North European Institute of Aviation
Encyclopedia
North European Institute of Aviation AS (NEIA) was a Norwegian registered company and a private JAR-FCL authorized Flight Training Organization (FTO) located at Ålesund Airport, Vigra
, in Norway
. It provided JAA
and FAA
training to European students. This was initially done through its ab-initio ATP(A) Integrated Course, and later the Structured ATPL Professional Pilot Education - a modular program in cooperation with Pelican Flight Training Center (PFTC)
. The programs were a continuation of that put in place by its predecessor, North European Aviation Resources
, which was a derivative of a Scandinavian Airlines training program.
. NEARs majority owner, Benjamin J. Creel was also the proprietor of its training partner North American Institute of Aviation (NAIA)
, which he acquired in 2000. NAIA discontinued training operations in 2008, which prompted a move of business activities due to threat of closure. All NEAR students were subsequently transferred to the new organization, and the FTO approval of the former company was re-issued by the Civil Aviation Authority
. This included the privilege to conduct the ATP(A) Integrated Course, following the CAAs temporary approval of the Pelican Flight Training Center
aircraft and facilities.
.
The course was based on a FAA
approved FAR
Part 141 Professional Pilot Program supplemented by EASA
/JAA
approved flying hours, using approved aircraft and procedures. The FAA program accumulated in a flight instructor certificate, that allowed candidates to build experience by working as instructors in the US.
type rating
, although this did not materialize.
.
Ålesund Airport, Vigra
Ålesund Airport, Vigra is an airport which serves the city of Ålesund in Norway and the surrounding regions Sunnmøre, Nordfjord and Romsdal. The airport is located on the island of Vigra in the Giske municipality, northeast of Ålesund city centre and easily accessible through underseas tunnels...
, in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It provided JAA
Joint Aviation Authorities
The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, was an associated body of the ECAC representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures...
and FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
training to European students. This was initially done through its ab-initio ATP(A) Integrated Course, and later the Structured ATPL Professional Pilot Education - a modular program in cooperation with Pelican Flight Training Center (PFTC)
Pelican Flight Training Center
Pelican Flight Training Center is a private, FAA Part-141 flight school located at the North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida USA...
. The programs were a continuation of that put in place by its predecessor, North European Aviation Resources
North European Aviation Resources
North European Aviation Resources AS is a Norwegian registered company and was a private JAR-FCL authorized Flight Training Organization located at Ålesund Airport, Vigra, in Norway. It provided JAA and FAA training to European students through its ab-initio ATP Integrated Course in cooperation...
, which was a derivative of a Scandinavian Airlines training program.
Background
NEIA was established as a holding company in 2007 under the name Training Aircraft Operation AS. It was owned and operated by the board of directors of North European Aviation Resources (NEAR)North European Aviation Resources
North European Aviation Resources AS is a Norwegian registered company and was a private JAR-FCL authorized Flight Training Organization located at Ålesund Airport, Vigra, in Norway. It provided JAA and FAA training to European students through its ab-initio ATP Integrated Course in cooperation...
. NEARs majority owner, Benjamin J. Creel was also the proprietor of its training partner North American Institute of Aviation (NAIA)
North American Institute of Aviation
The North American Institute of Aviation was a private, FAA Part-141 flight school located in Conway, South Carolina, in the United States. Founded in 1972 in Hammonton, New Jersey, then later moved to South Carolina in 1978, NAIA specialized in flight and aircraft maintenance training. It has...
, which he acquired in 2000. NAIA discontinued training operations in 2008, which prompted a move of business activities due to threat of closure. All NEAR students were subsequently transferred to the new organization, and the FTO approval of the former company was re-issued by the Civil Aviation Authority
Civil Aviation Authority of Norway
Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority is the Norwegian inspectorate responsible for civil aviation in Norway. It is subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications and is located in Bodø....
. This included the privilege to conduct the ATP(A) Integrated Course, following the CAAs temporary approval of the Pelican Flight Training Center
Pelican Flight Training Center
Pelican Flight Training Center is a private, FAA Part-141 flight school located at the North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida USA...
aircraft and facilities.
Education
As well as offering a wide range of modular courses through its training partners, NEIAs flagship program was the ab-initio professional pilot education. The program was designed for candidates with no aviation experience, but it also accepted advanced students who had already obtained a Private Pilot LicensePrivate Pilot License
A Private Pilot License or, in the United States of America, a Private Pilot Certificate, is a license that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft privately . The requirements to obtain the license are determined by the International Civil Aviation Authority , but the actual...
.
ATP(A) Integrated Course
A number of students started the re-introduced ATP(A) Integrated Course after the move to PFTC. Some students who initiated the integrated course at NAIA completed their remaining JAR-FCL approved hours through this course. However, due to the school's bankruptcy before European training was completed, all were dismissed as integrated by the Norwegian CAA upon return to Europe. All who started the integrated course at PFTC were transferred to the modular course once the integrated privilege was lost.The course was based on a FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
approved FAR
Federal Aviation Regulations
The Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARs, are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations...
Part 141 Professional Pilot Program supplemented by EASA
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
/JAA
Joint Aviation Authorities
The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, was an associated body of the ECAC representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures...
approved flying hours, using approved aircraft and procedures. The FAA program accumulated in a flight instructor certificate, that allowed candidates to build experience by working as instructors in the US.
Structured ATPL Professional Pilot Education
Upon introduction of a modular program, the EASA/JAA approved flying hours were dropped, and the hours gained during the Part 141 course formed part of a crediting process upon return to Europe. The program was marketed at one point to include a FAA Boeing 737Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
type rating
Type rating
A type rating is an allowance to fly a certain aircraft type that requires additional training beyond the scope of initial license and aircraft class training. What aircraft require a type rating is decided by the local aviation authority...
, although this did not materialize.
Completion after bankruptcy
When the Norwegian CAA revoked the NEIA FTO certificate, students were left to fend for themselves. Many continued their education, flight instructor work and crediting processes at the same schools which had previously contracted with NEIA. However, vast amounts of tuition money was lost and several students ended up effectively paying twice for their education.Demise
North European Institute of Aviation lost its privilege to conduct the ATP(A) Integrated Course as of 1. May 2009 following the failure to rectify issues remarked upon during the initial approval process of their U.S. training partner. As a consequence of failing to meet the CAAs demand for a report confirming sufficient liquidity for continued operation, their FTO approval was revoked 19. January 2010. 112 students were affected, 60 of them while still training in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.