The Sierra Academy of Aeronautics is an aviation flight school headquartered in Atwater, California. It operates its training facility at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California. Sierra Academy was contracted by several foreign air carriers to perform pilot training, including Shanghai Airlines.
History
The Sierra Academy formerly was based at the Oakland International Airport, 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, 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. Two Korean business men, Dan and John Yoon, bought the company as open of an asset sale, and re-opened the flight school, operating under KS Aviation. In 2004, the new owners moved its Oakland program to the former Korean Airlines facility at the airport in Livermore, California. 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, KSA also opened up a large campus at Castle Airport 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 started moving all remaining students and employees to its existing facilities at the former Castle AFB. This consolidation was necessary as the Chief Pilot was not available to oversee daily operations, and all resources and money were being spent at the Castle campus. Currently, all of Sierra's operations are out of Castle Airport in Atwater, CA.
Accidents
On November 15, 2008, a student walked into the propellor of a Cessna 152, suffering fatal injuries. The US National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the student failed to see the propeller. Two student pilots were flying together, which they were not authorized to do. On January 26, 2013, a student ran out of fuel and crash-landed in a field near the airport.
In February 2014, The FAA proposed a civil penalty of $204,050 against Sierra for "allegedly operating nine Cessna 152 airplanes when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations." The FAA alleged that Sierra did not properly inspect the seat locking pins. An improperly engaged pin could lead to the seat slipping and the pilot losing control of the airplane.
In January 2016 investigators with the US Internal Revenue Service visited the school as part of a criminal tax investigation. However, the school continued operations without interruption.
On Wednesday January 27, 2016 Daniel Yoon, one of two owners was arrested. Yoon was booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of falsifying corporate records. He posted a $100,000 bail bond and was released. Yoon faces criminal charges filed by the Merced County District Attorney’s Office, accusing him of falsely using the name of the flight school’s second owner, John Yoon, while applying for a loan. He is charged with two counts of falsification of corporate records and two counts of forgery.
On Tuesday May 31, 2016 Merced County Superior Court Judge, Hon. David Moranda ruled that the felony criminal case involving Sierra Academy of Aeronautics and KS Aviation co-owner Daniel B. Yoon, 66, must proceed to trial. Daneil Yoon is facing two counts of fraud and two counts of falsification of corporate documents.
Prosecutor Walter Wall said in court that accusing him of falsely using the name of the flight school’s second owner, John Yoon, while applying for a $3 million loan from the Small Business Association and forging documents diminishing the percentage of ownership in Dan Yoon’s favor. He said the alleged illegal loans were used to purchase a flight simulator from the Boeing Aircraft Corporation, which is a critical component of the flight school’s pilot training program.
On Tuesday April 18, 2017 Daniel Yoon, the former co-owner of Sierra Academy of Aeronautics in Atwater, was sentenced to three years probation in Merced Superior Court on Tuesday after accepting a plea deal to misdemeanor charges of forgery and falsifying documents.
Yoon’s former business partner and flight school employees were present and spoke at the hearing before Judge Ronald Hansen. Yoon was not present. His defense attorney, C. Logan McKechnie, was there to represent him and enter a plea of no contest. “This brings to a close a four-year case involving accusations of forgery and misgovernance of the Sierra Flight Academy,” said Walter Wall, the Merced County deputy district attorney prosecuting the case. The sole remaining owner of the flight school, John Yoon, and his employees said they thought the sentence was fair. Wall agreed. “I think justice has been done,” he said. “His removal from any corporation positions or boards was appropriate and the right thing to do.” Bob Deklinsky, a business operations director, said he was personally victimized by Yoon. “He used my name to acquire loans with Bank of the West that I did not and could not authorize,” Deklinsky said. “I think Mr. Yoon learned his lesson.... Today’s conviction was fitting for Mr. Yoon.”
Awards
In 1992 the National Air Transportation Association honored Sierra Academy of Aeronautics with the Excellence in Pilot Training Award. This national award, sponsored by Jeppesen Sanderson, provides recognition for "outstanding contributions in safety, professionalism, leadership, and excellence in the field of pilot training."
