SimCenter / Custom Air transport

[BOOMER2]

Has anyone heard any details on SimCenter being sued for not being able to provide flight time to its students? Does anyone have any additional information/history on the owner of SimCenter, Henry George?

I heard SimCenter was taking students' money after they knew CAT was loosing its contracts and now are giving people a run-around on what is going to happen next. Isn't this considered fraud???

 

[aussiefly]

It would be interesting to know if the contracts where actually between the party and CAT or the party and Simcenter. It's correct that he was taking money fairly late in the game. To his credit when I rang him on behalf of a friend he was pretty upfront about it and basically said :

`Yes it's true about CAT losing the contract but the reality is no one knows what is going to happen and irrespective they are contracted to provide you your 250hrs and thats it'.

So he was being upfront about the CAT issue but it's still pretty scummy IMHO to be selling that product up until very late in the game.

P.S and don't get me started on PFT/PFJ thats another subject I like to rant about.

 

[BOOMER2]

SimCenter charged these guys $20K for 250 hours in the right seat and $33K for low-timers to build time sitting sideways. CAT is not flying, these guys are trying to get their money back to move on and Henry George is telling them, “As long as CAT is flying, I will get you the flight time you contracted for. The money I charged you is allocated toward training; the flight time has no monetary value.”

http://www.simcenter.cc/index.php Check out this great deal that Henry George has to offer! What a fine, upstanding business person. After doing some investigating, I found you could get a B727 PIC type in MCO for $7000 and in MIA for $8450. Why would someone pay $20K for a B727 SIC type if you could get a PIC type for 1/3 of the cost?

I have a feeling that someone at CAT was getting a little “kickback” to stick the SimCenter guys in their airplanes. Why would you put a low-time, inexperienced person in the airplane and pay them the going rate when you could get someone experienced for the same price. I think it would be more of a liability to stick those folks in there to be babysat by the experienced crew members.

SimCenter KNEW that CAT was coming to an end, yet lined up like pigs at feeding time to take/steal candidates’ money. If this were to be investigated, I’m sure the outcome would be most interesting. Time will tell!

 

[aussiefly]

Hey boomer,

I bet your right about someone at CAT getting a kick back. It sure stinks to high heaven.

I had a mate who I was trying to convince NOT to do it and as bad as it sounds i'm glad CAT failed otherwise he would have dropped 33k with these guys against my better advice.

On the other hand it really sucks for the CAT crews and I hope you can all find flying work elsewhere.

Cheers
aussie

 

[big_al]

if UPS is taking over those contracts again, why cant they just hire the former CAT guys/gals?

 

[FreightNazi]

Because the Meno flying did not belong to CAT in the first place, they were just a contractor. And UPS scope prohibited CAT from flying the work any longer. CAT did not own the flying, they are just who happened to be doing it at the time. Along with Express.Net, Cargojet, Kalitta Charters II, World, and Aero Union. Not to mention the literal DOZENS of carriers that had done it before them...Emery Worldwide, Ryan, Capital, TransCon, Rosenbalm, etc...

UPS doesn't have a histroy of taking on pilots either. When they bought Challenge, they didn't take on any pilots. I've heard that was due to a very high percentage of EAL scabs at CAC.

Thanks Michael for your non-sensationalized response. However the CAC thing had nothing to do with the large amount of scabs at CAC. It's just that UPS hire anyone without doing the interviewing and screening themselves.

 

[r0129240]

SimCenter charged these guys $20K for 250 hours in the right seat and $33K for low-timers to build time sitting sideways. CAT is not flying, these guys are trying to get their money back to move on and Henry George is telling them, “As long as CAT is flying, I will get you the flight time you contracted for. The money I charged you is allocated toward training; the flight time has no monetary value.”

http://www.simcenter.cc/index.php Check out this great deal that Henry George has to offer! What a fine, upstanding business person. After doing some investigating, I found you could get a B727 PIC type in MCO for $7000 and in MIA for $8450. Why would someone pay $20K for a B727 SIC type if you could get a PIC type for 1/3 of the cost?

I have a feeling that someone at CAT was getting a little “kickback” to stick the SimCenter guys in their airplanes. Why would you put a low-time, inexperienced person in the airplane and pay them the going rate when you could get someone experienced for the same price. I think it would be more of a liability to stick those folks in there to be babysat by the experienced crew members.

SimCenter KNEW that CAT was coming to an end, yet lined up like pigs at feeding time to take/steal candidates’ money. If this were to be investigated, I’m sure the outcome would be most interesting. Time will tell!

I did the PFT with Simcenter, it worked out well for me, i feel badly if anyone does not get what they contracted to get. But what good would a PIC type in a B727 do you without any time? No one would hire you. I agree that it would be a better offer if we walked out of Simcenter with a PIC type, however they are much harder to get and many more people would have failed to pass the ride and been sent home with no job and huge debt. They do not give types out to anyone who applies and many just squeaked by with the SIC type.
Good luck to everyone, and as told to me by many veterans in this business, welcome to the glamorous life of a pilot, this is aviation.

 

[B727Driver]

Let's see....a fresh type in a B727 would make you marketable at where? Since you are a PFT'r and bottom-feeding is your way of life, B&M (just look for the big blue ball) is the place for you. There you can join the rest of the losers in this industry working there (alter-ego morons). Also, on what app did they ask about a B727 SIC type? For those who spent the $$ and were sent home with no job and a huge debt, justice served. Far too many try to cut the most important corner in aviation, it is called EXPERIENCE!! Keep lowering the bar, stubbing your toe on it may hurt.

Just for kicks, are you flying now? Using your B727 rating?

 

[ground_fog]

Henry George-Eastern scab-enough said.