Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
Encyclopedia
The Sierra Academy of Aeronautics is an aviation flight school headquartered in Livermore, California
. It operates two training facilities. The largest is at the Livermore Municipal Airport
. The other facility is located at the former Castle Air Force Base
in Merced, California
. Sierra Academy is also contracted by several foreign air carriers to perform pilot training, including Shanghai Airlines
.
, where it had hangars, offices, and classrooms. It was owned by the Everett family of Atherton, California
.
It operated a fleet of commercial jetliners, to provide instruction leading to "ratings" on each class of plane. Tuition fees were considerable (and remain so), because they included the cost of jet fuel.
By the mid-1960s, Sierra was training pilots from many countries, some for national airlines, like Saudi Arabian Airlines
.
In the 1990s, Sierra developed a new campus in Livermore for Korean students. In 1996, Hani Hanjour
who would later fly a hijacked airliner into the Pentagon was admitted to the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
, but before beginning flight training, the academy arranged for Hanjour to take intensive English courses at ELS Language Center in Oakland. . The flight school also arranged for Hanjour to stay with a host family, with whom he moved in with on May 20, 1996. Hanjour completed the English program in August, and in early September 1996, he attended a single day of ground school courses at the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
before withdrawing, citing financial worries about the $35,000 cost.
Near 2003, the company filed bankruptcy and many students lost their accounts and dollars. Two Korean business men, Dan and John Yoon, bought out the debt and re-opened Sierra Academy. The company is now opened under KSA Aviation.
The new owners moved its Oakland program to a new facility in Livermore, CA (KLVK) in 2004. The company took advantage of the growing Indian market and began accepting students from all over India. This was mostly a result of the declining U.S. based students who could no longer find funding for flight training.
While the Livermore campus was running, they also opened up a large campus at Castle Airport
(KMER, formerly
Castle AFB) in 2005. Here, Sierra focuses on contractual training for Shanghai, China, and Mongolian Airlines. It has a fleet of over 60 aircraft, four fixed simulators, two full-motion simulators, dorm-style living, and approximately 80 instructors. Sierra began hiring instructors from around the country to fill the demand. Before the Castle Campus, Sierra was known for hiring only former students who had finished their program.
In January 2007, the company moved all remaining students and employees to its existing facilities at the former Castle AFB (KMER). This consolidation was necessary as the Chief Pilot was not available to oversee daily operations, and all resources and money were being spent towards the Castle campus.
Currently, all of Sierra's operations are out of Castle Airport in Atwater, CA.
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20081117X33612&ntsbno=WPR09LA040&akey=1
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
. It operates two training facilities. The largest is at the Livermore Municipal Airport
Livermore Municipal Airport
Livermore Municipal Airport is located in Livermore, California, USA, east of the San Francisco Bay between San Jose and Oakland.Sierra Academy of Aeronautics operated one of its training centers on the north ramp until December 2007. Other flight schools at Livermore Municipal Airport are Ahart...
. The other facility is located at the former Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....
in Merced, California
Merced, California
Merced is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 78,958. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government...
. Sierra Academy is also contracted by several foreign air carriers to perform pilot training, including Shanghai Airlines
Shanghai Airlines
Shanghai Airlines is an airline headquartered in the Jing'an District, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, but its operations remain separate post-merger, retaining its distinct brand and livery....
.
History
The Sierra Academy formerly was based at the Oakland International AirportOakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
, where it had hangars, offices, and classrooms. It was owned by the Everett family of Atherton, California
Atherton, California
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,914 at the 2010 census. In September 2010, Forbes magazine placed Atherton's zip code of 94027 at #2 on its annual list of America's most expensive zip codes, with a median home price of $4,010,200...
.
It operated a fleet of commercial jetliners, to provide instruction leading to "ratings" on each class of plane. Tuition fees were considerable (and remain so), because they included the cost of jet fuel.
By the mid-1960s, Sierra was training pilots from many countries, some for national airlines, like Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...
.
In the 1990s, Sierra developed a new campus in Livermore for Korean students. In 1996, Hani Hanjour
Hani Hanjour
Hani Saleh Hasan Hanjour was the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, crashing the plane into the Pentagon as part of the September 11 attacks....
who would later fly a hijacked airliner into the Pentagon was admitted to the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
The Sierra Academy of Aeronautics is an aviation flight school headquartered in Livermore, California. It operates two training facilities. The largest is at the Livermore Municipal Airport. The other facility is located at the former Castle Air Force Base in Merced, California...
, but before beginning flight training, the academy arranged for Hanjour to take intensive English courses at ELS Language Center in Oakland. . The flight school also arranged for Hanjour to stay with a host family, with whom he moved in with on May 20, 1996. Hanjour completed the English program in August, and in early September 1996, he attended a single day of ground school courses at the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
The Sierra Academy of Aeronautics is an aviation flight school headquartered in Livermore, California. It operates two training facilities. The largest is at the Livermore Municipal Airport. The other facility is located at the former Castle Air Force Base in Merced, California...
before withdrawing, citing financial worries about the $35,000 cost.
Near 2003, the company filed bankruptcy and many students lost their accounts and dollars. Two Korean business men, Dan and John Yoon, bought out the debt and re-opened Sierra Academy. The company is now opened under KSA Aviation.
The new owners moved its Oakland program to a new facility in Livermore, CA (KLVK) in 2004. The company took advantage of the growing Indian market and began accepting students from all over India. This was mostly a result of the declining U.S. based students who could no longer find funding for flight training.
While the Livermore campus was running, they also opened up a large campus at Castle Airport
Castle Airport
Castle Airport is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States. It is operated by the Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development.The airport is located at...
(KMER, formerly
Castle AFB) in 2005. Here, Sierra focuses on contractual training for Shanghai, China, and Mongolian Airlines. It has a fleet of over 60 aircraft, four fixed simulators, two full-motion simulators, dorm-style living, and approximately 80 instructors. Sierra began hiring instructors from around the country to fill the demand. Before the Castle Campus, Sierra was known for hiring only former students who had finished their program.
In January 2007, the company moved all remaining students and employees to its existing facilities at the former Castle AFB (KMER). This consolidation was necessary as the Chief Pilot was not available to oversee daily operations, and all resources and money were being spent towards the Castle campus.
Currently, all of Sierra's operations are out of Castle Airport in Atwater, CA.
Accident
On November 15, 2008, a student walked into the prop of a Cessna 152, suffering fatal injuries.http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20081117X33612&ntsbno=WPR09LA040&akey=1