Summary No refunds are being distributed for a closing flight school's deposits. Many enrolled students are to be left without training or money. The school owner recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.
On August 1, a flight school based in Northern Virginia closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy shortly after. The school, American Aviation Flight School, allegedly closed due to its large business debt, which totaled between $10 million and $50 million, per the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association ( AOPA ). However, students who were enrolled in the flight school were allegedly directed that they would not be receiving refunds for previously submitted deposits.
No refunds available After the school shut down in early August, many students who were currently enrolled in flight school or training were allegedly told that they would not be receiving any refunds for their flight school deposits. One of the enrolled students, Thida Aung, told AOPA that she had submitted her life savings, approximately $100,000, upfront to pay for the totality of her flight training program . Aung selected American Aviation Flight School as her primary choice for flight school due to its location at Manassas Regional Airport (MNZ), which was near her residence.
The program Aung selected was called the "Career Pilot Package" and allowed the student to train to be an airline pilot. This included 250 hours towards an airplane pilot career and also offered an "all-inclusive VIP with 30.