Flightwise @ Weston

Seanmul89

Hi,
Is flightwise in Weston still operating or closed?

martinsvi

Flightwise Aviation Limited as a company has been officially dissolved as of 20th of January this year. If anyone has any outstanding vouchers I would try to claim them back ASAP

Seanmul89

Thanks for the reply, I thought that when i got an email to collect my file in IAA, I have not been flying with them for a while since im currently studying but planned to finish my ppl this summer.. Any reason as to why its closed?

martinsvi

I heard from a certain flying club that some voucher sites have changed their rules in a way that club is not paid until the flight is actually completed. Before this, the club was getting part of that money before hand. Knowing that Flightwise wasn't necessarily the best folk for honoring their vouchers one can speculate that this change of rules really cut their legs off.

The massive radio campaign they launched in fall probably wasn't the cheapest or should I say - best value for money decision also - they basically launched a campaign when flying season was about to finish and this winter was (and still is) particularly un-flyable

kmart6

Anyone know how to go about claiming a refund?

Confirmed a booking for last Saturday afternoon on January 19th, what seems like the day before they ceased trading. Only discovered they ceased when I tried ringing early Saturday morning to check on the flight status due to the weather, number wasn't ringing and mailbox was full.

Lockheed

This is a real shame, does anyone know what'll happen to EI-CAC, is it going up for sale or what? First plane I ever flew so I have quite an attachment, I always loved seeing it fly because it reminded me of that day..

cuterob

I know a lad who was doing his training with them, a week before they ceased training an advert went into the Liffey Champion saying if you put 5k into your flying account we will add 1k on top, a week later they ceased trading, he stuck 5k into it, IAA has his log book apparently so he has to go about getting that

SRFC90

Have an hour voucher with them. No replies to any emails or calls, looks like I won't be getting my money back!

Gaoth Laidir

SRFC90 wrote: »

Have an hour voucher with them. No replies to any emails or calls, looks like I won't be getting my money back!

So in that case who keeps the money? The vendor of the voucher (One for All, etc.)? Handy money for them.

martinsvi

if you bought your voucher from a voucher site you should be able to get a refund from the site. In the case if you have paid anything directly to them I suggest you contact CRO to find out exactly what process are they undergoing - is it liquidation or stike-off or what.. company just cant disappear over night, they have bank accounts, assets etc.. If they owe you, you need to let the state know that you are a creditor willing to get your money back. AFAIK they typically will handle larger creditors first, so if your friend has paid 5k for lessons, (s)he should be able to get it back once the assets are sold.. Often smaller creditors don't get back anything once the larger ones have gotten their money back

CiboC

martinsvi wrote: »

AFAIK they typically will handle larger creditors first, so if your friend has paid 5k for lessons, (s)he should be able to get it back once the assets are sold.. Often smaller creditors don't get back anything once the larger ones have gotten their money back

Not correct, in a liquidation the appointed liquidator is not allowed to treat one creditor as preferential over another, with the exception of certain specified categories:

1 - Liquidator's costs
2 - Revenue Commissioners
3 - Commercial rates
4 - Employees' wages

After that pretty much everyone else has a equal status so if there is not enough money left in the kitty you get a refund in proportion to what is left (eg if there is only enough money left to cover half of what is due to creditors each one will get back 50c for every euro owed).

martinsvi

CiboC wrote: »

Not correct, in a liquidation the appointed liquidator is not allowed to treat one creditor as preferential over another, with the exception of certain specified categories:

1 - Liquidator's costs
2 - Revenue Commissioners
3 - Commercial rates
4 - Employees' wages

After that pretty much everyone else has a equal status so if there is not enough money left in the kitty you get a refund in proportion to what is left (eg if there is only enough money left to cover half of what is due to creditors each one will get back 50c for every euro owed).

thanks for clarifying this, I wasn't entirely sure about the process.

CiboC

martinsvi wrote: »

thanks for clarifying this, I wasn't entirely sure about the process.

No bother, unfortunately for your friend it probably won't help - as most liquidations are down to running out of cash, they will probably find there is not much there and by the time Revenue get their cut there will be little if anything left.

They should still find out who the liquidator is and make sure that they are registered as creditor on the off chance that there is something there.

Graham

CiboC wrote: »

Not correct, in a liquidation the appointed liquidator is not allowed to treat one creditor as preferential over another, with the exception of certain specified categories:

1 - Liquidator's costs
2 - Revenue Commissioners
3 - Commercial rates
4 - Employees' wages

After that pretty much everyone else has a equal status so if there is not enough money left in the kitty you get a refund in proportion to what is left (eg if there is only enough money left to cover half of what is due to creditors each one will get back 50c for every euro owed).

Your list misses out other secured creditors which often sucks up any leftover cash before the unsecured creditors get a look in.

CiboC

Graham wrote: »

Your list misses out other secured creditors which often sucks up any leftover cash before the unsecured creditors get a look in.

I know there can be others, but I wanted to keep it simple to illustrate the point rather than provide an exhaustive list that may or may not be relevant in this case!

Graham

I can't find any evidence that Flightwise were recently in liquidation or receivership, the only thing I can find is the company was struck off the companies register on the 9th December 2015.

Juan Don

Graham wrote: »

I can't find any evidence that Flightwise were recently in liquidation or receivership, the only thing I can find is the company was struck off the companies register on the 9th December 2015.

Yea, I doubt very much these cowboys have/had any assets. They operated as a club so when you signed up you were paying membership fees to the club not to the Flightwise school. i.e they didn't own the a/c. From memory the C172 was 'OFM Flying club' or something like that.

Personally and from personal experiences I am glad they are gone.

Lockheed

Juan Don wrote: »

Yea, I doubt very much these cowboys have/had any assets. They operated as a club so when you signed up you were paying membership fees to the club not to the Flightwise school. i.e they didn't own the a/c. From memory the C172 was 'OFM Flying club' or something like that.

Looking now it seems that EI-OFM, EI-CAC and EI-CAD are registered to Carol Phillips and have been for a long time, i dont know who she is or if she runs OFM Flying Club but you're right in the statement that Flightwise had no assets

Bazzy

I will do a bit of digging for you on them tomorrow and post findings back here

directors accounts etc.

Fionn101

The aircraft are registered to the partner of one of the directors.

Ei-Cad was a beaut to fly and I have fond memories of taking her over to England for days away.

Some very fine instructors in Flightwise, I wish them well.

ninty

Bought a voucher off flightwise for my son with axa plus card ,any comeback there

martinsvi

perhaps this topic would get more help from consumer issues/legal forum?

logie101

ninty wrote: »

Bought a voucher off flightwise for my son with axa plus card ,any comeback there

Wrong forum but contact card provider ASAP. They should return your payment.

ninty

logie101 wrote: »

Wrong forum but contact card provider ASAP. They should return your payment.

Thanks contacted them and they seem quite optimistic about a refund

Bazzy

The Company was dissolved

Theres one director and one secretary

Director is

JOHN DECLAN DOHERTY
10 RONCALLI ROAD, BAYSIDE,
SUTTON, DUBLIN 13

2nd Director / Secretary is

BRIAN HIGGINS
6 THE GREEN, LUTTRELL HALL,
DUNBOYNE, CO. MEATH


Strictly speaking a company cannot be dissolved while it has debts

in 2012 they dissolved €151,771 ( Price of a plane? ) but as it is registered in someone elses name it cannot be traced

They havent filed accounts in quite some time so god only knows what else could turn up

Date Description
17/04/2013 New Accounts Filed
16/04/2013 Annual Returns
01/11/2012 New Accounts Filed
31/10/2012 Annual Returns
01/05/2012 Annual Returns
01/05/2012 New Accounts Filed
15/04/2011 Annual Returns
15/04/2011 New Accounts Filed
15/04/2011 New Accounts Filed
08/10/2010 Annual Returns
25/08/2010 Annual Returns
09/02/2009 GERI DINEEN has resigned as company secretary
09/02/2009 GERI DINEEN has left the board
09/02/2009 LIAM STENSON has left the board
09/02/2009 New Board Member (BRIAN HIGGINS) appointed

I am in talks with someone at the moment about going after them for a refund and he best way to proceed I will update here.

moonship

Bazzy wrote: »

The Company was dissolved

Theres one director and one secretary

Director is

JOHN DECLAN DOHERTY
10 RONCALLI ROAD, BAYSIDE,
SUTTON, DUBLIN 13

2nd Director / Secretary is

BRIAN HIGGINS
6 THE GREEN, LUTTRELL HALL,
DUNBOYNE, CO. MEATH

Out of curiosity, what company have you quoted?

Two were recently dissolved:

FLIGHTWISE AVIATION LIMITED 467273
OFM FLYING CLUB LIMITED 468718

Any money you have paid went to OFM Flying CLub i guess

basill

Looking now it seems that EI-OFM, EI-CAC and EI-CAD are registered to Carol Phillips and have been for a long time, i dont know who she is or if she runs OFM Flying Club but you're right in the statement that Flightwise had no assets

Anyone who has been around for a bit and followed the many flying club failings on pprune over the years will know that its standard modus operandi for these outfits to have a trading entity and the aircraft in a separate trust/company/whatever. Miraculously the same aircraft reappear at a later date under a new latest and greatest flying school offering the deal of the century introductory packages with the same old faces.

Hence why we always tell all and sundry to never ever ever pay up front. I just wish one of the government agencies would follow through against the directors for trading whilst insolvent and have them prevented legally from being involved in flight training. The liquidators could do more as well in building a case rather than just taking their fees. It might go some small way to deter the charlatans out there but as always caveat emptor.

On a side note, whatever happened in Waterford. Went quiet all of a sudden after the students got their meeting in the Dail?

moonship

Lockheed wrote: »

Looking now it seems that EI-OFM, EI-CAC and EI-CAD are registered to Carol Phillips and have been for a long time, i dont know who she is or if she runs OFM Flying Club but you're right in the statement that Flightwise had no assets

She is a company director of OFM Flying Club together with Brian Higgins. Looks like privately owning aircrafts and leasing them to company of whom she is a director

Bazzy

moonship wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what company have you quoted?

Two were recently dissolved:

FLIGHTWISE AVIATION LIMITED 467273
OFM FLYING CLUB LIMITED 468718

Any money you have paid went to OFM Flying CLub i guess

Sorry Flightwise aviation limitied

OFM flying club didnt get the money i Dont think, there's another company here BC aviation limited I suspect they used this company to put the money through.

Great little scheme for them

Safehands

ninty wrote: »

Bought a voucher off flightwise for my son with axa plus card ,any comeback there

My daughter bought me a voucher in Dec 2014. I E-mailed, phoned and texted loads of times. I always got some smug git who had an answering machine saying "Don't despair we're in the air" every time I called. They answered my E-mails saying my vouchour would be honoured. They were never going to honour it.
These appear to have been a bunch of people hell bent on screwing the ordinary punter. If any of you Flightwise managers read this, I'd like to say that you are the type of rogue business people who give Ireland a bad name, at home and abroad. You should be ashamed of yourselves, but I doubt you are.
What a despicable lot!

Bazzy

You have there address above call over and tell them !

sysprogrammer

where would one go to retrieve their club training record now ?

Seanmul89

sysprogrammer wrote: »

where would one go to retrieve their club training record now ?

You'll have to go into the IAA office in Dublin, go to reception there and tell them, they will send one down to you with the file, and have I.D also to claim it you'll be signing for it too!!