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Old 24th Oct 2012, 20:21
  #201 (permalink)  
 
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The Truth

Let's put this nonsense to rest. I do not need to hide behind an alias because I have nothing to hide and will only tell the truth. I was the CFI at PTC about nine years ago for a period of seven months. Mike Jones was one of my staff instructors. Since that time I have had very little involvement with PTC. I have assisted with some independent interviewing and assessments of candidates for various schools, one of which was PTC. I have revalidated ratings for various pilots, some of whom have worked for PTC, including Mike Edgeworth and Mike Jones. That is what independent examiners do. I am not an IAA examiner and have not been for many years.

I have no axe to grind in this matter and no wish to be involved in the squabbles. I have nothing but sympathy for anyone who has lost money with PTC, Cabair or any of the many other providers who have gone bust over the years. But I have no knowledge of any scams at any of these establishments.

I have recently joined AFT as CFI. To the best of my knowledge this school has no links with any other school. In my view as a very experienced instructor and examiner I believe that AFT offers a good service to its trainees. The company has some well qualified instructors and a good pass rate. What else does one need? There are no scams, cons or anything untoward to the best of my knowledge. If I knew of anything I would not be here because I value my reputation.

Now, is there anything else any of you would like to know? If you want to make direct contact with me please email or telephone me. You have my details already.
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Old 24th Oct 2012, 21:53
  #202 (permalink)  
 
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But I have no knowledge of any scams at any of these establishments.
To be honest the CFI never does until its to late.

And your sales team is using the boeing report to punt out that there is going to be a pilot shortage. Which we all know is a load of rubbish.

That same sales team was the one that had a advertising standards ruling against them while working at PTC. Unfortunately for you the PTC thing is like a cows bum in spring with brown stuff sticking to it never mind what ever direction the cow turns.
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Old 24th Oct 2012, 22:28
  #203 (permalink)  
 
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I am aware that the IAA know that ME has tried to resurrect approvals that were for PTC Cambridge with the CAA. The IAA have been in contact with the CAA and are very much aware of the situation.

As for Waterford airport I have it on good authority , no pun intended, that they do not want to linked with any more of ME's antics. They are happy to accept rent for hangarage and aircraft parking but the clock is even ticking on this.

The IAA tribunal was today anyone got info yet?
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Old 25th Oct 2012, 02:27
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Oireachtas to investigate pilot school

Irish Times Today

Breaking News from the Oireachtas

The collapse of the Waterford based Pilot Training College which went into liquidation after trainees and their families paid €5.5million in fees, is to be investigated by a committee of the Dáil and Seanad.

The decision to investigate was taken today after the Oireachtas Transport Committee heard from chief executive of the Irish Aviation Authority Eamonn Brennan that the directors of the college had “run for the hills”.

The authority's director of safety regulation Kevin Humphreys said the directors had been effectively operating “a ponzi scheme”.

The committee also heard criticism of the college's accountants and auditors and the investigation is to consider whether to report these firms to their regulatory bodies.

A number of trainee pilots – part of a group of up to 350 pilots - who were left stranded in Florida when the college collapsed, were in the committee’s public gallery today to hear acting chairman Patrick O’Donovan say the investigation would be “full and forensic”.

A number of committee members complained that fees had continued to be taken from trainees in the months before the Florida Institute of Technology ended its deal with the Waterford based college over non payment of bills.

The Committee also heard calls for the actions of the college directors to be referred to the director of corporate enforcement. Joe McHugh TD said the college’s accountants and auditors appeared to have given the school a clean bill of health when there were serious difficulties.

In a further move the committee said its investigation would cover whether the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar should make a once-off offer of alternative training or compensation to the students involved.

Mr Brennan said the authority had done everything it could do, as it was a safety regulator and not the financial regulator. He said he would welcome an investigation by the director of corporate enforcement, and remarked that the directors of the Pilot Training College had not answered questions from the authority or the student’s families about the financial crisis at the business.

He said he understood a new company, Clearsky, had been incorporated in recent months by the principals of the Pilot Training College but it had not sought any approvals for the aviation authority.

Mr Humphreys said the lessons from a similar collapse in Co Cork in the 1980s had not been learned.

Speaking ahead of today's hearing, Brian and Martina Kealy of the Pilot Training College Action Group said many individuals and families had paid sums of about €80,000 each in the nine months before the college went into liquidation.

They have been told the company has no funds to repay the fees they paid for a course taught in the US.

Ms Kealy said the group maintained there were difficulties with the oversight of the Pilot Training College accounts by the IAA. She said they also took issue with the assertion by Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to the effect that accountants had been “satisfied” the college would continue as a going concern.

Ms Kealy said Mr Varadkar could "not evade these truths", adding that “justice must be done”.

Last edited by Matrix12; 29th Oct 2012 at 06:11.
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Old 25th Oct 2012, 02:50
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IAA: Pilot college financing like a Ponzi scheme

IAA: Pilot college financing like a Ponzi scheme
Irish Examiner
By Claire O’Sullivan
Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Irish Aviation Authority has likened the financing of the ill-fated Pilot Training College in Waterford to a Ponzi scheme, and said the director of corporate enforcement should investigate the company’s collapse.

The authority’s director of safety regulation, Kevin Humphreys, yesterday told the Oireachtas transport committee the "absence of cadet sponsorship by airlines" has meant private pilot training is "open to this kind of abuse, that is operating as a Ponzi scheme", as huge injections of finance were regularly required to ensure quality training.

He lamented the lack of airline-sponsored cadetships, such as those previously offered by Aer Lingus and the air corps, describing it as "a lacuna".

IAA chief executive Eamonn Brennan was criticised by TDs and senators, who accused the body of failing to better regulate the school, but the IAA refused to take the blame, saying it is only responsible for safety regulation and that questions on the financing of the company should "go to the director of corporate enforcement".

Senator Denis O’Donovan took aim at Transport Minister Leo Varadkar for his failure "to take control" in the past four months and "find out where the buck lies".

It was agreed that a committee of the Dáil and Seanad will undertake a "full and forensic" investigation of the collapse of the college, which left up to 190 private and partially sponsored students out of pocket by up to €5.5m.

Mr Brennan said the directors of the company should be brought before the committee. "The one people not being called to account are the directors of this company," he said. "The minute this happened, they headed for the hills. We could not contact them. They have not been held to account and we are going around in circles here with the department and IAA."

Fine Gael TD Joe O’Reilly was sharply critical of the college going into liquidation on Oct 2, and then a day later, its chief executive and directors setting up another aviation company, Clearsky.

"It was the reincarnation of a sick, old animal," he said.

Mr Brennan said the IAA will "keep Clearsky under observation".

The IAA and the department were repeatedly criticised for failing to reimburse and compensate students.

Mr Humphreys defended the IAA’s actions, saying it sent inspectors to Florida when the course first collapsed, repatriated trainee pilots, seized their training records from the college, and helped students out in any way it could.

He said inspectors also met with Weston National Flight Centre and Atlantic Flight Training Academy in Cork to develop packages to assist former trainees of the Waterford college.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, October 25, 2012

Last edited by Matrix12; 29th Oct 2012 at 06:11.
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Old 25th Oct 2012, 03:25
  #206 (permalink)  
 
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Unacceptable!

Pilot Training College

440000 Euros of Irish Taxpayers money wasted

Pie in the Sky

Fraud

PTC gets the boot



Clearsky Pilot Training

Mike Edgeworth
Sinead O Marcaigh
Diarmuid Maher

From across Ireland, Europe, USA, Kazakhstan and so many more..... families, students, creditors, businesses governments want answers to what has being going on here. Enough is enough. This is a call for the Irish Government to show once and for all that people like this will not be tolerated in Ireland, and that these people will be perused with the weight of a country in tracking them down. Our Reputation as a sovereign state rides on how you deal with this.

To the Irish Government: This is your opportunity right now, to investigate this matter to the depths of its core. This is your opportunity find the truth. Its time you told us what's going on.

Last edited by Matrix12; 25th Oct 2012 at 04:00.
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Old 25th Oct 2012, 06:12
  #207 (permalink)  
 
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One man, his bitch and his lone sheep will not get anywhere. I imagine that every airline, training department, CEO, Chief pilot in the world will have this information over the next few weeks.
It would be very sad if students with Clearsky on their CV found it difficult to get interviews with this baggage attached, go elsewhere. There are reputable companies if you do your research. Keep away from anyone associated with PTC.
They still have your money, they paid themselves salaries for several positions at the same time, Edgeworthless was taking salaries of up to 100k a month with his family.
Don't bend over in the shower Mike, there are many, many who are waiting to oblige. S OM you have nothing to worry about
MATRIX, you are correct. Edgeworthless and his family are a disgrace and an embarrassment to the great Irish Nation and the IAA denying responsibility for the finance is a lie. They have to agree that the company has the financial integrity to operate.
The Faithlegg Country Club guest book will tell a few tales.
Unfortunately, the nation won't see an investigation because there is deep seated corruption there with Edgeworth going back many, many years. Everyone knows it. He did the same in Florida didn't he DM?


Of course this is all rumour and I cannot condone any of the suggestions above

I also agree the Directors/Shareholders need to be brought to book. They knew exactly what was going on. Edgeworthless broke the Directors/Shareholders accounting agreements over 18 months ago and they did NOTHING. They can be contacted if you know where to look

oh well back to real life at FL470

Last edited by pilotbear; 27th Oct 2012 at 04:22.
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Old 27th Oct 2012, 04:21
  #208 (permalink)  
 
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And as for AFT, while the PTC sales guys are there, the posts will continue. Make your choices wisely my old friend.
I must emphasise that this not reflection on training standards at AFT as with AW at the helm the training standard will be good provided the recent real life Airline Captain knowledge and experience is integrated into the training and the 2000 hrs in the circuit instructor mentality that we see in most companies is backed off.
Just do not believe that anyone can get you an interview or a job. ONLY you can do that and do not pay the full price and DO not pay up front. There is no requirement whatsoever to do this. Monitor flight for cost and check your bills thoroughly. Remember the sales guys are only interested in your signature not your career, make them work for it.
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Old 28th Oct 2012, 07:23
  #209 (permalink)  
 
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Dear All;

Mark Roberston is not a member of our staff.

The Boeing study is real and credible, and being quoted by everyone in the industry. The Airbus study says the same, and yes we use them for our sales presentations.

We do not ask anyone to pay upfront. We take a deposit, and 4 additional installements throughout the training, just like all FTO's. Some of the Cabair cadets asked for a pay-as-you-go arrangement and we gladly agreed in view of what they had gone through.

We would welcome a third party audit of our accounts - we have nothing to hide.

Last edited by mmatalla; 28th Oct 2012 at 07:32.
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Old 28th Oct 2012, 08:00
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The Boeing study is real and credible, and being quoted by everyone in the industry
Not everyone and if you use it in the UK you may fall foul of the advertising standards.


And it sounds like you have been suckered in as well by it.
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Old 28th Oct 2012, 12:52
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We do not ask anyone to pay upfront. We take a deposit, and 4 additional installements throughout the training, just like all FTO's.
That is Not all FTOs require payment in that manner. I trained many moons ago at a small school in Bournemouth and each Friday afternoon we got a detailed statement for that weeks flying. As a student I was required to pay that off there and then in full and keep my account in credit (by how much was up to me but as a goodwill gesture I left around £500 in there). I paid by credit card and had the full protection from VISA as a back up.

The school was happy as they were getting paid weekly. Most of their expenses such as wages, airport charges and fuel were settled monthly so the school was never out of pocket.

Any other payment means are effectively a ponzi in disguise. Hence why we keep banging on and telling people not to pay upfront.
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Old 28th Oct 2012, 13:48
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Marwan,

And it sounds like you have been suckered in as well by it.
indeed it does. Boeing and Airbus object is to manufacture and sell aircraft, not operate them.. such 'studies' are not impartial and more of a vehicle for their own purposes, including that of bolstering shareholder perceptions of future stock value.

hence it is disingenuous for such partisan studies to be used out of context in the promotion of flight training services.

there are as many 'investors', maybe even more so, that have been screwed over on glossy presentations on the money to be made in aviation as there are 'wannabes' that have left high and dry.
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Old 28th Oct 2012, 19:15
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I stand corrected. AFT's billing methods are similar to many, but not all, FTO's. There is no ponzi scheme, and we have been in business for many years, and plan to continue that way.

Your views on the Boeing and airbus studies are noted, although I respectfully disagree, and there is no point in arguing as this is a subjective matter.

If there are any serious questions, I am happy to take them.
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Old 28th Oct 2012, 20:13
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Its not my view its the advertising standards authority have already found against a training provider for using them to say there is going to be a shortage of pilots.

Dreaming of becoming a pilot? - YouTube

And a bet you don't show them this either.
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Old 29th Oct 2012, 04:59
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Dear Mad-Jock;

I saw the video from BALPA and it is a very good one. The five key messages are:
  • Think carefully – do your research.
  • BALPA is not prepared to see this practice by airlines continue
  • Authority – wake up
  • Employers – join us
  • Support BALPA
I think it's a noble message and I agree with it. I don't understand your point though. Is it hard to get a job now? yes. Is this going to continue forever? of course not. Economies move in cycles.

It's hard to get a job anywhere these days. Does that mean colleges should tell students to STOP getting an education?

I really don't understand your issue. I am trying to be objective but you seem adamant on proving that we are doing things wrong. I invited you to attend one of our seminars. You are still welcome to.
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Old 29th Oct 2012, 05:10
  #216 (permalink)  
 
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Dear G-RICH;

Thank you for your comments. Every company has it's own payment terms, and if other FTO's have an "end of the day" payment system, that is their prorogative. We have ours and it works, and has been for years. We are still in business, and we have not taken any money from anyone and not provided the training, and we never will. In fact, when Coventry Airport closed, we injected money into AFT for 6 months just to keep it going. We could have easily taken the route of closing AFT down, bt we didn't. We are in this business for the long term.

I will investigate your story, but we are definitely interested in UK students. In fact, we have 6 signed up, 2 of whom are already in training in Aqaba. I would be happy to provide you with their contact details, with their permission, for a reference.

I will be in Coventry next week, albeit not armed with a broom and a luger, and you are welcome to visit and provide us with any constructive critism to help us improve the Academy.
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Old 29th Oct 2012, 10:04
  #217 (permalink)  
 
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no thanks if you are using the boeing reports I can already guess your style of sales pitch.

Why not get an advertising standards officer to go to one and see if your contravening truthfullness. Oh your sales team were the one's that fell foul of that when they worked at PTC.
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Old 29th Oct 2012, 14:07
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Mad-Jock;

I just emailed the lawyer to check; thank you.
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Old 29th Oct 2012, 14:13
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Dear G-RICH;

I am in Coventry November 8 and 9.

Trust me, no one at AFT holds back for fear of consequences. I have a group of people that I am very proud of, and who leave no doubt that they disagree with me when they do.

Nonetheless, I thank you for your constructive thoughts. I will dicuss them with the team while in Coventry.
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Old 29th Oct 2012, 14:35
  #220 (permalink)  
 
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Marwan,

I have to say, so far it's been encouraging that you have engaged with people directly and taken action on certain aspects.

Additionally, the sense of humour (broom and luger) was appreciated.
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