Is A No-Show At Bankruptcy Hearing

Aero-News readers are advised to be on the lookout for the controversial owner of now-defunct Silver State Helicopters, who failed to show up at what was to be his first federal bankruptcy court hearing.

KLAS-8 reports Jerry Airola did not show up in court Monday in Las Vegas, NV... but nearly 200 former students of his flight training operation were in attendance. In fact, so many people showed up to watch the hearing, the proceedings were moved from the Foley Federal Building, to the larger George Federal Courthouse across the street.

Maybe Airola didn't get the message about the move?

As ANN reported, Silver State Helicopters closed up shop February 3, and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation the next day. The shutdown left approximately 2,000 students across the country scrambling, many with student loans to repay... and many airports were stuck unpaid fuel bills and other fees racked up by the school.

James Antoni took out a $70,000 loan to pay for helicopter flight training at SSH. He told the Las Vegas television station he was at the hearing to learn what his options are... and to join with others in attempting to stop the bankruptcy proceedings.

"I want to find out, get as much information as I can because there's a substantial amount of money involved from these individual people," Antoni said. "Seventy grand a head. That's a lot of money. If it turns out we're expected to pay that money back, I want to find out where it went. Their claiming the money is all gone. Where did it all go?"

That's the question many former SSH students are asking. Some from Ogden, UT say Silver State made a third and final withdrawal from their student accounts -- $23,000 apiece -- less than 48 hours before Airola filed Chapter 7.

When Salt Lake City, UT television station KUTV-2 attempted to confront company officials at Silver State headquarters in Las Vegas, they found no one willing to talk to reporters. Through the windows, they could see people packing up boxes.

Airola -- who is listed as president, secretary, treasurer, and director of Silver State Helicopters -- wasn't among them. And more than a few students would like to know where he is... so they can ask him some questions.

FMI: www.silverstatehelicopters.com