle to get your money so kind of reprieve.
You will end up with pennies/cents on the dollar/pound/euro.
Many pilots I have known have skirted the boundaries of legality or lost their currencies. It is not a place you would even send your enemies to.
I hope our community of watchful and prudent pilot friends gets a really good look at how a man can have his own helicopter, fly around South Florida and "make" his money and yet has impoverished so many families and those who worked in maintenance or completion for this company.
Stansted does not need this operation nor anywhere else in Europe.
Be careful our out there
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Eric,
I met the owner at Ebace last May, he indeed has that shady-thirdhand-expensive car vibe going for him.
That said, from my own experience and reading all the posts on this forum, our industry seems to be overflowing with gritty characters how do not really have any decent values whatsoever........
I met the owner at Ebace last May, he indeed has that shady-thirdhand-expensive car vibe going for him.
That said, from my own experience and reading all the posts on this forum, our industry seems to be overflowing with gritty characters how do not really have any decent values whatsoever........
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Thought I would bring this thread back to the boil! Just under a year ago the thread was started about Aero Toy Store and it seemed to come to nothing however this is a talking point that I have heard from several airport persons so there maybe some truth in it this time?
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He is a shyster! Ask anyone in corporate aviation that has worked within 500 miles of his operation.
I for one did a contract trip for him and it took my friend who was the Chief Pilot there for a short time to threaten to quit for him to pay me. Which by the way was 5 months after I did the trip.
I could go on and on!
Stay away
J
I for one did a contract trip for him and it took my friend who was the Chief Pilot there for a short time to threaten to quit for him to pay me. Which by the way was 5 months after I did the trip.
I could go on and on!
Stay away
J
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Life's too short for ironing
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Could anyone have taken a crapier "PR" photo if they'd tried? Looks like the bloke on the steps is in acute pre-gastric barotrauma discomfort, & yon smiley bloke just popped up in front of the camera at the last minute as the button was being pressed....
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Crikey, have this lot really done their homework? What with a new lounge for Universal and Harrods and Inflite to battle against, Stansted has a fraction of the business aviation traffic that say Luton has. Does take some biz airliners of course, but they'll be lucky to take one or two rotations a day off Harrods, UV or Inflite
Average year to date business aviation departures for the London region:
Luton 34 (between Harrods, Signature, Ocean Sky)
Farnborough 28 (All TAG)
Biggin Hill 15 (between Biggin hill Handlling, Jet Aviation & Rizon)
Northolt 11 (includes all RAF Hawker movements though)
London City 9
Oxford 8
Stansted 6 (between UV, Harrods, Inflite)
Heathrow 3
Cambridge 3
On those stats they may take about 50 years to get a return on the investment! Think it's more likely to be a storage depot for hardware for sale rather than an 'FBO'.
Average year to date business aviation departures for the London region:
Luton 34 (between Harrods, Signature, Ocean Sky)
Farnborough 28 (All TAG)
Biggin Hill 15 (between Biggin hill Handlling, Jet Aviation & Rizon)
Northolt 11 (includes all RAF Hawker movements though)
London City 9
Oxford 8
Stansted 6 (between UV, Harrods, Inflite)
Heathrow 3
Cambridge 3
On those stats they may take about 50 years to get a return on the investment! Think it's more likely to be a storage depot for hardware for sale rather than an 'FBO'.