Huffman Aviation
Encyclopedia
Huffman Aviation was a flight-training school in Venice, Florida
at Venice Municipal Airport
.
Rudi Dekkers in 1999. At the time of purchase, the school had a fleet of 12 small aircraft. Huffman offered private pilot
, instrument rating
, Commercial pilot, Multi-Engine Ratings, and flight instructor
training, but did not offer training on larger, jet aircraft
.
More than 80% of the school's students were foreign nationals, following a marketing campaign designed to attract overseas students.http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:Ef9BDB5Fd14J:www.madcowprod.com/issue02.html+%22Huffman+Aviation&hl=en It also suffered from a poor local reputation, as the Venice Gondolier ran continuing stories about the flight school's troubles. On May 12, 2001 it reported that the school had paid 3 months of past-due rent, and had been threatened with eviction by the city on June 9.
and Marwan al-Shehhi
had both attended the school to learn how to fly small aircraft.
On July 3, 2000, both applied to the school; Atta claimed to be of royal Saudi descent and presented Marwan as his bodyguard. In August, the school filed the necessary INS
paperwork in order to allow both pilots to switch from 'tourist' Visa
s, to 'student', in order to allow them to enroll in the school's piloting program. While they were allowed to apply, final verification did not reach the school until March 11, 2002, 6 months after both pilots had been killed in the attacks.
For a short while, during their time at the school, both Marwan and Atta lived with a company employee named Charlie Voss for a few days, paying him about $250 cash. After a week, Voss reportedly kicked them out of his house for insulting his wife.
.
Dekkers was arrested in early March 2003 on charges filed January 17, charged with "fraud involving a security interest
", and was allowed to meet a bail bond set at $1000. The issue dealt with a $200,000 loan that had not been repaid. On the eve of the trial, Dekkers sold all of Huffman's holdings minus 10 planes to Triple Diamond, to gather the money needed to repay his business partner.http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:YnU6BAaRWMMJ:billstclair.com/911timeline/2003/sarasotaheraldtribune012803.html+jossart+dekkers&hl=enhttp://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/030903/tp3np3.htm?date=030903&story=tp3np3.htm In December 2003, the charges against Dekkers were dropped, because Dekkers "never got any of the money and there wasn't anything he'd done to defraud anyone."
Venice, Florida
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...
at Venice Municipal Airport
Venice Municipal Airport
Venice Municipal Airport is a city managed public-use airport located two miles south of the central business district of Venice, a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States.- History :...
.
Background
Huffman Aviation was established in 1972 as Venice Flying Service, and was reorganized in 1987 and renamed as Huffman Aviation. Huffman Aviation was purchased by DutchmanNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Rudi Dekkers in 1999. At the time of purchase, the school had a fleet of 12 small aircraft. Huffman offered private pilot
Private Pilot
A private pilot is the holder of a Private Pilot License. They are able to fly to almost anywhere in the world, but are limited in the type of aircraft that they can fly...
, instrument rating
Instrument Rating in the United States
An Instrument Rating is required for a pilot to fly under instrument flight rules .In the U.S., the rating is issued by the FAA.-Instrument rating standards:To be eligible to pursue an Instrument Rating, the applicant must:...
, Commercial pilot, Multi-Engine Ratings, and flight instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
training, but did not offer training on larger, jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
.
More than 80% of the school's students were foreign nationals, following a marketing campaign designed to attract overseas students.http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:Ef9BDB5Fd14J:www.madcowprod.com/issue02.html+%22Huffman+Aviation&hl=en It also suffered from a poor local reputation, as the Venice Gondolier ran continuing stories about the flight school's troubles. On May 12, 2001 it reported that the school had paid 3 months of past-due rent, and had been threatened with eviction by the city on June 9.
September 11, 2001 attacks
The business gained further notoriety after the September 11th attacks, when it was revealed that Mohamed AttaMohamed Atta
Mohamed Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta was one of the masterminds and the ringleader of the September 11 attacks who served as the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, crashing the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the coordinated attacks.Born in 1968...
and Marwan al-Shehhi
Marwan al-Shehhi
Marwan Yousef Mohamed Rashid Lekrab al-Shehhi was the hijacker-pilot of United Airlines Flight 175, crashing the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the September 11 attacks....
had both attended the school to learn how to fly small aircraft.
On July 3, 2000, both applied to the school; Atta claimed to be of royal Saudi descent and presented Marwan as his bodyguard. In August, the school filed the necessary INS
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
paperwork in order to allow both pilots to switch from 'tourist' Visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
s, to 'student', in order to allow them to enroll in the school's piloting program. While they were allowed to apply, final verification did not reach the school until March 11, 2002, 6 months after both pilots had been killed in the attacks.
For a short while, during their time at the school, both Marwan and Atta lived with a company employee named Charlie Voss for a few days, paying him about $250 cash. After a week, Voss reportedly kicked them out of his house for insulting his wife.
Controversy
In January 2002, Huffman Aviation again made headlines when the local paper sent a reporter onto its property, who managed to casually move between airplane cockpits, fuel tanks and other "safety concerns" without anybody noticing or stopping him. In March, the school was cited for having left fueltrucks unlocked, with keys in the ignition, at the Venice Municipal AirportVenice Municipal Airport
Venice Municipal Airport is a city managed public-use airport located two miles south of the central business district of Venice, a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States.- History :...
.
Dekkers was arrested in early March 2003 on charges filed January 17, charged with "fraud involving a security interest
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
", and was allowed to meet a bail bond set at $1000. The issue dealt with a $200,000 loan that had not been repaid. On the eve of the trial, Dekkers sold all of Huffman's holdings minus 10 planes to Triple Diamond, to gather the money needed to repay his business partner.http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:YnU6BAaRWMMJ:billstclair.com/911timeline/2003/sarasotaheraldtribune012803.html+jossart+dekkers&hl=enhttp://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/030903/tp3np3.htm?date=030903&story=tp3np3.htm In December 2003, the charges against Dekkers were dropped, because Dekkers "never got any of the money and there wasn't anything he'd done to defraud anyone."