A pilot employed by an oligarch was granted an FAA license to fly, despite being failed over safety concerns

Our latest Lioness story.

Dear Reader, a Lioness story out today.

Why was a pilot employed by an oligarch certified to fly our skies by FlightSafety Textron Aviation Training after evaluators said he should have been denied a license due to safety concerns? And why has the FAA ignored the red flags raised by more than one whistleblower?

By Dale Nickerson

I have instructed and evaluated hundreds of pilots who sought FAA licenses or type ratings for the planes that they or their employers purchased. Most of those pilots passed their tests. The handful whom I did not recommend for certification for safety reasons were either denied a license entirely or received additional training until they were proficient.

That is, until May of 2019, when a pilot employed by a Ukrainian oligarch came through our training center in Lutz, Florida. Strange things can happen when the same company that trains a pilot to be licensed also stands to benefit by gaining a satisfied billionaire jet customer…

(Read the rest of the story here.)

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