A PFT Story (I think)..and a question...

[MSNFlier]

Just picked this up at www.landings.com. I'm not a professional pilot and I don't know the pilot that is the subject of the story, but after reading a number of the PFT discussions on this board over the past few years I wonder what some of you think about the whole scenario. In your opinion (and I understand most of you aren't attorneys, but you all have good common sense - and believe it or not, that's most of the battle), do you think the pilots who paid the defendant should get their money back, or did they unwisely pursue a "too good to be true" offer that amounted to PFT.

Thoughtful responses are appreciated.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...may05,0,5109598.story?coll=orl-news-headlines

 

[Bluestreak]

With the research tools available these days,I'm amazed at the number of people still being scammed by Aerial Messages ! Here,take a look from last year:

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5561&highlight=aerial+messages

 

[FlyingSig]

Interesting website this fellow has (link in the article). A few gems:

Aircraft inspections are done every 50 and 100 hours and we are proud to say that we have an impeccable safety record. (which has been recognized by the FAA)

and from the Sentinel article:

One of his planes crashed last year in Flagler County, killing two people.

Banner Tow Pilots Average 100 to 250 hours per month at $12 to $28 per hour.

250 hours/month? I did 100 one month flight instructing and about died... is there anyone on this board that has flown 250 hours in a month (forget about "averaging" 250)?

Don't worry if the job thing doesn't work out though, this fellow also offers much more!

Through connections with our advertising customers, we are able to offer additional services while you are training with us.

These sevices include:
Skydive Certification
Scuba Certification
Deep Sea Fishing
Daily Gambling Cruises

 

[WrightAvia]

Through connections with our advertising customers, we are able to offer additional services while you are training with us.

These sevices include:
Skydive Certification
Scuba Certification
Deep Sea Fishing
Daily Gambling Cruises

What about FROG HUNTING, GUN REPAIR or PARALEGAL? I think that outfit that Sally "ALL IN THE FAMILY" Struthers is a spokesperson for, offers many more programs than that. Even G.E.D.'s!

 

[Timebuilder]

Here is what needs to happen:

people with screen shots of the website and printed material, along with hearsay that can be corroborated (two people who met together with the operator and heard the speil, along with employees that can be deoposed) need to contact the attorney general and ask him to seek an injunction against the operator. In addition, all involved should make complaints to the FSDO and their local representatives.

There is good reason here to charge fraud and theft by deception.

 

[ms6073]

There is good reason here to charge fraud and theft by deception.

You know I agree with you 100%, unfortunatley when you consider the fact that the State of Florida/FAA/Authorities et al. have yet to go after the Williams' family (AKA Airline Training Academy/Discover Air) in which the entire body of students enrolled at the school were defrauded out of millions of dollars, why should we believe these same entities will do anything to stop Tim "sure that deposit is refundable" Pacini. Based on everything that I have read/heard/seen of this low-life bottom feeder, with the way his shoe-string operation is set up, he has more or less made himself and his company judgement proof!

 

[Flying Illini]

I talked to the guy on the phone several months back when I was instructing and looking for a way to build time. He seemed like a nice enough guy BUT the more I talked to him (we conversed on the phone twice and twice by email in the course of two weeks. The reason for this was that HIS story and his webpage never matched...just made me leery of his operation) the more I realized I didn't want to work for this guy let alone give him TWENTY FIVE HUNDRED dollars for an endorsement! I thought that was rediculous...especially after mentioning this "endoresment" and the costs to a few friends who had never heard of something like that for the cost.

 

[stillaboo]

Why can't they go after his companies assets? The aircraft and facilites have to be worth something.

-Boo!

 

[bobbysamd]

Aerial Fraud

I saw the following on the Aerial Messages web site:


Attention Pilots:
We Need 47 Banner Tow Pilots For The Summer Season.

and

We Have Jobs Available NOW!!

We are constantly getting requests for qualified pilots in banner towing, flight instruction and charters. Requests come in weekly!! Along with Aerial Messages, there are many other companies both locally and afar. Last year, we were unable to meet the demand for pilots.

We currently need 100 banner tow pilots to meet the summer season demand. Banner Tow Pilots Average 100 to 250 hours per month at $12 to $28 per hour. Requests for instrctors vary from week to week and average $8 to $12 per hour.
These positions are in Florida and other costal communities. Low time pilots are OK!
Meet the challenge of flight - Contact Aerial Messages Today!!

According to the Sentinel article, Pacini has twenty-two "poolies," so he needs either twenty-five more pilots or seventy-eight more pilots, not forty-seven or one hundred. Yet the Sentinel reports that Mr. Pacini said business is slow.

What is wrong with this picture? I would tend to believe the newspaper report over his web site.

Finally, a media outlet is reporting on an aviation scam. Hopefully the local district attorney and/or Florida Attorney-General can be brought in.

This kind of thing makes me crazy. Which is the exact, same point I've tried to make about the fraud potential of P-F-T . . . . .

 

[ms6073]

Why can't they go after his companies assets? The aircraft and facilites have to be worth something.

-Boo!

Although the 4 or 5 very high mileage aircraft that Aerial Messages has left might have some monetary value if cut up for scrap, I am willing to bet they are somehow lease-back arrangements and even then I doubt they would bring much at auction if seized. As for facilities, I am pretty sure that these to are all leased - tools and other euipement are the property of the employess. Worse yet, I beleive the laws in Florida affords quite a bit of protection to the business owner in such cases.

As previously mentioned, Mr. Pacinni apparently already has several outstanding judgements against either the company or himself but because of the laws in Florida and the fact that he apparently works on a cash basis, the amount of his personal/business assets is never high enough to allow claims against said assets. It seems that even if a party were to be awarded $1,000,000 by a municipal/state court, all he has to do is keep saying business is slow and "I dont have the money" and as along as his books/accounting bears this out, he does not have to pay!

Now if the FAA got involved with this, I would think that this history of deceptive business practices that could be supported by the rendering of several legal judgements against Mr. Pacinni and his company would sort of violate FAR 61.153 (c) "be of good moral character" and would be grounds for suspension of his ATP and flight instructor certficates!

 

[jdru25]

Aerial messages has always been a sketchy operation from what I can remember. They have had many maintenence problems and I know of one accident that happened last year.