Highland Flying School in Administration?

[ewsd02]

I heard on the grape vine that the highland flying school has gone into administration with a note on the front door last night?

Anyone with any further infomation?

[ryanayre]

Mate of mine turned up for flight at 10:30 this morning and found the place shut with a note saying that Highland Flying School had ceased trading as of 17:00 last night

[ewsd02]

So it is true then, I wonder what happened? I hope none of the students paid upfront.

[ATIS31]

Its a shame really as far as I Know there is no flying school north of Dundee now
Spoke to Air Traffic controller today who said Flying Suspended to Monday what ever that means

[ewsd02]

Am sorry to hear that has happened. How could someone hope to spend £18k at a PPL school? Were they doing CPL there also? Doesn't matter now I know, and I hope the guy can get some of his money back.

Not true about no more clubs north of Dundee, there is still the Moray Flying Club at RAF Kinloss, and probably still PPL training part time at Wick.

[Mike744]

You can still get flying training at Inverness - at the Highland Aero Club (n.b. HAC has no connection with the Highland Flying School)

[studentbiggles]

Moray Flying Club

I would recommend the Moray Flying Club. I know the instructor there, Euan Downie. An excellent instructor. Hope you guys who were flying at HFC can salvage something from it.

[Golf--Lima--Papa]

Jesus.. I can't believe this.

My mate has paid £1000 up front with HFS, very sad indeed.

[Stratus Fractus]

Very Sad News!

I think this is very sad news. HFS employed several instructors and has over the years sent many more on to Eastern Airways, Flybe, Highland Airways etc.
It was an excellent facility, you could just rock up, have a chat and jump in a Tomahawk for £78? / hr. I very rarely booked ahead. Hardly any problems with availability and plenty of free hours shuttling them to Dundee for maintenance.
Many people can't afford a share or can't get a space in the hangar. I am not sure what a lot of people are going to do with their hard earned licenses now. Highland Aero Clubs internet booked Tomahawk sounds like it will be a right pain in the a_se. HFS had 4 tomahawks, 1 C172, 2 PA28. They were all well utilised. How is one PA38 going to be able to keep everyone flying? As I understand it, if you want to go to Highland Aero Club for a pee before takeoff you have to book someone to come and open it up for you. It seems completely deserted since they made HFS leave.
If you lost money from paying up front I have NO sympathy. HOW MANY threads have said DO NOT PAY UP FRONT !
I personally am sorry to see this happen to the Brooks'. They kept me flying for 7 years. Good luck P + M.

[no bearde woman]

they are not in administration
they have ceased trading and ran off with a lot of clients cash
some very good people have been stung

they and i quote " retiring to Newcastle"

you were told almost six months ago

but alas the starry eyed amongst us have been ripped well off

i believe that the highland aero club are about to announce some serious training, as a result.

so watch out, and should you have been ripped off they are not in administration and therefore you may have recourse to the law.

its sad, but its a life experience for some good honest people

may you all have a good tailwind behind you

[Golf--Lima--Papa]

I was training for my PPL with HFS where I logged around 15 hours until February, I then changed schools due to the distance I was travelling and not having any continuity with my training, it was 2 steps forward then 3 steps back. The reason I changed had nothing to do with the school itself. I simply wanted to fly at least 1 hour per week. I thought everything was fine and dandy with the school especially after moving into the new office.

Looks like I got out in the nick of time.

I did warn my friend not to pay up front time and time again, however he never listened, I really can't see him getting his money back now, I do wonder when will people realise NEVER pay up front.

[no bearde woman]

for the record

hfs are not in administration
they have only ceased trading
so if you have money in there call the police on 01463 715555
after all they are trying to make off to Newcastle with your money but hurray

what more can one do

[ewsd02]

Playing devils advocate, I've read over them a couple of times and I don't see what's wrong with no bearde womans posts', as long as he/she is right of course. So far no one has disagreed with the details, only the tone and loosing money always stirs emotions.

Anyone know what caused the issues at Highland?

[GaryS]

Unfortunately I booked the night qualification and a ten hour block on the PA38.

Only completed 55 minutes of the night qualification due to weather.

You need to pay for a 10 hour block for the £85 rate and I have only used one hour and a bit.

I understand why people recommend pay-as-you-go unfortunately the discounts are too tempting for myself.

If this post turns out to be true, I will NEVER pay upfront ever again even if it costs more in the long run.

[no bearde woman]

so sorry garry s

i wished i could have told you more

i hope you get there, use the phone number above and make an official complaint .
after all its your money they are off with
if you paid by credit card or visa debit you can claim it back
Hope you get some redress

[GaryS]

WILCO!

I know another guy who has completed most of his exams and had around 5 hours on account, unfortunately he has not heard the news yet.

I am kicking myself just now

I was silly enough to pay using debit (on my 3rd payment attempt), however initally my (2) credit cards were declined both with a healthy balance of £0

[sgt_bilko]

I am aware that this is a different situation, however if all the other options listed fail it is absolutely worth pursuing your bank to get the money, regardless of whether it is a debit card or not.

I paid for my flyzoom flights last year with a Visa debit card and managed to get my money back after 2 weeks of the whole show going belly up. It appeared to be some rule/law about protection for individual transactions on a Visa debit of over £100 or £150. Maestro/Switch cards did not offer this protection unfortunately.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation, I hope this is of some assistance to you.

[preduk]

I'm stunned, I had a couple of grand sitting in the bank so I could get a load of flying under my belt this summer and now they have ceased trading.

[cavoktoday]

Highland Flying School

Look @ highlandaeroclub.co.uk I think they have a pa38 for hire and instruction. The whole situation has been going from bad to worse since Oct 2008. Everyone knows a rumour but seem to keep it to themselvs. If people kept their mouths shut and their ears open and worked together instead of like a tug of war comp things might have been different. It seems greed got the better.The law has to be changed to protect the customer so a deposit is protected how would watchdog survive if customers did not loose their deposits on sofas carpets furniture etc now its HFS.

I have heard the phrase buy cheap buy dear. How many others will find out the hard way in futute?

[mad_jock]

Factors

1. Rent on the new building will be 10-20 times more than it was in HAC.

2. The split from HAC was before xmas.

3. The local newspapers had a field day with the inspections.

Combine 2 and 3 and the trial flight bonanza of xmas gets royally screwed. Even in the old days you could pull in 30-50K in the space of 6 weeks which probably only 50% would actually take the trial flight. And the majority would take it towards the end of the year when they were just running out. But that would be covered by the cash coming in for the current xmas. So there will have been 10-20k worth of hours flown off with little cash in.

There are a raft of other reasons which it wouldn't be wise to air in public. Some of the things that have been reported to the authorities are quite serious if they are found to be true.

Personally I have mixed feelings over this, 6 months ago I wouldn't have been really to bothered. But looking back to 600 hours in ZA and LP, and 350 in YR and some of the students I taught there does bring back many fond memory's.
YR was the most difficult aircraft to land I have flown in my career.

The school gave many a pilot their first start both the instructors and the students. I can't think of any airport in the UK which is better placed for PPL instruction. Training area just out of the circuit, local micro climate which let you train when the rest of the UK was clamped. Local bombing range to go and play in. Scenery to die for. Trial flights down the great glen followed by a run down the Black isle, if you were lucky you could watch the RAF in the bombing circuit at Tain.

Those that have lost money and their jobs I have every sympathy with.

There is a very strong market for flying in the inverness area I am sure someone will step in to reap the rewards.