Long Island Flight School Liquidating

rocketflyer84

rocketflyer84

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RocketFlyer84
Heard from a fellow pilot that a well known flight school on Long Island (Ventura at Republic) appears to be liquidating.

See this announcement:

Anyone know the backstory there? On the surface a flight school shutting its doors wouldn't be odd, but I had always heard they were very busy and certainly the last few times I landed at KFRG recently their planes were all over the pattern. A business doesn't just liquidate a well performing business unit to focus attention elsewhere on undefined other priorities (as the video says) so smells like something else must have happened.
 
My only guess is that they’re trying to grow their corporate flight department. I’ve always heard them on the radio and the school seemed like it was doing alright.
 
Sounds like Papa is retiring and the kids have no interest in running a flight school. Nothing mysterious about that.
 
Ventura was overpriced too.
 
paflyer said:
Sounds like Papa is retiring and the kids have no interest in running a flight school. Nothing mysterious about that.
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This, +5.
A "school" where the owner has pictures of himself hanging from the walls. No further comment required...
 
mtuomi said:
This, +5.
A "school" where the owner has pictures of himself hanging from the walls. No further comment required...
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Well, hmmm. I did find the video a bit odd and self-centered so guess I'm not surprised to hear that. Starting off with that quote about focus really came across the wrong way. He may has well just said I need you people to go away.

A flight school is not the sort of business that's best run by someone with an "it's all about me" auora about them so perhaps it's all for the better. Feel bad for the students and instructors but they'll move on to greener pastures.
 
Coincidence that they announce this a couple of weeks after one of there planes propeller completely breaks off the plane on climbout. Amazing no one was hurt on that one.
 
TommyG said:
Coincidence that they announce this a couple of weeks after one of there planes propeller completely breaks off the plane on climbout. Amazing no one was hurt on that one.
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Probably no coincidence, but I imagine it was contributory. Owning a business is already enough of a pain in the arse, like when you think you are providing a good service for a fair price and someone says you are "overpriced". But add to all the ordinary trials and tribulations, which add up over time, if you throw in a disaster or two, many people decide it just isn't worth it any more. I have friends that owned businesses that were clobbered my hurricane Matthew last year. They spent months and many of thousands of dollars getting back to business. Then Irma hit them this year. For the most part, the damage was substantially less than Matthew, but it just wasn't worth it any more. You work and you work and you do your best, and stuff still happens. After a while, you just ask why.

(sorry for the soapbox rant).
 
rocketflyer84 said:
Well, hmmm. I did find the video a bit odd and self-centered so guess I'm not surprised to hear that. Starting off with that quote about focus really came across the wrong way. He may has well just said I need you people to go away.

A flight school is not the sort of business that's best run by someone with an "it's all about me" auora about them so perhaps it's all for the better. Feel bad for the students and instructors but they'll move on to greener pastures.
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Lots of MBA babbel in that video. A sign 'go away !' taped to the office door on the 15th would have provided the same information.
 
rocketflyer84 said:
Well, hmmm. I did find the video a bit odd and self-centered so guess I'm not surprised to hear that. Starting off with that quote about focus really came across the wrong way. He may has well just said I need you people to go away.

A flight school is not the sort of business that's best run by someone with an "it's all about me" auora about them so perhaps it's all for the better. Feel bad for the students and instructors but they'll move on to greener pastures.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hope the students didn't pay in advance and have to fight to get there money back.

JOhnH said:
You work and you work and you do your best, and stuff still happens. After a while, you just ask why.

(sorry for the soapbox rant).
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It depends on if you truly love what you do or not. If you love it then you would want to get back on the horse right away. Most people don't love what they do!
 
TommyG said:
Coincidence that they announce this a couple of weeks after one of there planes propeller completely breaks off the plane on climbout. Amazing no one was hurt on that one.
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Which one broke?
 
FloridaPilot said:
Yeah, I hope the students didn't pay in advance and have to fight to get there money back.



It depends on if you truly love what you do or not. If you love it then you would want to get back on the horse right away. Most people don't love what they do!
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FP,

In my twenties back in the sixties I was a professional firefighter and enjoyed the job. OTOH, some of the folks I was forced to work under and with made the job pure hell. I put up with their BS for six years before opting out. Then I discovered aviation through a friend. Worked under supervision till I was qualified to write for my A&P. Never looked back. I had found something that was both satisfying and challenging and relished the chance to prove myself and my work.

Sure, I could have had a better retirement had I stayed on the fire department but I valued my sanity more than the benefits.
 
Norman said:
FP,

In my twenties back in the sixties I was a professional firefighter and enjoyed the job. OTOH, some of the folks I was forced to work under and with made the job pure hell. I put up with their BS for six years before opting out. Then I discovered aviation through a friend. Worked under supervision till I was qualified to write for my A&P. Never looked back. I had found something that was both satisfying and challenging and relished the chance to prove myself and my work.

Sure, I could have had a better retirement had I stayed on the fire department but I valued my sanity more than the benefits.
Click to expand...

Congratulations, sometimes there isn't any money doing what you love to do. It really comes down to being fulfilled when all is said and done.
 
weilke said:
Lots of MBA babbel in that video. A sign 'go away !' taped to the office door on the 15th would have provided the same information.
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Plus it looks like he was reading a script, maybe from a teleprompter and with all the cuts probably many retakes.
 
mtuomi said:
Which one broke?
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Friend at the field who saw some of the proceedings after the prop flew off said "It was one of their training fleet. Had a red tail."

Don't know if that helps ID it.
 
The guy actually takes the time to briefly address the reasons for the closure and "next steps" for his students. He appears to have talked to neighboring flight schools and notified them that he is closing. This is someone who's actually taking care of his students, unlike unscrupulous school operators who close their doors with no notice. Meanwhile, on POA, we rip the guy for being overpriced and suggest he should have just locked up and put a "go away" sign on the door.

Dumb.
 
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