Get your facts straight
Guest
|
Post by Get your facts straight on Jul 12, 2013 15:21:53 GMT -5
Hello. Our law firm, B. Gray Gibbs PA, recently was retained by the owner of an undivided one-sixteenth interest in Piaggio P180 serial number 395. This letter, which is not a solicitation for business but a message on behalf of our client, is addressed to the remaining 15 owners of the aircraft. Because each of your ownership interests is an undivided one-sixteenth (or multiple thereof), every owner must agree before a course of action can be taken to ensure your airplane is managed properly going forward. As you can imagine, this is a difficult process, so groups of this type typically create an organization in which the owners entrust management to a few individuals. Our proposal is to create a Florida-based LLC to which each owner of an undivided one-sixteenth interest in Piaggio P180 serial number 395 transfers ownership in return for a one-sixteenth interest in the new corporation. (A transaction, incidentally, which will be a non-taxable event.) After the aircraft is transferred to the LLC, you and the other owners of the corporation will have the opportunity to elect officers to manage the new entity, and management can determine how best to deal with the aircraft. What are your options at that point? As you are probably aware, Avantair has floated a proposal where it continues to stay in business with the help of a large special assessment from each of its owners. The company will then proceed as before, with several provisions: your monthly fees will go up, and the coverage area provided will shrink. Still, considering the company’s existing operating concerns and debt, we do not believe this is a viable option. If you agree to consolidate your interests into an LLC, you can then consider third-party management services of another type. In the interest of full disclosure, you should be aware the head of our firm is owner of aircraft management company Elite Air. However, please understand that moving forward with the law firm’s proposal in no way obligates you to contract with Elite Air for management services. Elite Air proposes to place your aircraft on its 135 certificate and manage it alongside its existing fleet, currently consisting of 13 airplanes. While the details of the arrangement would be negotiated between Elite Air and your new LLC’s management, we would be able to provide your existing services (50 hours of flight time in your aircraft or a substitute) at the same cost you are now paying, with an important caveat: budget overruns would be borne by you and your LLC. We believe this is critical to maintaining the viability of the arrangement going forward. Again, the first step is to reach an agreement regarding the structure of your combined interest in Piaggio P180 serial number 395. We believe an LLC with centralized management is the best way forward. If you are interested in this proposal or have questions for me, please email gray@gibbslawgroup.com or call my law offices at 727-892-9901 at your earliest convenience. I would think a legal firm working with an owner of the aircraft would at the least get the serial number of the aircraft correct!!! |
|
|
|
Post by piaggiolegalrep on Jul 12, 2013 15:33:04 GMT -5
For the record, we were alerted to Avantair's situation by a pilot currently working for the company who had been previously employed by Elite Air. He was looking for a way to keep his job and came to us to assist him because he knew what kind of operation we run. We're here to work with the owners of these aircraft and don't care to engage in anonymous internet mudslinging. teterbororams, please contact us using the information provided. Thank you.
|
|
|
|
Post by Slammin Sam on Jul 12, 2013 15:35:39 GMT -5
"Re: From the Legal Representation of a 395SS Co-Ow « Result #5 Today at 3:14pm » The Piaggio is one of the hardest planes to fly while on the ground (takeoff and landing). I would say my flight experience in the piaggio ranks at the top worldwide. Take it from me, pilots need to know what they are doing when flying this bird. Experience matters. Inexperienced pilots will put this thing in the grass eventually. Its the truth. If Avantair had one thing going for them, it was a group of well trained and experienced piaggio pilots. Developed through time from lessons learned. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Read more: avantairowners.freeforums.net/index.cgi?action=recent#ixzz2YriUibSX" My my. Modest aren't we. I will agree that the avantair pilots did a great job under challenging circumstances. |
|
|
|
Post by Slammin Sam on Jul 12, 2013 15:43:05 GMT -5
One thing i learned from the old guys in this business. The less they say about their background, the more remarkable it is.
|
|
|
|
Post by Get Real on Jul 12, 2013 16:21:17 GMT -5
One thing i learned from the old guys in this business. The less they say about their background, the more remarkable it is. It was said to prove a point, not boost an ego. Most people who want ego boosts tend to make sure the audience knows who they are. Suggest not reading too much into a simple post next time. Piaggio's aren't as abundant as other types of aircraft. Meaning there are few well qualified piaggio pilots out there. MOST Avantair pilots are the most qualified pilots in the world when it comes to the Piaggio. Its a fact! Why? Because we flew them more than anyone else in the world. I remember GK trying to teach the Chinese Pilots how to taxi! He was frustrated well before they even got to learning how to takeoff!! Also, some of those old experienced pilots who don't talk about their past, HAVE decided to SAY that the Piaggio is the hardest plane they have ever flown. The Piaggio is an Owner's plane. Not a pilot's dream plane. In the air its fine, on the ground you have to be alert. I can't see any piaggio pilot disagreeing with that statement. |
|
|
|
Post by Guest2 on Jul 12, 2013 19:04:42 GMT -5
Any non pilot that thinks her/he can get any low time low paid pilot to fly her/ his avant will soon be on a first name basis with their insurance agent and possibly a few airport managers
|
|
|
|
Post by piaggio on Jul 16, 2013 22:56:02 GMT -5
Piaggio, We do not appreciate your slanderous comments regarding Elite Air. Their clean safety record along with their ARG/US Platinum rating speaks for itself. They would be happy to put their safety record up against anyone in the industry. We were contacted by an owner of 1/16th share or a former Avantair owner, not Steve Santos, and are interested in helping the other owners get out of this mess.[/q Is this what you call slander? www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/operations/agc300/Reports/Quarters/view/q3-12.pdfAlso it seems, I remember a certain Global Express that took part of the wing off of a Gulfstream. Was that Global on your certificate? |
|
|
|
Post by Guest on Jul 17, 2013 8:08:54 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by hotxfil on Jul 18, 2013 10:50:06 GMT -5
Whoa. A half MILLION dollar fine for ONE event, and 20 more left to finsh investigating? This company is done. |
|
|
|
Post by Exs live in TX on Jul 18, 2013 12:02:56 GMT -5
Whoa. A half MILLION dollar fine for ONE event, and 20 more left to finsh investigating? This company is done." To clarify, the 500,000 fine was to satify ALL those violations. Each of those was concluded and rolled into the final. That's not to say that more will not arise from current investigations. Totally agree this company is done. This is just one more nail. 1/2 mil is a drop in the bucket. |
|
|
|
Post by Guest on Jul 18, 2013 15:09:35 GMT -5
Yeah the half mil is a hefty sum, but shouldn't the number of events be the alarming factor here? I would see that as grounds for some serious investigations right there.
|
|
|
|
Post by eric777 on Jul 18, 2013 15:26:41 GMT -5
I think the number of FAA recorded violations is really telling. 22 violations between March 2010 and October 2012.
In addition, look at the areas where the FAA determined they were not operating at required levels - Flight Operations (4 violations), Crew Training (1 Violation), Maintenance (12 Violations) , Quality Control (3 Violations), Records/Reports (1 Violation) and other (1 Violation). These areas cross nearly every area for flight operations for Avantair - from crew training, to the way they maintained their planes, to their record keeping etc.
I am shocked that the FAA did not simply shut them down when they kept violating FAA rules and policies.
So was the 3 week October Stand Down truly voluntary as Avantair noted in owner communications and SEC filings? Or did the FAA give them an ultimatum? Stop flying and fix these issues or we'll shut you down?
|
|
|
|
Post by flynavy on Jul 18, 2013 15:37:16 GMT -5
eric777, you hit the nail on the head. The FAA gave Avantair the option of appearing to do the right thing, or wait and let them do it for them. Kind of like allowing s suspect to turn themselves into the police before having an arrest warrant issued and having the endure the perp walk.
I'm still hoping we get to see some perp walks at PIE though.
|
|
Another former AAIR Employee
Guest
|
Post by Another former AAIR Employee on Jul 18, 2013 16:08:42 GMT -5
Fly Navy is correct.
The FAA received the whistle blower call and told Avant that it could do the right thing and ground the fleet or continue to fly get and get ramp checked somewhere. If during the ramp check parts did not match the records then we were done as they would pull the certificate. Kevin McKamey could not guarantee that things were perfect and Steve elected to ground the fleet. A failed ramp check would've been strike three and the nightmare would've ended four weeks earlier.
|
|
|
|
Post by guest2 on Jul 18, 2013 17:54:02 GMT -5
sorry SS lied again, the certificate was taken for the november shut down, during that time it resided in the FSDO in Tampa. It was only returned when SS got some lawyers to start shaking cages in DC. Don't fix it, don't deny. Place counter accusations.
|
|
