Chopper flight school in Arlington closes
Published 8:12 pm Tuesday, February 5, 2008
ARLINGTON — A helicopter flight school at the Arlington airport is closed and local students are out tuition money after the school’s Nevada-based operator filed for bankruptcy.
The Silver State Helicopters school here, along with more than 30 other locations, shut Sunday. On Monday, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
One local student, Ken Leverington of Lake Stevens, said he paid more than $70,000 in tuition and was near graduation when the academy closed.
The academy, which required students to prepay their tuition in installments, had about 70 students enrolled in Arlington, according to former students and employees.
Employees were informed of the business’ demise via a letter e-mailed during Sunday’s Super Bowl from Silver State’s founder, Jerry Airola.
Airola blamed the impact of the credit crunch and its effect on student lending for Silver State’s woes, which included a sudden downturn in enrollment.
“Silver State Helicopters has done everything possible to weather the storm and will continue to work on a solution that will allow this company to continue to explore options,” Airola wrote.
In its bankruptcy filing, Silver State claimed assets of less than $50,000 and liabilities ranging between $10 million and $50 million, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Students at some of Silver State’s schools have complained in recent years about not getting the training for which they paid handsomely. The company already has faced several lawsuits over such claims, and more are lining up to sue in wake of the bankruptcy.
“We heard some problems that Silver State was having in other states, but we didn’t hear of any problems here,” said Rob Putnam, manager of the Arlington Airport.
The Better Business Bureau reported one unresolved complaint against the Arlington school during the past three years.
Putnam said Silver State sublet its space at the airport, so the city wasn’t directly owed any money by the now-closed business. The flight school arrived at the airport in mid-2005.
The school trained students who wanted to earn their private or commercial licenses for flying helicopters. Students also could work toward earning flight instructor licenses. Founded by Airola in 1999 and privately owned, Silver State was the largest such training school in the nation.
Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.
