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==Bankruptcy==
==Bankruptcy==
Silver State Helicopters filed a petition with the US Bankruptcy Court for relief under [[Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 7]] of the bankruptcy code and ceased all operations on February 3, 2008, at 1733 hours [[Pacific Standard Time]]. At the time of operations ending, the company had more than 2700 students. Employees with the company had no warning of the bankruptcy filing and have since been released from service. <ref name="Vertical" />
Silver State Helicopters filed a petition with the US Bankruptcy Court for relief under [[Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 7]] of the bankruptcy code and ceased all operations on February 3, 2008, at 1733 hours [[Pacific Standard Time]]. At the time of operations ending, the company had more than 2700 students. Employees with the company had no warning of the bankruptcy filing and have since been released from service. This course of action left over 3400 people out in the cold. Many of who, have sacraficed immensely not only financially but also personally. The passion and intensity required to complete the program is overwhelming. TO HAVE THE DREAMS OF SO MANY PEOPLE TOTALLY DISREGARDED AT THE DROP OF A HAT, IS TRULY HEARTLESS.

I CALL THIS ABANDONMENT!<ref name="Vertical" />


== Fleet ==
== Fleet ==

Revision as of 23:03, 6 February 2008

Silver State Helicopters
Company typePrivate
IndustryAerospace
Founded1999, Las Vegas, NV
Headquarters500 East Cheyenne Avenue, North Las Vegas, Nevada
Key people
Jerry Airola, Founder, CEO
WebsiteSiverStateHelicopters.com

Silver State Helicopters was a helicopter flight training, sight seeing tours and charter air operator, that started out flying Robinson R-22 helicopters.

Silver State Helicopters entered bankruptcy on February 3, 2008. [1]

History

The company was founded in 1999 at Henderson Executive Airport with one Robinson R-22 helicopter.[2]

The original three owners were later bought out by their partner, Jerry M. Airola.

In 2002, Silver State began expanding into other helicopter operations such as external load (FAR Part 133) operations and subsequently on demand air-taxi operations (FAR Part 135) operations through their acquisition of Vista Helicopter Services in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vista Helicopter specialized in lucrative golf course charter flights among other helicopter charter services.[3]

In 2007, Silver State Helicopters expanded into the agriculture field with the purchase of Central Washington Helicopter. Silver State's intent was to give their students a chance to gain experience while allowing current pilots opportunities to advance their careers.[4]

Later in 2007, Silver State Helicopters partnered with New York private investment firm, Eos Partners which essentially created Silver State Services Corp. The hope was to give Silver State the opportunity to grow at an accelerated pace in the areas of flight training and other commercial operations.[5]

As of February 3, 2008, Silver State Helicopters has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy for liquidation and ceased operations.[1] The company websites have all been removed as of February 6, 2008.

Management

Officer Office
  • Jerry Airola
    		•  Founder and CEO
  • Steve Pickett
    		•  Chief Financial Officer
  • Rick Reyes
    		•  Chief Operations Officer, Flight Training
  • Nathan Todd
    		•  Chief Operations Officer, Commercial Operations
  • Doug Swenson
    		•  Chief Technology Officer
  • Robbie Cunningham
    		•  Chief Administrative Officer
  • Tim Nelson
    		•  Chief of Staff.[6]
  • Gina Paglione
    		•  Vice President of Legal Affairs[7]

    Jerry M. Airola

    Jerry M. Airola was the founder and CEO of Silver State Helicopters. Born in Calaveras County (near San Francisco, California) in 1965, Airola married at the age of 18 and later attended the police academy in Modesto, CA in 1990. After graduating, he was hired as a police officer in the town of Los Banos, CA, where he served as a patrol officer from 1991 to 1993. [8]

    Before leaving California for Las Vegas, Nevada in 1995 (where he then founded Hague Quality Water), he was sworn in as a reserve deputy sheriff for the Tuolumne County, California Sheriff's Department, allowing him to retain his peace officer status. Airola filed for divorce in 1998, and in 1999 sold Hague Quality Water of Nevada, LLC to Lance K. Henderson.

    Airola was also sworn in as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff with the Merced County Sheriff's Department in California in 2004, but was released from duty after a regulatory audit revealed that he was not eligible to remain on the reserve because his primary residence was in another state. During his campaign for sheriff, Airola repeatedly stated he was currently a sworn deputy sheriff. In an investigative report, Las Vegas journalist George Knapp discovered he was no longer a deputy sheriff in Merced County and received written from from the department saying he was only a reserve deputy sheriff for less than one year. [9] [10]

    In 2006, Airola ran for Sheriff of Clark County, Nevada, but ultimately lost to Douglas C. Gillespie.[11][12]

    Jerry Airola lead Silver State Helicopters with the cooperation of EOS Partners.

    Litigation

    Expansion did not come without a price for Silver State Helicopters. Silver State Helicopters has had numerous lawsuits filed against it, in numerous states across the country.

    Phoenix case

    In one case reported by the Las Vegas Business Press, a case was filed in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix, plantiffs claimed Silver State failed to deliver on its promise to train aspiring helicopter pilots.[7] The case was dismissed in April of 2007 but the parties involved are negotiating to reach a settlement.[7]

    In the Phoenix case, 18 plantiffs were demanding a $5 million USD minimum, not including attorney fees, for their failed promises by Silver State training schools in Arizona. [13] One of the plantiffs, Paul Mischel, in the suit claims he refinanced his house in order to pay a $55,000 USD loan to pay for 7 helicopter certificates/ratings which were supposed to be completed in 18 months, as advertised by Silver State Helicopters. 27 months into the program and he only had 3 of those certificates, which he claims are worthless.[7]

    Mischel, and other plantiffs claim, the school they attended did not have adequate equipment and resources to teach a class with 78 students. The school did not have enough helicopters, simulators and instructors.[7]

    Mischel claimed he never completed his training but the way the loan was structured through Key Bank, the banking institution already paid Silver State the full amount in 10 months. In one of the more recent lawsuits, filed in June in the U.S. District Court in San Diego, 21 plaintiffs claimed Airola often made promises he didn't keep. The plaintiffs are asking for refunds of their tuition, which range from $50,000 to $75,000 per student. Silver State Helicopters claims it has reimbursed 19 of the 21 students involved in the San Diego lawsuit.[7] [14]

    Las Vegas case

    In similar lawsuits filed in District Court in Las Vegas, two students claimed Silver State Helicopters didn't provide them with enough flight time to complete their training. The company reimbursed their tuition and the suits were settled.[citation needed]

    Company response

    Silver State has settled cases in the past, however, these cases usually involve confidentiality agreements so the details of the settlements remain undisclosed. Silver State claims only about 1 percent of students have filed lawsuits against Silver State, however, they won't disclose how many students the company has trained.[citation needed]

    Airola claims the lawsuits against him are the price of doing business. In the past three years the Better Business Bureau of Southern Nevada has received 16 complaints against Silver State Helicopters. Eleven were for contract disputes.[citation needed]

    According to the bureau's Web site, all of the complaints have been resolved or administratively closed, and the company has a satisfactory rating.[citation needed]

    Bankruptcy

    Silver State Helicopters filed a petition with the US Bankruptcy Court for relief under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code and ceased all operations on February 3, 2008, at 1733 hours Pacific Standard Time. At the time of operations ending, the company had more than 2700 students. Employees with the company had no warning of the bankruptcy filing and have since been released from service. This course of action left over 3400 people out in the cold. Many of who, have sacraficed immensely not only financially but also personally. The passion and intensity required to complete the program is overwhelming. TO HAVE THE DREAMS OF SO MANY PEOPLE TOTALLY DISREGARDED AT THE DROP OF A HAT, IS TRULY HEARTLESS.

    I CALL THIS ABANDONMENT![1]

    Fleet

    Silver State Helicopters owned and operated about 240 helicopters of various types:[15]

    Expansion

    Silver State Helicopters had expanded at an unprecedented rate for a helicopter company, especially one that specialized in flight training. Its corporate headquarters was 500 East Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas, Nevada and had flight academies located in:[16]

    1. Mesa, Arizona – Williams Gateway Airport
    2. Glendale, Arizona
    3. Tucson, Arizona
    4. Camarillo, California
    5. Chino, California – Chino Airport
    6. Long Beach, California
    7. Los Banos, California
    8. Oakland, California
    9. Sacramento, California – McClellan AFB
    10. San Diego, California (El Cajon) – Gillespie Field
    11. Pueblo, Colorado – Pueblo Memorial Airport
    12. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    13. Jacksonville, Florida
    14. Lakeland, Florida – Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
    15. Melbourne, Florida
    16. Atlanta, Georgia (Kennesaw)
    17. Boise, Idaho
    18. St. Louis, Missouri (Chesterfield) – Spirit of St. Louis Airport
    19. Butte, Montana – Bert Mooney Airport
    20. Helena, Montana
    21. Las Vegas, Nevada
    22. New Windsor, New York
    23. Raleigh, North Carolina
    24. Tulsa, Oklahoma – Tulsa International Airport
    25. Salem, Oregon
    26. Columbia, South Carolina (West Columbia)
    27. Dallas, Texas
    28. Fort Worth, Texas
    29. Houston, Texas (Spring) – David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport
    30. New Braunfels, Texas – New Braunfels Municipal Airport
    31. Ogden, Utah
    32. Provo, Utah
    33. Arlington, Washington
    34. Tacoma, Washington (Gig Harbor)

    Silver State had expanded their business into training potential Air Traffic Control candidates through their Air Traffic Control Academy in New Braunfels, Texas. Silver State claimed 13 of their 15 graduates from their inaugural class were offered employment with the FAA.[17]

    Silver State had planned to open another helicopter flight training academy location at Stewart International Airport, about 50 nautical miles (93 km) north of New York City, including establishing a shuttle service from Stewart to Manhattan by the end of 2007.[18]

    Incidents and accidents

    Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: the NTSB Aviation Accident Database

    On September 14, 2007 in Oakland, California, a Silver State operated R-22 Beta II N132SH crashed during a supervised solo flight by a student pilot during an approach to land with a 10-knot (19 km/h) crosswind. The student was not injured.[19]

    On September 12, 2007 in Long Beach, California, a Silver State R-22 Beta N965SH crashed while hovering. The student pilot lost directional control of the helicopter and the instructor was unable to regain control of the aircraft before impacting the ground.[20]

    On August 28, 2007 in St. Clair, Missouri, a Silver State R-22 Beta N143SH was being flown by a student pilot and crashed during a hovering turn near the ground. The student pilot was not injured.[21]

    On July 24, 2007 in Boise, Idaho a Silver State R-22 Beta II N147SH crashed during a practice autorotation. The student allowed the RPM to decay to the point where the instructor had to take the controls and attempted a run-on landing. The instructor struggled on the controls with the student pilot and hit the ground hard. The helicopter spun around and came to rest on its side. Both suffered minor injuries.[22]

    On July 3, 2007 also in Long Beach, California, a Silver State R-22 Beta N457SH crashed while performing a practice hovering autorotation. The student was conducting a practice hovering autorotation and crashed during the maneuver. The instructor was unable to regain control of the helicopter before the accident.[23]

    On April 21, 2007 in Van Horn, Texas, a Silver State R-22 Beta N971SH collided with another helicopter while maneuvering near the fuel pumps at Culberson County Airport. The Silver State pilot was attempting to make room for additional helicopters and got too close to another helicopter which was still running. The blades contacted each other. No one was injured.[24]

    On March 27, 2007 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, a R-44 Raven II from Silver State at Craig Municipal Airport suffered a mechanical failure which led to loss of directional control.[25] The loss of control led to a fatal crash of the aircraft which took the lives of the instructor Tamara Williams and student pilot Juston Wyatt Duncan, 24. The fatal flight was the first flight after a 100/300 hour maintenance inspection was completed which included a 30 minute test flight before returning the aircraft back into service. Tamara's sister Shannon filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Silver State Helicopters in August 2007.[26]

    On February 19, 2007 in Tucson, Arizona, a Silver State R-22 Beta N453SH crashed during a simulated emergency procedure. During the maneuver, the instructor was unable to overcome the grip the student had on the throttle to recover the aircraft. The aircraft landed hard and the main rotor impacted the tailboom.[27]

    On January 21, 2007 in Salem, Oregon, a Silver State R-22 Beta II N924SH crashed while a student pilot, conducting his second supervised solo flight, encountered a dynamic roll over situation. The student pilot was uninjured.[28]

    On October 8, 2006 in Upland, California, a Silver State R-22 Beta N821SH experienced an engine failure during departure from Cable Airport. The instructor took the controls from the private pilot and performed a successful autorotation. Neither pilot was injured. In a preliminary report by the NTSB, it appears the engine failure was due to a mechanical problem.[29]

    On September 24, 2006 in Skiatook, Oklahoma, a Silver State R-22 Beta N468SH crashed while being piloted by a student pilot attempting to take off for his first solo flight. The student pilot stated the helicopter became airborne much quicker than he expected while raising the collective lever. The helicopter rolled right then left and encountered a dynamic roll over situation when the left skid contacted the ground.[30]

    On August 19, 2006 in Havre, Montana, a Silver State Bell 407 N407SH crashed while performing a long line (sling) operation with an external load underneath. As the pilot approached the area where he was going to land the load, he inadvertently allowed the helicopter to settle into a vortex ring state (Settling with power) and impacted the ground. The helicopter bounced before coming to rest. The pilot was uninjured.[31]

    On August 11, 2006 in Boise, Idaho, a Silver State R-22 Beta N228SH sustained substantial damage following a practice 180 degree autorotation maneuver. During the maneuver, the instructor attempted to add power and initiate a go-around, however, the helicopter his the runway and bounced back into the air. The damage was not seen until after they landed and inspected the helicopter.[32]

    On July 28, 2006 in Chino, California, a Silver State R-22 Beta N475SH crashed while performing instruction for a student pilot doing hover turns. The helicopter spun, struck the ground and rolled onto its left side. Neither pilot was injured.[33]

    On June 15, 2006 in Vernal, Utah, a Silver State Bell 206L N265SH crashed almost immediately after takeoff from a landing zone approximately 7,500 feet (2,300 m) above mean sea level. The FAA inspector determined the pilot used the wrong chart to determine the helicopter's performance at that altitude which led to the crash.[34]

    On October 3, 2005 in Tucson, Arizona, a Silver State R-22 N926SH crashed during a practice 180 degree autorotation. The instructor was unable to recover from the student's error and performed an autorotation to the ground during which the helicopter skid on the ground. One skid dug into the soft ground and caused the helicopter to roll 3 times before coming to a stop. The instructor and student received minor injuries.[35]

    On September 20, 2005 in Baker, California, a Silver State R-22 Beta N957SH crashed during a positioning flight of new helicopters to their respective destinations. The flight originated at the factory when Silver State took delivery of 12 new helicopters. The accident pilot was assigned to fly his helicopter to North Las Vegas following 3 other Robinson helicopters. The aircraft were spaced about 15 minutes apart. The accident pilot departed Torrance Airport (Zamperini Field) at about 2:25 pm local time and was attempting to arrive in North Las Vegas by 4:00 pm. The normal flight time for this route in this type of aircraft would normally take 2.5 to 3 hours. The accident pilot flew into adverse weather conditions which included rain, low clouds, lightning and moderate turbulence. A California Highway Patrol pilot had warned the accident pilot earlier of the rain and lightning to the northeast of the accident pilot's route. The next morning the Silver State office determined the accident pilot did not reach his destination and initiated a search. The pilot was killed in the crash.[36]

    On August 27, 2005 in Boise, Idaho, a Silver State R-22 Beta N845SH crashed during a practice autorotation. The instructor noticed the student pilot allowed the RPM to drop to about 94 percent so he elected to take the controls and recover the helicopter. During the transition to taking the controls there was a struggle for the controls with the student pilot and the helicopter impacted the ground hard which caused substantial damage to the helicopter.[37]

    On May 25, 2005 in Jean, Nevada, a Silver State R-22 Beta II N192SH crashed during a practice 180 degree autorotation. The student allowed the RPM to drop to about 92 percent when the instructor tried to recover the helicopter. The helicopter collided with a fence then impacted terrain. Neither pilot was injured.[38]

    On May 23, 2005 in Provo, Utah, a Silver State R-22 Beta N553SH incident caused substaintial damage to the aircraft following an instruction flight with an instructor and student pilot. During the practice maneuver, the low rotor RPM horn sounded and the student pilot released the controls. The instructor took the controls and attempted to recover, however, the struck terrain and rolled over.[39]

    On March 26, 2005 in Los Banos, California, a Silver State R-22 Beta N820SH suffered structural damage to the tailboom and fuselage following a practice autorotation. The student pilot was studying to become an instructor pilot also. At the conclusion of the autorotation maneauver, the student pilot attempted to roll the throttle back on and the engine immediately quit. The instructor took the controls and successfully landed the helicopter with substaintial damage. The cause of the engine quiting was determined to be the instructors failure to add carburator heat during a simulated engine failure. The instructor for which are outlined in the pilot's operating manual.[40]

    On February 22, 2005 in Spanish Fork, Utah, a Silver State R-22 Beta N780SH sustained substainal damage after hitting the ground hard following a practice 180 degree autorotation maneuver. Neither the student nor the instructor pilots were injured.[41]

    References

    1. ^ a b c Vertical Magazine (2008). "Silver State Helicopters Files Chapter 7". Retrieved 2008-02-13. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
    2. ^ Silver State Helicopters: History, official website, retrieved 2007-11-12
    3. ^ Jerry Airola's Bio as Originally Published on His Website, Swift Chopper Pilots for Truth
    4. ^ "Silver State Expands to Ag Field". Rotor & Wing Magazine. Aviation Today. April 4, 2007.
    5. ^ "Silver State Helicopters Forms Partnership with New York Investment Firm". Rotor & Wing Magazine. Aviation Today. September 11, 2007.
    6. ^ Silver State Helicopters: Corporate Leadership, official website, retrieved 2007-11-29
    7. ^ a b c d e f Stephens, Ben (2007). "Silver State Helicopters misled student pilots, lawsuits allege". Retrieved 2008-02-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
    8. ^ http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/08/03/opinion/knappster/knappster.txt
    9. ^ http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5191630
    10. ^ http://news.eyewitnessnews8.com/MercedCounty-JerryAirola.html
    11. ^ Francis McCabe and Brian Haynes (August 6, 2006). "SHERIFF CANDIDATE: Airola faces lawsuits; Flight school students allege he didn't live up to". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
    12. ^ Francis McCabe and Brian Haynes (August 11, 2006). "SHERIFF CAMPAIGN: Airola enlists police veterans; Quartet includes 20-year FBI agent, retired L.A. officer". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
    13. ^ http://www.accessmylibrary.com/comsite5/bin/pdinventory.pl?pdlanding=1&referid=2930&purchase_type=ITM&item_id=0286-22626640
    14. ^ http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Aug-05-Sat-2006/news/8861654.html
    15. ^ Silver State Helicopters: Our Fleet, official website, retrieved 2007-11-12
    16. ^ Silver State Helicopters: Locations, official website, retrieved 2007-11-11.
    17. ^ Silver State Air Traffic Control Academy (official site), retrieved 2007-11-11.
    18. ^ "Silver States Sets Up Flight School North of NYC". Rotor & Wing Magazine. Aviation Today. June 11, 2007.
    19. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX07CA273: Robinson R-22 Beta II (N132SH); Oakland, CA; 2007-09-14
    20. ^ NTSB Accident Report SEA07CA260: Robinson R-22B (N965SH); Long Beach, CA; 2007-09-12
    21. ^ NTSB Accident Report CHI07CA281: Robinson R-22 Beta (N143SH); St. Clair, MO; 2007-08-28
    22. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX07CA229: Robinson R-22 Beta II (N147SH); Boise, ID; 2007-07-24
    23. ^ NTSB Accident Report SEA07CA193: Robinson R-22 Beta (N457SH); Long Beach, CA; 2007-07-03
    24. ^ NTSB Accident Report SEA07LA111A: Robinson R-22 Beta (N971SH); Van Horn, TX; 2007-04-21
    25. ^ NTSB Accident Report DEN07FA079: Robinson R44 II (N744SH); Ponte Verde Beach, FL; 2007-03-27
    26. ^ Christina Abel, Shorelines staff writer (August 20, 2007). "Family sues in deadly crash of helicopter".
    27. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX07CA090: Robinson R22 Beta (N453SH); Tucson, AZ; 2007-02-19
    28. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX07CA073: Robinson R-22 Beta 2 (N924SH); Salem, OR; 2007-01-21
    29. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX07LA005: Robinson R22 Beta (N821SH); Upland, CA; 2006-10-08
    30. ^ NTSB Accident Report DFW06CA213: Robinson R22 (N468SH); Skiatook, OK; 2006-09-24
    31. ^ NTSB Accident Report SEA06CA165: Bell 407 (N407SH); Havre, MT; 2006-08-19
    32. ^ NTSB Accident Report SEA06CA160: Robinson R-22B (N228SH); Boise, ID; 2006-08-11
    33. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX06CA250: Robinson R-22B (N475SH); Chino, CA; 2006-07-28
    34. ^ NTSB Accident Report SEA06LA121: Bell 206L (N265SH); Vernal, UT; 2006-06-15
    35. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX06CA001: Robinson R22 Beta (N926SH); Tucson, AZ; 2005-10-03
    36. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX05FA311: Robinson R22 Beta (N957SH); Baker, CA; 2005-09-20
    37. ^ NTSB Accident Report SEA05CA182: Robinson R22 Beta (N845SH); Boise, ID; 2005-08-27
    38. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX05CA188: Robinson R-22 Beta II (N192SH); Jean, NV; 2005-05-25
    39. ^ NTSB Accident Report DEN05LA082: Robinson R22 Beta (N553SH); Provo, UT; 2005-05-23
    40. ^ NTSB Accident Report LAX05LA278: Robinson R22 Beta (N820SH); Los Banos, CA; 2005-03-26
    41. ^ NTSB Accident Report DEN05LA061: Robinson R22 (N780SH); Spanish Fork, UT; 2005-02-22
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