http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleD ... ?e=2892029

Flight school waiting to take off at Chatham airport
Local News
Long list of foreign students
By BOB BOUGHNER
Posted 20 hours ago


A flight school turning out as many as 300 pilots a year at $45,000 a person is planned at the Chatham-Kent Municipal Airport.

"All we are waiting for are students from Asia,'' Dan Rocheleau, president of Sontair Ltd., which manages the airport, told The Chatham Daily News. "We've got at least 50 already signed up but can't come until they receive their visas.''


Rocheleau said the hold-up is in the issuance of visas to potential students from China and India by the federal government.

"We're not sure why there is a holdup in issuing visas and have hired a lawyer to look into the matter,'' he said. "We also intend to seek support from our local MPs.''

Rocheleau said he currently has a long list of foreign students wanting training for a twin endorsement commercial pilot license.

He said Sontair is purchasing two additional trainer planes as well as a simulator.

"Our flight training school is one of the oldest in the country,'' he said. "But we've run out of local students due, in large part, to the economy.''

But Rocheleau said there is a booming economy in Asia and a huge demand for pilots.

"This is a golden opportunity to inject new cash into the Chatham-Kent economy,'' he said. "Students would require food and lodging locally while undergoing flight training.''

He said the municipality could recoup some of the $1 million it has recently spent on upgrades and runway improvements at the airport.

"We're ready to roll,'' he said. "We just need the students.''

My home town in the news...

Big deal around these parts, not everyone thrilled with the news.

I'll keep driving down and flying out of YQG thanks

Could the visas being held up because they are afraid some of these people will just going to disappear after getting a foothold in Canada? Not uncommon if you ask around.

Insert any link/fact/story/joke regarding Maylan. Poor kids-I guess they didn't hear how the story ends.

moocow wrote:Could the visas being held up because they are afraid some of these people will just going to disappear after getting a foothold in Canada? Not uncommon if you ask around.

Happened to a relation of mine.

They brought in a nurse to look after an elderly lady. Two days in the country and she took off and hasnt been seen since.

Could the visas being held up because they are afraid some of these people will just going to disappear after getting a foothold in Canada? Not uncommon if you ask around.

I believe there are quotas. The local MP is a good idea to help nudge immigration and if they are bringing buisness it is of course is an easier pitch.

Frankly though I will be surprised if Chinese students go overseas much longer for training. The buisness sense here in China is simply stunning and they have just opened up GA below 3000 meters. So I'm pretty sure there will be a wack load of Cessnas etc. being flown and owned and copied here pretty soon with flight schools popping up etc. Judging by the number of Mercedes and million dollar appartments it won't be long...

Local News
By ERICA BAJER, THE DAILY NEWS
Posted 17 days ago


A 23-year-old London man facing charges of making and using a forged document will return to court Dec. 15.

According to court documents, Rahul Singhal is charged with forging and using a "letter to the Canadian Consulate" on Sept. 8.

Insp. George Flikweert, head of the Chatham-Kent Police Services, said officers investigated a complaint about suspicious documentation in September. He said a number of search warrants were executed and alleged evidence to support the charges was obtained.


Flikweert said the man allegedly used letterhead and draft letters from Sontair, which manages the Chatham-Kent Municipal Airport.

However, he wouldn't say how the materials were allegedly used or why.

In October, Sontair president Dan Rocheleau told The Chatham Daily News that plans to launch a large-scale flight training school were grounded due, in part, to the police investigation.

At that time officials wouldn't reveal the name of the person they were investigating or elaborate on the charges.

Wonder whether the charges have anything to do with Visa's not being issued?

This has Maylan written all over it...disaster in the making...again.

flyinggreasemonkey wrote:This has Maylan written all over it...disaster in the making...again.

+1 couldnt have said it better myself, here we ago again...

I'm just glad it isn't London again. That airport used to scare the $#!% out of me.

Over 300 students a year plus the regular customers? Can a school that size even handle that kind of operation/growth?
I would think even the large flight schools in this country would have trouble taking on that kind of student load.
Not to sound negative, but I do hope the management knew what they were signing up for and can deliver what they promised to the students in whatever the specified time frame was.

I'm surprised with how poorly the chinese kids were treated in Canada so far that you could find 300 that were willing to come here to fly. Many of them have lost family fortunes and have nothing to show for it.

How many of these "pilot mills" have already failed so far in Canada? With how our government regulates us taking a dump, I'm shocked that they haven't more closely regulated these schools.

Scurvy dogs now stepping off the soap box. Sorry just had to get that out.

A 23-year-old London man facing charges of making and using a forged document will return to court Dec. 15.

According to court documents, Rahul Singhal is charged with forging and using a "letter to the Canadian Consulate" on Sept. 8.

Well, what a surprise.
They found they guy "helping" the Indian students get in...wonder who's signing for the Chinese kids?

The boarder is opened to Lybia again. Hedley, let's grab some Maules and open a school there. We'll charge your current rates plus food and rent, Fly them via Air France to Chatham for flight test if they seem up to standard and can get a visa otherwise they end up with some african license.

Could do Morroco if that sounds better. Not sure where to register the planes might want to live out of a suitcase for quick escape if war breaks out or something.

Obvioulsy I'm kidding around but I wonder if it's a viable concept to find a fairly stable place with a busted economy and some open airspace to try and run a school training people to Canadian or FAA standards. Ireland? How about emerging China?

phantom wrote:Over 300 students a year plus the regular customers? Can a school that size even handle that kind of operation/growth?
I would think even the large flight schools in this country would have trouble taking on that kind of student load.
Not to sound negative, but I do hope the management knew what they were signing up for and can deliver what they promised to the students in whatever the specified time frame was.

I suspect even if they were actually hoping to provide training instead of just pilfering those student's bank accounts. Apply for 300 hoping to keep the school busy with however many actually get a visa.

Sontair is a flight school that is been in existence for over fourty years, Whole plan to bring students is backed by City of Chatham-Kent. Owner of Sontair is a pioneer in aviation business and is the owner of Skylink. In February 1994, the company's president, Dan Rocheleau, founded QuikAire Cargo Inc. to meet a specialized demand in the Canadian air cargo market.
Operations began in Ontario and Quebec utilizing Cessna Caravans to provide priority air cargo transportation services to the over night courier industry.

In April of 1996, QuikAire Cargo Inc. changed it's name to Skylink Express Inc. after forming a partnership with Skylink Aviation Inc.. The synergies of this new relationship fostered the next stage of growth for the company. Skylink Express became the first carrier in Canada to offer services using the Raytheon factory converted Beech 1900C freighter. This aircraft has become the mainstay of our fleet .

EDITED

We will be focusing initially on students interested in obtaining their Private Pilot and Commercial Pilot Licenses, we will offer students the option of obtaining their Multi-engine, Night rating, VFR OTT rating and Instrument endorsements, Upon completion of their Commercial Pilot License, we will offer students the option of obtaining their instructors rating.

EDITED

I have read your post with great interest Farooq Bhatti and with all due respect may I offer you a suggestion?

If I were starting such a venture I would position my school above the norm by making it clear that our instructors would not only be above average in teaching skills but they would be the highest paid in Canada with full benefits at least equal to working for TCCA.

You then would be very attractive not only to your clients but to career instructors.

Sincerely:

Cat Driver

Well put Cat!

[quote][/quote]

You can advertise all you want. Anyone who knows the guy that's being charged knows that this place is a racket like AA or BB in YXU.

Nice new web site. (Check your spelling and grammar)

Always love schools that post pictures of aircraft that they don't have but say they do.

Wonder how the court case turned out? any info on that?

It appears they made the news again

Management uncertainBy BOB BOUGHNER, THE DAILY NEWS

The future of Sontair Ltd., the company that manages the Chatham-Kent Municipal Airport, could be decided today.

Dan Rocheleau of Windsor, owner of Sontair, which manages the Chatham-Kent Municipal Airport, has been told to expect a cheque today from a numbered firm wanting to purchase his company.

"Money talks and bull---- walks,'' Rochealeau told The Daily News Monday. "We will have to wait and see what happens today.''

He confirmed reports that he informed representatives of the company planning to buy his company that as of last Friday they no longer had the freedom to come and go from the airport facility.

The representatives included Faroog Bhatti, who has identified himself as airport manager for the past several months.

Bhatti could not be reached Monday for comment.

"I'm running the airport at this point,'' said Rocheleau.

He said Bhatti and his potential buyers had from November until Friday to carry out their due-diligence before deciding if they wanted to purchase the company.

"So far I haven't seen any money,'' he said. "But I've been told to expect a cheque.''

Meantime, municipal officials confirmed Monday that a public tender will be advertised as early as next week for an airport management company to take over the reigns.

Pat Bruette, director of public works south, said the last time the airport management position was advertised was in 1994.


"We are in the process of preparing the tender,'' he said. "It should be ready for advertising at the beginning of next week.''

Sontair officials have continuously managed the airport since the 1960s. Rocheleau purchased the company 12 years ago.

"I've been trying to get out of running the airport for a long time,'' said Rocheleau. "I have a much larger company to run with 400 employees in an aviation-based company based in Toronto.''

bboughner@chathamdailynews.ca.