Stinson Air Center closes doors

[Check 6]

In San Antonio, Texas, Stinson Air Center abruptly shut down last week and left employees and students high and dry, the Express-News reported on Friday. The flight school, one of the largest in the area, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, according to the news report. Employees told the Express-News they had shown up ready for work last Thursday and found the doors locked and the offices apparently empty. Stinson Air's chief pilot told the News-Express he was getting calls from students asking about their $20,000 deposits. The news echoes the recent story of an abrupt shutdown at Airline Training Academy in Florida, where several hundred students say they lost thousands of dollars they had put on deposit for flight time. Stinson Air Center had been in operation for four years and offered flying lessons to the public and for students at a nearby college aviation program, as well as warbird training and a program for international students.