New Info On Sierra

Seven

New Member
Looks like KS Aviation's attorney himself finally came out and said that KSA *DID NOT* actually buy Sierra. It appears that the formal agreement between KSA and Skip was that KSA would "run" the school for an unspecified amount of time, pending a purchase after this time.

As most current Students already know, Sierra is not doing very well, not even under this supposely new management. It will be highly likely that KSA will be passing on Sierra as their "trial" time appears to be ending any week now.

So what does this mean? Well, the school is going back to Skip. But rest assured that this time, Skip isn't going to go out and find another buyer. he will most likely file chapter #7 and take all the money with him... for good.

After analyzing all the recent upcoming of Sierra, it appears that these Korean guys are just as bad as Skip. The whole tactic is the same as Skip's original tactics -- it's to "buy time" and let you guys wait it out -- like one guy stated on this board. .. its a "doggy business." Remember all the new planes the Korean guys promisd? where are they ? Remember how they said Skip has all the money ... well, it's true. That's because the school was NEVER sold to KSA. We've been all lied to. This explains the policy regarding the refund. If you stay, "skip" will continue to let u train. If you leave, o well, no refund. It was a little bit hard to understand in the past because we couldn't see why KSA wouldn't honor Sierra's debt. But now it all makes sense because the school was NEVER sold to begin with. With all this being said, I think that KSA is behind this whole thing with Skip. The totality of these events are exactly the same tactics that Skip has been using for the last 7 years.

For those of you who remained at Sierra thinking that this KSA Aviation was sent from god , think again. I think we're all screwed ... AGAIN!
 
Hmmm...Well I can't speak for any other students but fortunately for me I've got very little "credit" left in my account and since Key Bank is still not dispersing any more loans, I won't be out much if it does happen as you say. If what you are saying is true, it would certainly explain the Key Bank situation and why we're still not getting any more $$, but a few things are still a little puzzling. If KSA never actually bought Sierra, why did they hand out and make us sign paperwork stating that the new company had no affiliation with the old company? Seems like KSA is shooting themselves in the foot here because they are assuming future responsibility for the company. If they don't actually have a stake in the company why would they take this burden?

To answer the question about where the new aircraft are, some of them are sitting on the ramp. A new fuel truck is sitting on the ramp also. The instructors got raises. A whole lot of changes have taken place that cost sombody a whole lot of money, and you yourself said Skip would not be the kind of person to make improvements, so it dosn't make sense that he's the one that paid for it all. Why would KSA spend this kind of money if they don't have a stake in the company?

I'm not saying you are wrong about what is going on. I must admit I'm very weary of this situation. But this just seem incredibly strange to me. If this conspiracy theory is true, we'd have been had at the point we all signed the waiver. Skip could have shut down at that point, had all the money, and would have not have had to pay anything else. But instead, he spent a mountain of money on improvements to the school, and paid to operate the aircraft while the old students train for free. He would have made out with a whole lot more loot if he'd have just closed when he wanted to. What advantage is there to putting on such an elaborate show?
 
To answer all of your questions. .... because it's all a "show." It's a tactic. It's a strategic to make you believe that things are happening when they are not. True, KSA did put money and made significant changes to the school, which is understandable. As I had said on the original message, KSA did have plans to buy the school. Over the last 2 months, they've been operating in terms of managing the school to see if they in fact wanted to buy the school. In other words, it's a "try before you buy type" agreement that they had with Skip. The money that they are going to pay Skip for the school is currently in an escrow account. But like I said, at this point it doesn't seem that KSA will taking on the school, and so it's going back to Skip. Remember, all this info came from KSA's attorney himself. As far as what you signed at KSA, who knows? They've been throwing 2 dozen "weird" things at you lately, and none of them proved to be of the student's advantage at the end. When the whole truth comes out, which most have already, you'll see the reasons behind all the actions that you've been seeing from both Skip and KSA.

It seems that you like to defend Sierra. But let's just take a step back and look at the whole picture and ask ourselves, "What has Sierra done for the current students in the last several months?" "What is the bottom line?" True, they may have had little improvements here and there, and they've stabbed us again at another area. But the buttom line is that, nothing is happening. And this is the same dodge tactic that they've been using for the last 7 years. They want to make you "wait" long enough we're most of you guys will give in and quit or just walk away.
 
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To answer all of your questions. .... because it's all a "show." It's a tactic.

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I think someone has been watching to many movies!!
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It seems that you like to defend Sierra.

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I can see how it might look tht way, but in fact I've flat out told prospective students that Sierra is struggling to survive and it would be wise to at least wait 6 months or so to see how things pan out because its a frightening situation right now. I have several back-up plans for myself if the fecal matter ends up hitting the rotating device and I suggest all Sierra students be looking into other options as well. The reason I'm not freaking out is that when the whole thing started I didn't have too much money in my account, and it was such that had I joined the lawsuit bandwaggon, I'd have ended up paying more in legal fees that I would have gotten back. I opted to fly off my "credit" and see what things are like after I've gotten what I paid for. Now my account is running low so if they go belly-up I won't loose much. If I had $20K or so at stake like many students do, that would be a different situation.

I guess I'm just trying to say that your conspiracy theory sounds a little like somthing out of the National Inquirer. However, I'm certainly in no place to say you are wrong, because you seem to have more inside knowledge than I do. Somehting just came to mind that puzzles me further. If this is what is going on, why on earth would they admit to it, right before it happens? If the purpose of the "show" is to decive the students, why remove the deception? If they are all liars, why the sudden surge of honesty?
 
flyguy- when you said key bank is not dispersing any more money, is that just for seirra students or the whole aviation loan in general? i could definatley see key bank not wanting to end up in another ATA situation.
 
You asked a lot of questions in your last post. I'm unable to answer any of them, mainly because there could be hundreds of reasons why they are doing this and not that.

You also seem to be talking a lot about yourself in the posts. Let's not forget that the purpose of this discussion is not to discuss about individual financial circumstances with the school, but it is to alert and advise current and/or prospective students of Sierra so they can make a good decision on which school they should invest in.

It seems that you don't want to accept any of opinions, which is fine. You have a right to your own opinions. But I'll tell you this, I wouldn't lie and make up fibs to get everyone's attention. I've spent 7 yrs with Sierra in various capacities, did all my training there, taught there for several yrs, and I've already settled in on the flying job that I was shooting for. I have no reason to lie. The sole purpose of my messages is to disclose the truth about Skip and his school.
 
Hollywood,

I meant to Sierra students. They are thinking of adapting a new system of giving out credit card type things, that would be swiped each week to charge the students, and a third party would hold the money. I'm not sure if they are thinking of using this system at all flight schools but they are in negotiations with Sierra about it and I think its a great system. I think I heard that it is only new students that will be on this system and current students will be on the same system they were on. Personally I will continue my training elsewhere if they do not allow me to go on the new system. I think its an excellent idea and will eliminate the possibility of another ATA situation.


Seven,

I'm not accusing you of deliberatly lying, all I'm saying is what you are suggesting doesn't make any more sense than what KSA is saying, and I speculate that the evidence you have is slightly less than concrete. Let me ask some questions you can answer. Why do you keep saying "we're all screwed again"? I though you said you no longer have any connection with Sierra. If you no longer have any connection with Sierra why do you care so much to do so much investigating? Who is KSA's lawyer, and what relationship you you have with him/her? Did you recieve this information directly, or did you hear it from sombody who heard it from sombody etc.? If you heard it directly why have you been privelaged with this information? I though you said only Skip and a couple other people know what is really going on. Are you one of those couple other people?
 
I use the term "we" because I was one of those students who invested in Sierra in the past. Although I completed all of my ratings with Sierra, that doesn't mean that I didn't have to go through extortion-type battles to get through everything.

In any case, I cannot disclose how I am priviledged with the information. I can tell you that all of this came from KSA's attorney himself. If you like, go ahead and contact him, but Im almost sure that he won't talk to you.

Samuel Ki-Bu Kim
Law Offices of Sam Ki-Bum Kim
4675 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 131
Santa Clara, CA 95051
* Attorney for KS-Aviation
 
Just an observation, but SierraPilot was also priveledged with information that didn't make sense to have been disclosed. Hmmmm....
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What do I have to do to get in the loop? If I were a disgruntled student threatening lawsuits, then would Samuel Ki-Bu Kim talk to me?

BTW, these questions, as well as most of my questions on this thread, are rhetorical. I dont' actually expect you to try to answer it. Unless of course, you happen to have an answer.
 
Flyguy, the only reason I disclosed information was because I believe their is power in numbers. The more people that knew what was really going on, the more likely they would take action to expose Sierra for what it really had done. While I understand you did not have alot invested, and thats fine, their are alot of us who lost faith in Sierra and there promises and chose to move on and in the end may have to pay the price for doing so.

Ryan
 
I have no problem with and have much sympathy for those htat did have a lot invested, and I understand completely if prospective students are weary. In fact, I'd advise not comming to Sierra at this point unless they adapt the system with the loans they are negotiating.

My point is that you and Seven have recieved information that is being witheld from the rest of us. It puzzles me why a disgrunteled student and a person with no connection with the school would be priveleged with this information.

I'm sure I speak for any current/future students when I say that I do appreciate any information that you are recieving from the "inside", but I have to question the validity of some you your claims as they make no more sense than what we're beign told by KSA.
 
By the way...we recieved another one of the new planes this week, since Seven is wondering where they are.

Sierra must be in real financial trouble.
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While I had already withdrawn when I received information my guess is Kevin probably gave me information he shouldnt have, while I dont know his motives or maybe he was just trying to be honest with me I do appreciate it none the less even if I do have a problem with KSA.

No offense Flyguy, but while I dont attend Sierra anymore I do have friends who decided to stick it out for whatever reason and thats their choice, but they have been ALOT more forthcoming in what is going on that you have ever been. You seem to paint a nice picture of things to come, while they seem to paint a picture of broken promises and unfullfilled expectations.

If your happy with Sierra.. more power to you, but I would venture to guess your in the minority.

Ryan
 
if i were you guys at seirra, i would be scheduling as many flights per day as possible to burn off my money. if i had a lot of money there, i would invest a large portion of my energies when not flying to get my money out.
 
That's good advice. But its pretty hard to "fly off" your money when there are only 3 airplanes in commission when there are 50 students in line waiting for a flight. =P
 
>You seem to paint a nice picture of things to come, while they >seem to paint a picture of broken promises and unfullfilled >expectations.
>
>If your happy with Sierra.. more power to you, but I would >venture to guess your in the minority.


What do you expect? The guy is only a student pilot.
 
SierraPilot, it may seem to you that I paint a pretty picture of what is going on, but all I'm doing is telling it as I see it. You call it broken promises of things to come, I call it exactly what they told us. I'll be honest, it hasn't been great. It hasn't even been good. But they were honest with us from the beginning that things would suck for a while, and that's exactly what is happening. So far all of their "promises" have been fulfilled. We are slowly getting the new aircraft they promissed us. We got a new fuel truck. We got a new computer briefing system. The instructors got raises. The building was cleaned and re-organized. The other things they promised where long term plans. They planed to replace the sims after the aircraft have been replaced. The 135 operation was a long term plan. The glass cockpit simulator was a long term plan. The only complaints I have are the financial situation (which they are working on) and aircraft availability (which they are also working on). Other than that what have they promised that they have not delivered? They told us the school was bleeding. Why should we expect them to fix every problem overnight? They are not God. They can't get water from a rock.

That being said, I do admit that something unusual is going on. I don't know what it is but it dosn't look good. I will be keeping a close eye on things for the next few weeks, and will give updates. I may have to be humble and say "you told me so." If anyone has any concrete evidence of exactly what is going on, and is willing to tell us how they got the information, I'd be very interrested in hearing, and will keep an open mind.
 
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