UKFT (Rainbow Air) Full JAA ATPL
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: middle east
Age: 36
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cabin door 2 manual, well 1st of all thnx for replying but i wish it was that simple. as i live in the middle east i had to consider working for one of the airlines around here and the problem is we dont have regional or cargo airlines and they are not recruiting any 2nd officers so that leave me with the position of 1st officer which minimumly require 1000 to 1500 hours TT of which 500 hours on Type. plus considering my arabic nationality i'd not consider working for a non-arabic airline as a high possiblty so my plane comes like this : 1st to get between 500 to 1000 flying hours(for that i've choosen the OFT 1000 program which was recommeneded by a friend and would love to hear more testimonials about it and recent ones would help as they say it improved) then get 500 on type from some of the airlines that offers time building on type If anyone knows anything about that awvs that would be great, or any similer offers) thanks in advance 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: someplace between FAF & MAPt
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE rainbowair:
im in the local area at the moment and rainbow are still with their old reputation, i understand there have been changes with management etc but im told the feds are still keen on them, their aircraft are still all very old but its hard to say exactly what condition they are in,
LGB ATC get fustrated with them constantly... lots of go arounds/missed approaches largely as they have a massive uptake of students from the middle east and china, they send students solo who can barely string an english sentence together then ship them home by the bus load (literally!) when they are 'done' and in come another bus load of cadets, trust me there are some far better FTO's out there
over all... keep well away
im in the local area at the moment and rainbow are still with their old reputation, i understand there have been changes with management etc but im told the feds are still keen on them, their aircraft are still all very old but its hard to say exactly what condition they are in,
LGB ATC get fustrated with them constantly... lots of go arounds/missed approaches largely as they have a massive uptake of students from the middle east and china, they send students solo who can barely string an english sentence together then ship them home by the bus load (literally!) when they are 'done' and in come another bus load of cadets, trust me there are some far better FTO's out there
over all... keep well away
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: United States
Age: 46
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rainbow Air Avoid Like The Plague
Ok where do I begin....
Well first let me introduce myself my name is Steven Morgan CFII & MEI, and I very unfortunately did training & even used to work (if you call being a slave without pay work) for Rainbow Air Academy in Long Beach California. I have experienced the Black Rainbow for over 2yrs...!! I know everything about the place & will be glad to tell all to anyone who has questions..
First off everything you have read here is correct missing alot more horrible stories & truths but all correctly stated. Rainbow was a halfway decent place when Dave Parsons was part owner DP is an A OK guy I have to say that cause he is. Unfortunately he is gone, long gone...
However when Ray Grimmett took complete ownership it was a quick downhill spiral from there... Ray Grimmett (Owner of Rainbow Air) is the Biggest Dirtiest Most Disshonest Dirtbag the US Aviation Industry has to offer the guy is flat out a jerk & will rob you, or his own mother blind if it makes financial since for him... DO NOT TRUST HIM EVER, PERIOD...!! I can put you in contact with dozens of Aviation industry professionals who will all give you the same response about him & his dissfunctional company. Rainbow & Ray have the worste reputation possible in the aviation community I am not kidding you when I say you would be hard pressed trying to find anyone who has anything good to say about either. Every single person who has ever had any business dealings with Ray has been screwed one way or another do not work for him do not hire his delapegated charter planes which are far from respectable king airs they are flying junk.. Basically avoid him and any of his companies like the damn plague..!!
Now here is the low down on training, it sucks.
There are NO formal ground classes, NO training aids, NO standard Syllabus, NO organization of anything, Dispatch is pointless, NO account keeping (Your Money is GONE once Paid) NO Books, NO Videos, NO Scheduling (or any that is adhered to that is) There is NOTHING accept a building, rude dispatch personel & broken P.O.S planes...
You will get maybe 10-15hrs of in-experienced ground instruction of sorts MAYBE for an entire commercial course, you will be put in 1967 AST-300 simms that DO NOT WORK for 50hrs of your training, they are total junk & everyone just turns them on & runs the time basically waisting their money..!!
You will mainly fly P.O.S 152's which some are far from airworthy & should be sent to the junkyard, Instruments Dont Work, Radios are HORRIBLE at best, Transponders Fail Always, they fly like crap and are honestly dangerous to the novice pilot...
Oh best of all your accounts are billed $150.00 for everything 152's, 172's, Piper's & the Simm, which never made since to me at first because they dont even track student account balances, but you soon realize Ray just makes sure that all the money is drained away and accounted for just incase someone ever tries to dispute anything he can show that the money was used, not to mention every instruction hour is $60 now so thats $210.00 per hr. for a 152w/instructor... Or even a Ast-300 simm thats broken...
Rental Insurance, hahahaha yeah wait until you bust up a plane which has happened oh gees 6-8 times in just the last year or so, yeah that insurance which is suppose to be included in your package funny doesnt seem to protect you in Ray's world & he will try & charge you for damages to the tune of $10,000-$20,000 and if you dont or cant pay simple your kicked out no money refunded.. Actually quite frankly RAY never pays out money to anyone HE HAS NEVER ISSUED A REFUND and never will your money is gone as soon as you pay it, period.
Rainbow a 141 certified school approved by the JAA or CAA, that is simply a joke honestly THERE IS NO JAA or CAA compliance never has been there is NO conversion program never has been, that conversion program consists of see-ya go home & figure it out oh and goodluck... Nobody there even knows what JAA or CAA stands for. The 141 cert. now this is one thing I cant figure out cause Rainbow Air has been out of regulations for 141 certification for over 2yrs, they garduate no-one under 141 rules, there is NO 141 syllabus, there is NO Chief Pilot, No Approved Aircraft 136RJ was the only approved 141 aircraft previously, however if it were inspected today it would fail misserably, they absolutely 100% positively DO NOT ADHERE to NOR MEET 141 guidelines, the only thing I can figure is Gary Lackey aka head of KLGB FAA FSDO is buddies with Ray & has for several years now overlooked all of the problems due to this & has not pursued proper courses against Rainbow Air.
The Aircraft, simply P.O.S (Piece of ****)... NONE of their planes are any good, they are all well over T.B.O times and I mean by like 100's-1000's of hours past overhaul reccomendation times, the instruments are all junk, the radios are barely readable & very dangerous as communications are next to impossible... Nothing is standardized every plane has a different set-up, some planes such as 181RJ are not even airworthy but still on the flight line ready to be rented.. I had a plane 130RJ Piper Warrior catch fire in mid-air on me I mean tottally engulphed in flames (Look it Up on NTSB website) luckily I was close to Redlands airport & was able to make a safe emrgency landing, VERY LUCKY... The plane proceeded to Burn to a Crisp.. The final outcome besides having an un-athorized experimental fuel pump installed the carburator had failed (Very Unussual) spraying fuel into the hot engine compartment catching and ignition source & presto burning plane while flying.. Oh it gets better when I called the office after dealing with the fire department, the NTSB and the FAA feild rep MYSELF.. I was not only rudely talked to by Ray cause he was upset because I followed the letter of the law & reported it immeadiattely to the NTSB, but when I tried to get a plane sent out to pick me & my student up to bring us back we were told NO Rainbow is not in the business of supplying air taxi's call a cab or friend to pick you up, we were a 3hr.+ drive away from home base, yeah no im serious we where told to pay for a what $500 cab ride. Needless to say one of my fellow instructors dissobeyed & came and got us in a plane, but that was Ray's response after we where almost killed by his unsafe aircraft, take a cab...!
MORE TO COME ALOT MORE...
Well first let me introduce myself my name is Steven Morgan CFII & MEI, and I very unfortunately did training & even used to work (if you call being a slave without pay work) for Rainbow Air Academy in Long Beach California. I have experienced the Black Rainbow for over 2yrs...!! I know everything about the place & will be glad to tell all to anyone who has questions..
First off everything you have read here is correct missing alot more horrible stories & truths but all correctly stated. Rainbow was a halfway decent place when Dave Parsons was part owner DP is an A OK guy I have to say that cause he is. Unfortunately he is gone, long gone...
However when Ray Grimmett took complete ownership it was a quick downhill spiral from there... Ray Grimmett (Owner of Rainbow Air) is the Biggest Dirtiest Most Disshonest Dirtbag the US Aviation Industry has to offer the guy is flat out a jerk & will rob you, or his own mother blind if it makes financial since for him... DO NOT TRUST HIM EVER, PERIOD...!! I can put you in contact with dozens of Aviation industry professionals who will all give you the same response about him & his dissfunctional company. Rainbow & Ray have the worste reputation possible in the aviation community I am not kidding you when I say you would be hard pressed trying to find anyone who has anything good to say about either. Every single person who has ever had any business dealings with Ray has been screwed one way or another do not work for him do not hire his delapegated charter planes which are far from respectable king airs they are flying junk.. Basically avoid him and any of his companies like the damn plague..!!
Now here is the low down on training, it sucks.
There are NO formal ground classes, NO training aids, NO standard Syllabus, NO organization of anything, Dispatch is pointless, NO account keeping (Your Money is GONE once Paid) NO Books, NO Videos, NO Scheduling (or any that is adhered to that is) There is NOTHING accept a building, rude dispatch personel & broken P.O.S planes...
You will get maybe 10-15hrs of in-experienced ground instruction of sorts MAYBE for an entire commercial course, you will be put in 1967 AST-300 simms that DO NOT WORK for 50hrs of your training, they are total junk & everyone just turns them on & runs the time basically waisting their money..!!
You will mainly fly P.O.S 152's which some are far from airworthy & should be sent to the junkyard, Instruments Dont Work, Radios are HORRIBLE at best, Transponders Fail Always, they fly like crap and are honestly dangerous to the novice pilot...
Oh best of all your accounts are billed $150.00 for everything 152's, 172's, Piper's & the Simm, which never made since to me at first because they dont even track student account balances, but you soon realize Ray just makes sure that all the money is drained away and accounted for just incase someone ever tries to dispute anything he can show that the money was used, not to mention every instruction hour is $60 now so thats $210.00 per hr. for a 152w/instructor... Or even a Ast-300 simm thats broken...
Rental Insurance, hahahaha yeah wait until you bust up a plane which has happened oh gees 6-8 times in just the last year or so, yeah that insurance which is suppose to be included in your package funny doesnt seem to protect you in Ray's world & he will try & charge you for damages to the tune of $10,000-$20,000 and if you dont or cant pay simple your kicked out no money refunded.. Actually quite frankly RAY never pays out money to anyone HE HAS NEVER ISSUED A REFUND and never will your money is gone as soon as you pay it, period.
Rainbow a 141 certified school approved by the JAA or CAA, that is simply a joke honestly THERE IS NO JAA or CAA compliance never has been there is NO conversion program never has been, that conversion program consists of see-ya go home & figure it out oh and goodluck... Nobody there even knows what JAA or CAA stands for. The 141 cert. now this is one thing I cant figure out cause Rainbow Air has been out of regulations for 141 certification for over 2yrs, they garduate no-one under 141 rules, there is NO 141 syllabus, there is NO Chief Pilot, No Approved Aircraft 136RJ was the only approved 141 aircraft previously, however if it were inspected today it would fail misserably, they absolutely 100% positively DO NOT ADHERE to NOR MEET 141 guidelines, the only thing I can figure is Gary Lackey aka head of KLGB FAA FSDO is buddies with Ray & has for several years now overlooked all of the problems due to this & has not pursued proper courses against Rainbow Air.
The Aircraft, simply P.O.S (Piece of ****)... NONE of their planes are any good, they are all well over T.B.O times and I mean by like 100's-1000's of hours past overhaul reccomendation times, the instruments are all junk, the radios are barely readable & very dangerous as communications are next to impossible... Nothing is standardized every plane has a different set-up, some planes such as 181RJ are not even airworthy but still on the flight line ready to be rented.. I had a plane 130RJ Piper Warrior catch fire in mid-air on me I mean tottally engulphed in flames (Look it Up on NTSB website) luckily I was close to Redlands airport & was able to make a safe emrgency landing, VERY LUCKY... The plane proceeded to Burn to a Crisp.. The final outcome besides having an un-athorized experimental fuel pump installed the carburator had failed (Very Unussual) spraying fuel into the hot engine compartment catching and ignition source & presto burning plane while flying.. Oh it gets better when I called the office after dealing with the fire department, the NTSB and the FAA feild rep MYSELF.. I was not only rudely talked to by Ray cause he was upset because I followed the letter of the law & reported it immeadiattely to the NTSB, but when I tried to get a plane sent out to pick me & my student up to bring us back we were told NO Rainbow is not in the business of supplying air taxi's call a cab or friend to pick you up, we were a 3hr.+ drive away from home base, yeah no im serious we where told to pay for a what $500 cab ride. Needless to say one of my fellow instructors dissobeyed & came and got us in a plane, but that was Ray's response after we where almost killed by his unsafe aircraft, take a cab...!
MORE TO COME ALOT MORE...
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: United States
Age: 46
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cabin Doors, or Daniel or anyone who wants to know more about Rainbow contact me directly at [email protected]
I am a former student and also employee of Rainbow Air Academy...
THEY NEED TO BE SHUTDOWN ASAP..!!
AND I NEED HELP LETTERS SENT EMAILED HOWEVER TO THE OKALHOMA CITY OFFICE OF THE FAA do not send them to Long Beach FSDO they are worthless...!! Send them directly to OKLAHOMA...
Please help shutdown Rainbow before more people are scammed..!!
Also if you have been ripped off by them there is quite possibly a Class Action Lawsuit being developed rigth now, we need contact info & a brief descirption of what has happened & any proof or eveidence you may have available (dont send it just describe it) I am perosnally trying to develop a class action suit against Ray Grimmett & Rainbow Air Academy, I do have a very very high power Attorney looking at the case & he is going to try & build enough people to get a class action suit going & put Ray out of business for good.. He owes me around $20,000+ dollars & I know of atleast 5-6 others currently in the same boat.. We all need your help to join together & sue the pants off this dirtbag.
If your just a concerned aviator then again PLEASE write to Oklahoma City FAA office requesting a thourough inspection of Rainbow By Oklahoma City personnel, also write TSA they are out of TSA compliance too.. Write the CA State Labor Board they violate labor laws daily by having foriegners perform employment duties & also the INTERNSHIP program IS NOT VALID nor is it State or Federally authorized & therefore highly illegal in the united states..... Just please take 15min & write some regulatory bodies the more letters the better the chances of someone waking up..!!!
Sincerly
Steven Morgan
I am a former student and also employee of Rainbow Air Academy...
THEY NEED TO BE SHUTDOWN ASAP..!!
AND I NEED HELP LETTERS SENT EMAILED HOWEVER TO THE OKALHOMA CITY OFFICE OF THE FAA do not send them to Long Beach FSDO they are worthless...!! Send them directly to OKLAHOMA...
Please help shutdown Rainbow before more people are scammed..!!
Also if you have been ripped off by them there is quite possibly a Class Action Lawsuit being developed rigth now, we need contact info & a brief descirption of what has happened & any proof or eveidence you may have available (dont send it just describe it) I am perosnally trying to develop a class action suit against Ray Grimmett & Rainbow Air Academy, I do have a very very high power Attorney looking at the case & he is going to try & build enough people to get a class action suit going & put Ray out of business for good.. He owes me around $20,000+ dollars & I know of atleast 5-6 others currently in the same boat.. We all need your help to join together & sue the pants off this dirtbag.
If your just a concerned aviator then again PLEASE write to Oklahoma City FAA office requesting a thourough inspection of Rainbow By Oklahoma City personnel, also write TSA they are out of TSA compliance too.. Write the CA State Labor Board they violate labor laws daily by having foriegners perform employment duties & also the INTERNSHIP program IS NOT VALID nor is it State or Federally authorized & therefore highly illegal in the united states..... Just please take 15min & write some regulatory bodies the more letters the better the chances of someone waking up..!!!
Sincerly
Steven Morgan
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hello all.....just a very quick follow up point to Capt Morgan....i worked @ rainbow air and ukft as a flight instructor sometime ago...and will soon be posting a full account of the things i know and have seen...
To all you prospective students esspecially from INDIA....dont bother with UKFT ..... once you have paid that money you mean nothing to the owner Mr Sinha.....just another sucker who has topped up his bank account.
Sorry to hear about your experiences Steve and i hope you carry on the flying elsewhere....i had to deal with it alot longer than you.
Please dont make the mistake of UKFT and ficticious programs....
Ill be posting in better depth soon....ciao
To all you prospective students esspecially from INDIA....dont bother with UKFT ..... once you have paid that money you mean nothing to the owner Mr Sinha.....just another sucker who has topped up his bank account.
Sorry to hear about your experiences Steve and i hope you carry on the flying elsewhere....i had to deal with it alot longer than you.
Please dont make the mistake of UKFT and ficticious programs....
Ill be posting in better depth soon....ciao
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Nuneaton, UK
Age: 36
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Captain Morgan, please keep updated with your progress of suing that bastard Ray Grimmet.
I went to Rainbow in August 07 to complete my CPL/ME and 100hours 172 time after I already completed my PPL there in October 2006. I don't know why I went back after a reasonably bad experience with the PPL> perhaps because my friend was there, which after I paid a deposit came home after being screwed over too many times.
Anways...I was told I had to sort my own multi engine rating by discussing it with an instructor, which I could cope with. I then flew a few hours, before getting pissed off enough to undertake my IR with AFT(Accelerated Flight Training - which is a private 1 to 1 organisation using California FLight Centres **BRAND NEW WELL MAINTAINED* aircraft). At this point I was still giving Rainbow a chance for multi cpl and 100 hours hour building! untill I found out their multi wasn't operating. so I nagged AFT again that I might want to do this with them, although my VISA was with rainbow (they advised they are part 62 which does not require a visa - which today I am still unsure about). so I called up whilst having a day off from IR to book some hour building they said "okay hold one minute"...i held untill the receptionist came back and said "if you want to fly you have to give us the whole amount - which was somthing stupid like $14,000 for the multi course and building. After my friend now back in the UK said "DONT GIVE RAY ANY MONEY UP FRONT" I said NO WAY JOSE I will pay by the hour..to which I got "please hold" which I did and as expected it was a big fat "RAY SAID NO" so I asked "can I keep a credit of 1000 dollar on file as I go along. I got another please hold.
so I did... and I got another now. I then wanted to speak to ray which I was advised email to email dirty bastard ray grimhole. I got straight on the old email machine and contacted Ray to beg him to take my offer of a small credit system...2 days later I gt a reply saying somthing to the effect of "you are unwilling to comply with want we want If you cannot pay the full sum I am cancelling your VISA". Immediately I got back and was like hell no give me a few days to get the money (stall tactic as prior to my reply I phoned my friend who had been threatened this and potentially meant I need to get the **** out of the US fast).. I then completed my IR and booked a flight home replied relatively nicely advising Ray I am leaving and expect a full refund....
I send several emails back and forward which which in a nutshell was he saying he would not give a refund about £700 demanding my money back...to which I am still awaiting a reply as he did not state any terms and conditions and I think I am entitled to the money I did pay to them back.
As to what I know rainbow was being bought out by an Indian Man. Not only that Rainbow was swarming with students at the amount where there was nowhere near enough aircraft to accomodate these...neither was there any airworthy aircraft for them.
Oh and another thing a lot of the good examiners have started to refuse taking rainbow students for check rides...so you could do your training and find nobody will fly with you untill you fly somewhere else.
TO anybody considering doing thier training in the States I recommend Accelerated Flight Training. If you google them you will find their website...they do exactly what they say on the tin. You want IR in 10 days you WILL get it (I did 10 days bang on) Multi engine in 5-8...I would have if I didn't **** up the oral check ride! They are very professional and is one a one to one basis. Commercial is about 14 days..they are a bit more expensive than rainbow but in the long run is cheaper as you save on accomodation costs and you also get bran new aircraft 2004 and newer....MUCH MUCH MUCH friendlier service (more so that grumpy rainbow staff).
Sorry to rad your bad experience about Rainbow Steve, but please let me know of any updates about a lawsuit with Ray. I will gladly provide you with assisstance if you require.
Happy Flying
Mat
I went to Rainbow in August 07 to complete my CPL/ME and 100hours 172 time after I already completed my PPL there in October 2006. I don't know why I went back after a reasonably bad experience with the PPL> perhaps because my friend was there, which after I paid a deposit came home after being screwed over too many times.
Anways...I was told I had to sort my own multi engine rating by discussing it with an instructor, which I could cope with. I then flew a few hours, before getting pissed off enough to undertake my IR with AFT(Accelerated Flight Training - which is a private 1 to 1 organisation using California FLight Centres **BRAND NEW WELL MAINTAINED* aircraft). At this point I was still giving Rainbow a chance for multi cpl and 100 hours hour building! untill I found out their multi wasn't operating. so I nagged AFT again that I might want to do this with them, although my VISA was with rainbow (they advised they are part 62 which does not require a visa - which today I am still unsure about). so I called up whilst having a day off from IR to book some hour building they said "okay hold one minute"...i held untill the receptionist came back and said "if you want to fly you have to give us the whole amount - which was somthing stupid like $14,000 for the multi course and building. After my friend now back in the UK said "DONT GIVE RAY ANY MONEY UP FRONT" I said NO WAY JOSE I will pay by the hour..to which I got "please hold" which I did and as expected it was a big fat "RAY SAID NO" so I asked "can I keep a credit of 1000 dollar on file as I go along. I got another please hold.
so I did... and I got another now. I then wanted to speak to ray which I was advised email to email dirty bastard ray grimhole. I got straight on the old email machine and contacted Ray to beg him to take my offer of a small credit system...2 days later I gt a reply saying somthing to the effect of "you are unwilling to comply with want we want If you cannot pay the full sum I am cancelling your VISA". Immediately I got back and was like hell no give me a few days to get the money (stall tactic as prior to my reply I phoned my friend who had been threatened this and potentially meant I need to get the **** out of the US fast).. I then completed my IR and booked a flight home replied relatively nicely advising Ray I am leaving and expect a full refund....I send several emails back and forward which which in a nutshell was he saying he would not give a refund about £700 demanding my money back...to which I am still awaiting a reply as he did not state any terms and conditions and I think I am entitled to the money I did pay to them back.
As to what I know rainbow was being bought out by an Indian Man. Not only that Rainbow was swarming with students at the amount where there was nowhere near enough aircraft to accomodate these...neither was there any airworthy aircraft for them.
Oh and another thing a lot of the good examiners have started to refuse taking rainbow students for check rides...so you could do your training and find nobody will fly with you untill you fly somewhere else.
TO anybody considering doing thier training in the States I recommend Accelerated Flight Training. If you google them you will find their website...they do exactly what they say on the tin. You want IR in 10 days you WILL get it (I did 10 days bang on) Multi engine in 5-8...I would have if I didn't **** up the oral check ride! They are very professional and is one a one to one basis. Commercial is about 14 days..they are a bit more expensive than rainbow but in the long run is cheaper as you save on accomodation costs and you also get bran new aircraft 2004 and newer....MUCH MUCH MUCH friendlier service (more so that grumpy rainbow staff).
Sorry to rad your bad experience about Rainbow Steve, but please let me know of any updates about a lawsuit with Ray. I will gladly provide you with assisstance if you require.
Happy Flying
Mat
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
