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"We are the protagonists of our stories called life, and there is no limit to how high we can fly."


PHD. MBA. MHS. Type rated on A350, A330, B777, B747-400, B747-200, B757, B767, B737, B727. International Airline Pilot / Author / Speaker. Dedicated to giving the gift of wings to anyone following their dreams. Supporting Aviation Safety through training, writing, and inspiration. Fighting for Aviation Safety and Airline Employee Advocacy. Safety Culture and SMS change agent.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Plight of the Pilot Trainees

As if flight training isn't expensive enough...

NEWS Flash. I didn't write, I'm just sharing


"In July 2012 the Pilot Training College (PTC) based in Waterford, but with many students training in Florida, collapsed leaving some 350 students and their sponsors, owed some €5m,stranded in the middle of their training, training funded mostly by personal borrowing,that costs close to €100,000.Some were owed close to€70,000 including a family in Dublin West.The liquidation of PTC is not expected to result in any payments to these students.


PTC was approved as a flight training organisation by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA),a state body, as recently as Autumn 2011. Whilst the IAA says it is not a consumer protection body it is supposed to ensure that there is adequate funding to complete the required training. This it clearly failed to do including approving PTC when it's financial future was already extremely problematic"


"The response of Official Ireland has been to completely deny any responsibility for the dreadful situation faced by all these ambitious and hopeful trainee pilots. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar paid for flights home from Florida for those stranded there then denied any further role. The IAA denied legal responsibility. The Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communication promised a forensic enquiry but then reneged on its promise in private."
 

Please click here to sign the Petition if you think the Trainee Pilots should get full financial compensation for their education, which they had already paid for. Thank you.

What do you think?
Should they get their money refunded? 
 Thank you for signing! 

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene

4 comments:

  1. Wow,

    That is devastating news. I cannot imagine how a new student pilot could recover from that. Owing that much money to the bank, not having anything to show for it and having to borrow another huge sum of money to complete training with no promise of finding a job that pays less than a Starbucks barista. Makes me sick to my stomach for those folks.

    By the way, I didn't see any females in any of those pictures. Just a comment to think about.

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    Replies
    1. No kidding on the women! Maybe they are more intuitive to a scam? ;) Yes, this is really sad. When businesses do this with intent to take the money and run, they should all be held liable.Oh... the stories I could tell you. One day I will!
      Thanks so much for your comment. I'm somewhat in hiding. Studying (2 day cramming) for the GRE. Ahhhh... give me a new plane any day!

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    2. I took the GRE once...I think I was in the 3% percentile. I am sure you will do much better than I did.

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    3. Rob... that's funny. I did not take it. Now I have to wait another year to get it. But... as I sigh, I will have one more year to finish up all the projects and book three.

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