D B Cooper
 

What? Is he a hero or something? :E

No, GA 715 ... I don't think there was any heroics involved in that story, more like your "or something" catagory. That would be going on your assunption that the two ARE related.
I'm thinking back on that story, now....gee - it was a long time ago, and you'd think everyone would have forgotten by now.. ...but I seem to recall there were a lot of people who paid upfront... ah.. for something that (somehow) didn't happen. And, then I think there were a lot of angry people... hmmm.
You will be correct if you have assumed that because I was reading newspapers in 1985, that I am of, errr, advancing years. So my thoughts are turning my retirement, and I was thinking of moving to a nice quiet little out of the way place somewhere - maybe along the Murray River someplace.... Tocumwal looks nice, I will certainly be going down there to have a reeeeeaallly good look around. GA 715, I've read some of your other posts, and you seem like a bright young thing. Do you know anything about Tocumwal?
Oh gosh! Look at that thread drift, that's what happens when you get old, he, he, he, what does Tocumwal have to do with this thread? Time for my nap.

Tocumwal is where Mr Diamond is aiming to set up his new school AATC. He actually started to opperate out of there about a month ago, sending a number of instructors and students down and putting them up in Motels etc, he's even gone to the trouble of renting a house and transporting much of the equipment used by the students at SFTC (such as the sim) down there, as well as thier training files! Of course this was done with out any consultation with CASA, infact they didn't even know until somebody tipped them off - we believe it was one of the local opperators. Of course there was no AOC in place for this new location, and infact there were no facilities. The opperation was being run out of the boots of instructors cars, and also by taking advantage of the local flying club's clubhouse. Needless to say within a week two instructors had left due to not getting paid, there were 2 Liberty aircraft sat in need of service which were not going sorted out and there were 15 students who Diamond had grounded for various reasons, so they were sat by the Motel pool wondering what the hell they were doing in a place which to them was the middle of no-where. These were international students from India and Malaysia who had paid to study in Sydney.

I've been told the reason he was 'dobbed in' to CASA by the local opperator dates back to Diamond having a gentlemans agreement in place to purchase the flying school and facilities when he moved in new opperation down there. Of course gentleman and Diamond don't seem to go hand in hand, so this agreement was forgotten leaving the hoping to reitre owner of the Tocumwal school in the lurch - nobody to buy his business and a competetor on site at the airfield, which obviously would put off potential buyers.

People in Tocumwal hopefully are starting to wake up to the man and learn of his ways, so if you do venture down with luck he'll have been ran out of town!

As for the place, if it's a quiet reitrement you fancy then it's about perfect - Murray River, Golf, a few good little pubs and great flying :-)

SFTC Update?
 

Any news re the status of SFTC? I drove past there last weekend...the old premises...dead as the proverbial.....they sent me an invoice for an account I paid over 12 months ago......

There seems to be millions of dollars owing, and not much chance that any of the creditors will see anything of their hard earned. I hear that the propietor has had the good fortune of having been able to set up somewhere else though. Anyone know anything more????

Sydney Flight Training Centre
 

Would love to know who the administrator is for SFTC; Mr Diamond owes me some money too!!

Sydney Flight Training Centre
 

They moved from the big green hangar to Hangar 650 Drover Road - I drove past this one a few days ago and the only sign of life was the tyre tracks in the car park.

SFTC
 

The name of the person responsible for the administration work is 'Anthony R Cant'.
Romanis Cant is the company.
Romanis Cant chartered accountsnts

Karma's a bitch, isn't it Barry?:}

Does anyone have an update on this fiasco? How have the out of pocket students fared, for instance?

Not sure on the students - apparently the overseas will either get placed in an alternative school or some money back, but I understand from a local that they will get nothing - maddness that somebody looking to work and pay taxes in the country gets nothing whereas an overseas pupil who is here for 12 months gets everything.

As for the owner, rumour has it that he's already up and running in Tocumwal currently doing an instructor rating.

Operations staff at Sydney Flight Training Centre
 

Hello,
I am reference checking an ex-staff person from the Sydney Flight Training Centre. As you can imagine, I am having no luck locating Barry.

Would anyone in this forum be able to contact me in regards to reference checking staff from within their Maintenance / operations area?
1300 083 488, ask for MACRO's aviation recruitment team.

Thank you in advance

Barry is currently the Chief Ground Instructor at a "prestigious" Melbourne flying school.

Doing an excellent job as well!

Every lesson does he reiterate that he flew A-4s in the navy?

Barry Diamond
 

No longer at the "Prestigious" flying school, in Melbourne mind you a fancy name doesn't imply any standards or quality outcomes.
Apparently he needed to leave there, for reasons.
Not surprised. Used to work with him, a useful as a chocolate tea pot

Gee, that's too bad!
Where's the old fellah gonna go now?

Folks,
I rather think you will find it is a serious health problem that you would not wish on anybody.
Tootle pip!!

Barry, or "The little round mound of sound", was my instructor back in 1972, so he must be in his 70s by now.

Is Barry now a ground instructor with CAE in Sydney ?

This wouldn't be the infamous Barry Diamond (JC's gift to aviation) that suspended Rod Lovell's Licence and DC-3 endorsement 9 weeks after his ditching, would it?