[martinvm]

I'm a danish citizen who came to the US to start at a flight school owend by Delta airlines. I came on J1 visa back in dec of 03. This is what happent.

I came from Denmark to Sanford FL to start at delta connection academy (DCA), it's an flight school owned by Delta Airlines. Before coming I had taken contact to DCA and they had sent me out all the needed information and we had spoken several times on the phone and via email before I took the step and signed up. The reason for doing so was mainly the name, being trained by an airline operated flight school does look good when you later on are going to apply to an airline. Well I joined the European flight program that they offered, it was called the 1000 hour professional pilot course. The idea behind that program was, once you start you do your private pilot license, then your european airlines traffic pilot license, your instrument rating, multi engine, commercial, certified instructor rating, certifed instrument instructor rating, multi engine instructor rating, this according to DCA would take around 12-15 months to do this part, then since they sponsor a J1 visa which is a 2 year visa with a work permission, you would have a few months left, working at DCA as an flight instructor. That way you would get the extra flight hours and end up with around 1000 hours total flight time. Well things didn't go that way. First off; when I came here I was handed contracts to sign that had been told differently in their papers and over the phone. For exaple the student housing they offered. The TOFLE test which you have to take when english is not you first language I never had, they simply forgot to sign me up time and time again. The european flight department had not been told I was coming, which resulted in I had to change instructor 3 times, of course costing me a lot of time. The first major problem came when one day going back to my apartment I find 3 new people in my place. I spoke to them and they told me the DCA had rented it out to them and that they just moved in that same morning. Along with me now not having a place to live I also lost all my belongings, since DCA had given an extra key to a cleaning company and ordered them to set the place up with only the things that belong there when new students are moving in. This means anything from Blankets, toles, books, laptop, tax papers, visa papers etc etc was gone. I went into the school, spoke to the guy running the student housing to find out what was going on. He addmited it was a mistake, but wouldn't give me any money back for my belongings, and when I then told him I would have to call lawinforcement since I had been illegal evicted, kicked on the street and had all my belongings stolen, I was told this "well remember who's sponsoring your visa and who's going to hire you one day. Of course feeling extremely mad I only found having one choice. To keep my mouth closed about this matter. I wouldn't gain anything from being kicked out by them canceling my visa, or even more so being black listed by the Delta connection.
. Well I then had to start my Airline traffic pilot license, which is 3 months of groundschool and 14 finals. The day before I was to start they pushed back the start date by weeks, and not allowing me to start a different rating. So called it forced vacation. Or called it less hours in the end. Even more they changed the groundschool from 3 months to 8 months. Kind of makes it impossible to even do the program in time. Well halfway into this rating DCA stops the european flight program. Completely leaving me behind. It is now not anylonger possible for to finish what I came for or what I had signed for. So I tried to change over to do the american flight program, but only to see months go by without them contacting me and finally I never had one more flight hour with them. While this was all taking place I took my Radio license as well. Paid for it, passed it, yet was never given it. Believe that is stealing. Delta wrote all the europeans a letter we had to sign as well, after they where getting tired of students renting planes next door to take up for flights. So the letter stated, according to TSA (transportation security agency) it is illegal for to rent a plane outside the school who is sponsering your visa. And should this take place after signing this letter then our visa would be cancel and we ould be kicked out of DCA. Now did we choose not to sign it then same thing, then we would be kicked out. Now as far as what I've been told by contacting TSA, this rules does not excist. Which the I personally find this to be way out of line. The Airlines traffic pilot license program also states that you can not begin this program before holding a private pilot license, yet the school had several students in it that didn't hold this. Which is breaking the European flight rules set up by the JJA (joint aviation athourity) there's a lot more to this story than just this part. Anything from false advertisement, blackmailing, breach of contract, treaths, illegal eviction, stolen proberty, breach of immigration rules, discrimination against non us-citizens etc

Can't help to feel as if I have been wrongful treated. I know there's not much you can do but I'm feeling a little lost. Who can help? Can't kind of lawyer would be needed etc etc? Really hope you can guide me in right way.

Thank you for your time
Best regards
Martin V. Mogensen

[excon]

Hello Martin:

I usually don't read long stories like yours, but I'm a pilot, so I wondered what was happening with you.

Well, it looks like you'll have to give up on Delta as a future employer. I think they screwed you around. I don't know what kind of agreements you signed, however. I know, you say it wasn't the arrangements you started with, but you signed it anyway. That should have been your first clue.

I don't know if you have a legal case. You certainly might. Call up a couple lawyers and talk to them. You'll learn a lot and it won't cost you a nickel.

excon