Bruce Hartwig Flying School
 

On August 26, Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (ST Aerospace) announced that Aviation Training Academy Australia Pty Ltd (ATAA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ST Aviation Training Academy Pte Ltd (STATA), has acquired 100% of Bruce Hartwig Flying School for a total cash consideration of AU$120,000 (about S$155,000).

The consideration was arrived at on a willing buyer, willing seller basis. STATA is a subsidiary of ST Aerospace, the aerospace arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering).

This acquisition is not expected to have any material impact on the consolidated net tangible assets per share and earnings per share of ST Engineering for the current financial year.

The Bruce Hartwig Flying School was acquired as part of the flying operations set up in Ballarat. It will be renamed ST Aviation Training Academy (Australia) Pty Ltd.

STATA was established in September 2007 to provide commercial pilot training under commercial and air transport pilot licences curricula and multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) programme.

Today, STATA operates out of Singapore's Seletar Airport and the Ballarat Airport in the Victoria state of Australia.

Here's the link: Civil Aviation News

On a side note, it's a shame what the current owner of this school has done to such a reputable name. Couldn't think of a more genuine, experience bloke who only has time for others. Unfortunately BHFS will be remembered badly by some for the poor way in which they were treated as a customer there. If only they knew the real Bruce Hartwig!

here here,

The instructors that were there a few years ago when I was a student were top blokes and to hear some of the stories of the :mad: they had to put with was astounding.

what were the main concerns people had there? i trained there a while ago and while it was too expensive for the quality of the training i recieved in some areas i think, i was very happy with my instructor and found the cfi to be really helpful and always have time to go through any problems with me. but thats just me, have heard lots of such stories. just really interested in other people's perspectives.

2ndgen, did you ever have the displeasure of meeting the owner? :E

and yes, their charges for training are beyond belief... Why a student would pay $370 an hour dual to fly an Archer is a mystery to me.

yeah cfi and owner are same person no? always found him polite and really helpful with any probs i had, although a very good salesman. he convinced me why even though his charges are higher than some that i should continue training there. but overall, no different to any other school i've come across.

Nearly 5 years ago I was quoted $480 an hour for his C206 and I would need to do "a minimum or 20 hours to have a chance at getting a job in GA".

Not going to post any examples of how he dealt with his instructors, but needless to say a few of them are in much better positions after moving on!

Peter Fanelli - I could not agree more. Bruce, an absolute gentleman.

Gee, 120k for a going concern, what a joke! :=

The owner might be a good salesman when selling overpriced hours in a trainer, but when it comes to selling his own company.. :eek:

You'd expect to get for any half decent company about 6-8 times EBIT (earnings before interest & tax), and I seriously doubt this guy only made 20 grand of gross profit a year..

Accepting an offer like that, he must have been absolutely desperate to get out, or simply very very :mad: :ugh:

Bruce Hartwig Flying School - Not Sold
 

Don't believe everything you hear (or read) !
The truth is that Bruce Hartwig Flying School is still in business and still owned and run by Greg Norris (since 1991). It has not been sold!
It is still the longest running Flying School in South Australia and the only school with ISO 9001 quality Assurance, RTO status and CASA approvals through Muti CIR and Intructor training in South Australia.
What was recently completed by Greg Norris was assistance to a major Singapore based training organisation to attain an Australain AOC. The successful implementation of the business plan put forward by Greg Norris's Aviation Consulting business, resulted in the shares in a "shelf company" which owned an Australian AOC being transferred (sold) to help the Singaporian client achieve its training goals in Australia. These shares in the unrelated company were, for the months prior to the transfer, owned by Greg Norris.
The forum writer who stated that the business of Bruce Hartwig Flying School would be worth at least 5 times the reported sale amount of $120,000, has a much better idea of the value of "goodwill in business" than anyone who could have believed the reported sale amount could possibly relate to the business of Bruce Hartwig Flying School.
For those in the forum who believe in the good old Australian concept "lets have a go at the Tall Poppy", I applaude your right to free speech, however I suggest you also look inwardly to discover why you feel the need to express your subjective views under the cloak of anominity.
The fact is Hartwig graduates are extreemely successful in the market place. Their individual successes demonstrate the Quality of the training programs provided and the success of the preselection interview processes. As to Hartwigs past and present Flight Instructors, they have the lowest rate of turnover and highest rates of pay for qualification, in the Flying Training Industry.
Regards, Greg Norris (CEO/CP/CFI)

Greg

What about the college?

Amazing then that the other school WITHOUT all those things has many happy students many of whom have come from BHFS. :D

The "college (FTA)" has had 4 owners, 4 names and 5 coporate legal entities since 1991. It started in 1983 as the Australian Aviation College.
Bruce Harwtig flying school has had one owner since 1991 and only two owners since its early start in the mid 1970's at Wakerie transferring to Parafield in 1980.
The current "Flight Adelaide Training (FTA)" is a good school and does a great job in the difficult market of International Student Pilot Training.
Most schools in South Australia have found their own "niche" market and I believe all do a good job within their market segment.
It is important that when/if a student finds that the school he/she has chosen is not meeting their expectations, that they transfer to a more suitable school for their personality and needs. In the 24 months to June 30th 2008, Bruce Hartwig has recieved 23 transfers into its School from other flying schools. Most from SA schools but unfortunately I don't have an accurate breakdown. In the same time it has had 5 requests from students for their records to be transferred to another school. Only 3 of these have been to a Parafield based schools.

I'm not wading into the current gripe someone seems to have with you Greg (noted you have the fortitude to put your name on your posts) but when I read these words you have written in the post above mine.....

....I had to wonder if that was the right attitude to what is, essentially a customer service industry? Having previously been both an employer and business owner I would have thought that customer/client satisfaction starts with identifying the issues involved and working together with the client towards a suitable solution for both parties, not packing them off to someone else?

Regards,

Dave.

Not related to Mr D Smith by any chance?:suspect:

I looked inwardly and didn't discover anything.:{

... I looked inward.... only to find that I'm pretty sure good business sense would be not to let students

but instead, change the style or angle of training to suit the student so they stay!

:oh:

Come now 2P2D....out from under that 'cloak of anominity(sic)'