Airman Flight School

[rcbullock]

Airman is and was NOT a rating factory....lots of the students got pink slipped

When I say 'ratings factory' I mean and meant:

No extras or fancy stuff. Good price, Good product, not much handholding, etc. No filler, enrichment, etc. Pay your price, do the work, go home with the licenses. Get through as best you can and as best they can. Fly as much as you can, get through quickly. Take the ride when they feel you are ready (IMHO) even though you may feel a little extra polish would be nice.

I did not mean anything derogatory. The above is a limited kind of statement but hopefully you get the gist.

 

[minitour]

Mini..hmm what are you saying?? you did ine of your fellow students??....................................SWEET

no no...I was a good boy..

I said it "kinda" makes you "wanna" go home with them...

-mini

 

[350DRIVER]

I've previously read the accident report to this particular one you speak of, and I'm curious what the story was behind all this. The report seemed to leave a lot of room for speculation on various things (such as did he have permission to fly this airplane, did the white substance they find in baggies turn out to be illegal drugs, etc.) It sounds pretty clear that he purposely descended below the MDA trying to find the runway, but I'm curious to hear the other side of this story, from someone that was there and knew this guy.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20001218X45437&ntsbno=FTW01FA033&akey=1

This particular fatal flight may or may not have been authorized by the company that owned this 421 according to what I found out and from those who were close to him. Some claim that he could fly the plane when he wanted to and that this flight was no different than any other flight minus the obvious outcome. Speak to different people and you will get conflicting information so "who" really knows is seven feet deep in the ground. I was asked if I wanted to ride a long on a flight into Texas with him which I had to decline due to a tight schedule of getting done asap in the promised time frame (which actually did take place). Earl Nash was a good guy, a sharp stick with many hours and years of experience, unfortunately he made a very bad decision and choice to launch with what was in his system and he paid the ultimate price. I feel more sorry for the family of the young girl who was in that right seat just a long for the ride. If you play then at some point you are going to pay, hard to cheat death especially when you are under the influence of numerous substances that alter the brain. The white substance was indeed what you are thinking.

It was the impact that caused the death(s) due to the blunt force and trauma that resulted.

Sad?. Absolutely but this should never have happened.

 

[PC12Cowboy]

Mini...hmmm...you a good boy????? DOUBTFUL...LOL

 

[PC12Cowboy]

350
the white substance was a huge factor....unfortunately they did not mention any thing of the right seater...was she a student or just a seat warmer?

 

[minitour]

Mini...hmmm...you a good boy????? DOUBTFUL...LOL

I'm alllllllllways a good boy....unless I get some Pitbull's On Crack....dang those things are powerful....when I get those I'm only "sometimes" a good boy...

-mini

 

[PC12Cowboy]

Mini, Hows the pc 12 job?

 

[ePilot22]

It's sad to read this news! I just finished my CFI and II at Airman in June of this year and yeah Will and Dale, Brenda, Shirley are still there. From what I hear Brenda and Dale are trying to buy Airman from Jerry who ran it into the ground financially. Back rent is up to $60,000 (from what I hear). The planes sucked but did there job! The people I met and still know made the experience of going to Norman worth every penny! I had a lot of fun in the six weeks I was down there! Wal-Mart at 1am was part of that fun. I was there during early summer so not a whole lot of OU hotties but the ones that were there were HOT! I hope the school can survive, the business model works, so I think they'll be around the question is where? Anyway I want to say thanks to Ed! Zach! Will! Clint! and others. Good Luck and I hope to see you all again!!!!

Tom

Click on the link below for current pictures of Airman and Soonerville!

 

[350DRIVER]

350
the white substance was a huge factor....unfortunately they did not mention any thing of the right seater...was she a student or just a seat warmer?

From what I have been told was that she was just a "friend" (maybe a little more since she was supposedly carrying his child at the time of the crash). She was young, innocent, and had many years to live for and unfortunately she never got that chance. She was neither a "seat warmer" nor a "student" from the information that had been provided to me soon after this accident happened. I could only imagine the legality issues that followed once the final report was made public. Some accidents can be prevented, others cannot- this one should never have happened.

 

[User546]

Thanks for all that detailed information 350.

It's always really sad when something like that happens, even more when it could easily have been avoided, and it involves the loss of an innocent person.

 

[minitour]

Mini, Hows the pc 12 job?

Dunno...still have hope, but nothing yet...

If ya can, drop me a PM...

-mini

 

[PC12Cowboy]

Tom,
nice to see the old stomping grounds...but whereare the instructor pics???...LOL nice pics on your page tho...think I need to take my camera with me more

 

[350DRIVER]

Thanks for all that detailed information 350.

It's always really sad when something like that happens, even more when it could easily have been avoided, and it involves the loss of an innocent person.

You are more than welcome, any additional questions that I may be able to touch on then feel free to shoot em over this way. I think his last visit to the oil "wrastlin" at the Ramada was with us, those were the days!.

 

[Lear60Guy]

Airman has officially been closed down, and is being investigated for fraud since they continued to take thousands from students after they knew they were going to shut down. I heard they may have given a select few partial refunds. At some point, i understand, they were telling even instructors that nobody could fly for a few days because the fuel trucks at the FBO were broken down. They didn't even have the decency to tell their students and instructors the truth. There are leins placed on their airplanes by the FBO for nonpayment of fuel oil etc. I dare say airman is no more.....

 

[flyinlow67]

I don't think Airman owned any planes to put a lein on. Most, if not all thier planes were leased from Christiansen in Tulsa. It is a wild guess, but I don't think Airman had any tangible assets to put a lein on. Mostly hot air and empty promises.