The bankruptcy filing of flight training company Mazzei Flying Service at Fresno’s Yosemite International Airport at the end of March halted nearly all of the Part 141 school’s flight training activities. The shutdown affected about 60 fledgling pilots particularly hard — most of them Taiwanese students— because they’d paid for the entirety of their professional pilot training in advance, a Mazzei requirement. All had hoped for a professional pilot career back in Asia at the completion of their training.
California Flight School Shutdown Leaves Dozens of International Students Without Options
Key Takeaways:
- Mazzei Flying Service, a flight training company, halted operations due to bankruptcy, leaving approximately 60 students, predominantly Taiwanese, stranded after pre-paying an estimated $800,000 collectively for their training and living expenses.
- The official reason for the shutdown remains unknown, but students reported deteriorating conditions prior to the closure, including a shortage of flight instructors, an aging aircraft fleet, and minimal flight hours despite being ready to fly.
- The incident highlights the problematic practice of requiring full advance payment for training, a method that has left students penniless and without recourse in similar past California flight school bankruptcies.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
