Is Ati On Drugs?

[N2]

Found this posting on ATI's site and was just wondering how they came to this conclusion?


A student pilot who begins his or her studies today will be entering a job market larger than any in aviation history. The demand for professional pilots in the coming years is expected to be so high that many sectors of the industry will be short-staffed.

 

[P.A.P.I]

Unfortunetly thats the way the schools are getting students to sign up........think of it.... If you were told that "in the next 10 years there will not be any positions available as flight crew's" would you still want to spend that amount of $$$$. I know wouldn't!!. 😀

 

[Kyle]

I am pretty sure that ATI shut down last month.

 

[schteevie]

yes, ATI went bankrupt last month.

Surprised the hell out of me - I would have thought they were one of the stronger flight schools around Toronto...

I got an interesting letter outlining ATIs outstanding accounts form the bankruptcy lawyers handling the case.
seems I still have $20 on account - I guess thats gone... <_<

...but there are some students who had upwards of $7000 on account! You can bet they have a long hard battle ahead of them to get any of it back 😱

 

[Winnie]

Too bad that som many will loose so much money! :down: , That really sucks!!
Well I just woder why, most people here in Canada (At least where I am) seem to do extremely little research, of schools in at home, in other provinces or in other countries before they decide where to go and what is best. I am surprised that so few go to the states, when you have a lot better chances of getting hours quickly, and getting lots of experience faster.

Well, I guess that is just life...

 

[Pratt]

I always wondered why people would put money down on account in advance of doing the training.

I am sure that the most you have to do is pay for it as you go. That's how it was when I did my training years ago.

Have things changed?

I feel sorry for those people.

🙁

 

[schteevie]

I think there is an insentive in that there is a reduction in price if you put certain amounts on account... so if you can afford it up front, it can be worth it in the long run - unless of course the company tanks with your money :down:

 

[Pratt]

Yes, I suppose that would be a good reason, if they gave you a discount off the hourly rate. But at the same time, theoretically, they are collecting interest off the money you have given them on account.

And, unfortunately, it seems like some outfits, like the one in this case, there wasn't much speculation that they were in trouble before they closed the doors. But if it did become apparent there was problems, you would have a hard time getting your money back off the account.

Maybe others will see this as a reason not to give your money in advance, this certainly isn't the first time that people have lost a pile of their money in the same circumstances.

When I did my training, it all went on my account, and I didn't fork over money until they were asking for it.

But maybe that is no longer an option?

 

[schteevie]

Fly now, pay later? :huh:

What a concept - an FBO taking a risk and trusting a renter/student! 😛

Most places expect payment in full after you total up your time and return the keys at the end of each flight.

when I started my training I was actually able to carry a balance and settle up at the end (or so) of each month.
But I think that is a rare situation - especialy now a days.

 

[twinstar_ca]

when i did my ppl in 1990, my school didn't offer block time pre-purchased... it was simply a case of cutting a cheque after each flight...

 

[dockjock]

ATI's aircraft were owned by the president and leased to ATI. As a kick in the nuts to all those that lost money and/or jobs in the whole mess, he still keeps the airplanes and walks away smelling like a rose. What a complete jagoff of a person. Total scum.

 

[twinstar_ca]

did he not have to give a personal guarentee, dockjock??

i would think that if he was the pres and had those kinds of assets, he could still be held responsible for those who had $$$ on deposit....

sounds like a jim "the hammer" shapiro or sam berstein kind of case!! :angry:

 

[schteevie]

ATI was a seperate company from ATR seminars inc. That "owned" it.
(Airline Training Internation, Airline Training Resources)

So I guess there are some loop wholes or whatever that protect the actual owners...

I work in film, and for every film that is made a "company" is formed that is the same name as the title of the film. That way if some bad stuff goes down, like a stunt man getting killed, or huge budget problems, etc... The studio that is producing (and profitting from) the film, can stay arms length away from legal or money problems.

aint busines grand <_<

 

[dockjock]

Ya sure, makes sense. But they were accepting money down in advance from students right up to the end. And the instructors had zero notice too. You'd think that if the owner is not going to feel much pain ie. get to keep his a/c anyway, then common decency and respect would say that the staff would get a discreet heads up and they would not be accepting money on account knowing they were going to lose it.

 

[schteevie]

well, unfortunately, thats not how bussiness works in terms of bankruptsy...
I think it was 19 days from the official filing privately, to the public anouncement.
So yeah, the upper people knew for over two weeks...

My instructor was nice enough to call me on my cell phone after he showed up for work and found the doors locked with a basic notice of bankruptsy taped to the glass window from the inside.

thats how he found out <_<
It was an extra slap in the face that he had to take to ferry across to find out. :down:

I had a flight booked for that day. I would have been pissed if I went out with a passenger, paid for the two of us to cross on the ferry only to flind that locked door and notice.

but that's nothing compared to those that lost thousands on account.
I feel for them. 🙁