Indian student pilots hit by dispute

A Sydney flying school that teaches large numbers of Indian students has been deregistered by the NSW Government after a ‘‘critical’’ breach of standards.
The school, Aerospace Aviation, last night issued a statement saying it would appeal against the decision by the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board. The board has previously alleged the school had used unqualified trainers.
The husband and wife team Zane and Sue Davis own the school that is based at Bankstown Airport. Mrs Davis is the managing director and chief flying instructor of the 25-year-old business. Her husband is a Qantas pilot.
The deregistration follows a Civil Aviation Safety Authority audit expressing satisfaction with the flying credentials of the instructors of the course.
The federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations inquired into the school and found against a group of Indian students who complained about conditions.
More than 20 Indian students complained in October that the school had failed to deliver the training promised for a commercial pilot course, including 200 hours of flying time.
06/08/09 Heath Gilmore and Erik Jensen/The Sydney Morning Herald/brisbanetimes, Australia