I've been keeping an eye on these posts and it seems apparent that some accusations / comments being made may be based on a truly spiteful vindictiveness from individuals who have a very personal axe to grind.

In life it is, at best, disappointing, when persons carry out such a selfish course of action for such peculiar gain. It certainly brings them no credit whatsoever and, indeed, usually comes back to haunt them.

It should be remembered there are far more people (than the Brooks) directly affected by this debacle in varying degrees - some should perhaps reflect on that and their conduct in this sad affair......

Herriot, it is true to say there are a few examples of Schadenfreude on this thread. Sad people really!

ok so all the training records are locked in HFS??how do i go about getting copies to take with me to my next flying school??

I contacted the CAA about the training records and was directed to the liquidation administrators. At present I don't know if the records are still at HFS building or the administrators or the CAA. Anyone with info?

Another news clip:
Flying school closure could cost airport £30,000 - The Inverness Courier

Hi ya folks,

Just wanted to put my two penneth in. It is very sad that the school has been disolved for a better word. I'm sure may be the people have lost £1000's may not agree, but have a thought about the people who worked here and are outstanding wages ! It was their livelyhood, some are owed months of wages, more fool them you may say. But these guys including myself wanted to help students to acheive their goal ! AND still do ! SO the purpose of the post, if we can still help you folks out I'm sure the original instructors will try the up most hardest too.
PM if I can be of any help.

It all started with pink headsets..................:}

No guts!
 

I for myself enjoyed earning - what must be called incredible in our so often over constrained world - the unique privilege to pilot an aeroplane or as we say be the PIC at HFS in 2004. Friendly forthcoming lads and ladies both at HFS and HAC. An open and friendly atmosphere demonstrating the best one could expect. But what I am reading right now is just unbelievable. Even for an outsider it is more than evident that a "no guts" frustrated and envious insider has blown some issues completely out of proportion, for the sake of destruction and auto-satisfaction only. I am sure it's not the owners nor the flight instructors, so who's left, I ask you?
Anyways, it's sad to see such a great crew falter and such pettiness destroy a genuine setup, very unfortunately you guys way up North are proving the international bs again: small community = petty thoughts!

For anyone who is interested, there is a meeting for creditors of HFS on 6/04/09 in the Holiday Inn Express. In the oh so handy location of Perth. Great for students based in the North East area.

Training Records
 

I asked the HFS liquidation administrators about relocating my training records and have today received the following reply;

" The Directors of the Company retain control of the books and records until the Company has been formally wound up and 'I (Daryl Warwick of Armstrong Watson) have been advised by them that they are making the necessary arrangements for the student flying records to be returned to the Civil Aviation Authority who will then be contacting students to arrange transfer of their records accordingly "

Hope this helps to put a few minds to rest .

Addition: The creditors Meeting at the Holiday Inn Express commences at 10.15am on the 6th April in the Inveralmond Room.

I'll be there :suspect:

Unfortunatly i can't make it to Perth. If you wouldn't mind Mike, could you post a quick run down of what is said at the meeting? I would imagine there will be a few people who can't make it.

Yes TurningFinals I'll give a short report on PPRuNe. Seems odd to me that the meeting is in Perth rather than Inverness - maybe they don't want to be overcrowded by creditors :hmm:

I was thinking that too. Maybe a not-so-clever way of trying to get less people to show up, and thanks in advance!

Unfortunately you are not wrong.

That thread was when the school started pulling in students country wide instead of just relying on local students.

It is also probably the start of most of the problems that the set in place the growing stand off between the club and the school.

As I have said before the mind set and admin involved in intensive 4 week courses is quite different to servicing weekly flyers and trial flight markets. There is allot of faces coming and going who never really introduce themselves to club members and basically treat the place like a doss house.

It aids the club if the membership fee's are payed (bone of contention) and also by the fact that there are more planes available at a reduced cost. But it is also a huge pain for the members as the club does not feel or look like a club any more. And they have a raft of cheeky young ppl students who don't know or care about the club or the facilities that are available to them.

As an example. in 2008

Young student who is planning a nav ex is in the briefing room with charts spread on the table. Committee member comes in after seeing that the common room is trashed after having 10-30 people using it through the day. Now committee meeting is the same day every month since 2001 so he tells the student that he needs to move, probably quite gruffly, as he his pissed off that the common room is not very nice for members again.

As far as the student is concerned they have payed for a course and some old fart is chucking them out of the only decent place you can spread a chart out in peace in the building. And replys in an equally pissed off tone to the old fart.

Who's right and who's in the wrong doesn't really matter. You can see that a very large school hanging off a club in a building which isn't big enough will always lead to falling outs.

As for the meeting being in Perth I really don't blame them if they want to get anything productive done. If they did it in Inverness they could quite easily get 200-300 people turning each owed 150 quid and demanding it with another 50 odd who are owed significantly more with another 5-10 !!!! stirrers chucked in for good measure. And from having been sent to one of these meetings before. Not alot gets done apart from the administrator introducing themselves and telling the meeting what proof you need to supply as to your claim on the company and where you have to write to with this proof.

No doubt the courier will be there to print the details in the next courier. But if your owed more than 500 quid I would suggest you get to it or give someone going a letter stating they can act on your behalf in regards to the issue at the meeting just in case.

Today (3/4/09) HIAL ''impounded'' HFS's 2 remaining aircraft. They have blocked them in with various airside vehicles. They have also put signs on the cockpit windscreens saying that they are 'refusing movement' due to unpaid airport fees. The same has happend to G-BXZA in SYY.

I may have been naive in the past, being such bleeding heart, but when it comes to work and being paid, ehm. Surely, if instructing for free in small club as fun, OK. But if you don't get paid but the schools is getting cash from students for lessons you fly with them..
Yes, I've been screwed over too. Unpaid shift here or there when leaving work and 'records get lost' etc. Only worth making a point in Small claims court at one's expense (time, hassle, appl fee if not proven).
I'm still 'in training', but 'calling it a day', backing up clock-in cards etc and waving goodbye until paid or lawfully claimed is a way to go.

hfs ripped us all off
 

its now clear that hfs were taking money while they new that they were insolvent. naughty!!!!

how do you lose £176.000.00 in 6 months and that's only what they accepted. a few creditors have not claimed, and some claims were rejected by the crooks.

I'm sure Maggie and peter are grateful for all the dosh, just to add insult to injury they still enjoy the luxury of owning there home outright.

my last reclolection of its value was when pb anounced it was worth 350k,owned outright with your dosh.

no beardy woman,

can you expand on what went on at the meeting today or do i have to wait for the paper online tomorrow.

yip
 

or full figures visit the highland aero club website

however i have been a wee bit off the mark

if you look you will see a figure that adds up to close on £220.000.00

less assets that are over estimated as landing fees and parking fees and maintenance by hial and owing monies to tayside. would have to be paid for these assets to be removed from there location

please note the 2 properties that they own are not in the pot
surprise not!!!!!!

its sick that they don't put there two houses in the pot to pay all that are owed money

the last estimate of their house fully paid for by students money was and i quote peter £350.000.00

the pilot house is in a different company name

it is amazing that they could lose so much in six months, in fact its impossible unless it was pre- planned

they undoubtedly took monies while they were knowingly insolvent

i do feel sorry for all students and pilots who have lost out

the truth is they are living a life of luxury at our expense

the good news is they wont be seen in flying again !!!!!!!!

More on Highland Flying School
 

I have been learning to fly at Tollerton, Nottingham.

I did a couple of training flights with HFS last summer.
They were disorganised, but the quality of the instruction was fine.

I booked 6 training flights in the Xmas - New year period
but over the week that I was in Inverness, there was freezing fog
and usually the easyjet 737s couldnt get in/out never mind a PA38
and I didnt get a single flight.

I dont know how long that fog lasted, but they must have been hit hard financially by it.

Its unfortunate that they have gone down, but I didnt get the impression that they were untrustworthy or crooks.

I wonder if their aircraft will be going cheap from the receivers???

Oh dear, just had a look at the figures posted on the HAC website:eek:
What a sorry state of affairs, I cant believe the Brooks couldn't/didn't see that one coming!

I feel sorry for all the public who bought trial flight vouchers who will almost definitely not see their money again.

What an end to such a great place! :{