Venice flight school that trained 9/11 hijacker gives online tips on how to enter the country illegally
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
-- John Patten, 07/08/07
-- jpatten@veniceflorida.com

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Unbelievable
Maybe there's one or two people on the planet with internet access who have actually never heard about the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. It could happen. It's possible. Remotely, but still...

The chances are somewhat greater that there are some people with internet access that do not know that three of the terrorists received their murderous flight training here in Venice.

And then, there are the folks at the Florida Flight Training Center here in Venice, who are apparently oblivious to both of the above pieces of information, this despite the fact that Ziad Jarrah is the most famous alumni of the school. History buffs will recall that Jarrah was the 9/11 hijacker who ended up nosediving a 747 into farmland in Pennsylvania.

I mention all of this because of a set of rather curious entries on the school's FAQ page, which gives helpful information to foreign nationals who are hopeful of receiving flight training here in Venice.

The first three items on their page are innocent enough:

Question: I have a Portuguese Private Pilot license and want to get a US Instruments rating. Do I get credit for my Portuguese license?
Answer: Yes, as long as on the day of your Instrument flight test your Portuguese license is still valid. This means that if your Portuguese license expires your US license does as well.

Question: How do I validate my ICAO Canadian license?
Answer: You visit the FAA website: http://registry.faa.gov/airmen.asp Download the correct page (foreign license validation), fill it out, and fax it to the FAA in Oklahoma. They must know where you want the authorization letter sent to! (Example: our school, or to the nearest FSDO (FAA offices). Within thirty days you must have validated your license, or the letter is no good any more. Allow thirty days (30) for this process.

Question: Do I need a Visa?
Answer: If you are studying to get a license/rating in the US, YES.

But then comes this curious entry, a handy and helpful DIY tip on how to deceive U.S. Customs when entering the country by preventing them from knowing that you are here for flight training:

Question: But I know a person that traveled to the US and came back with a PPL and he never had a VISA!
Answer: This happens all the time that is correct. It is difficult for US custom agents and Immigration to determine within a minute or two what your true intentions are when you arrive at the border and you can always tell them that you are on a flying vacation. But you do risk to be deported if they don't like what you tell them.

Arriving on a student visa will not cause any complications at all! Allow thirty (30) days for the process of getting a Visa.

Let's just say for some wild and bizarre reason you are really opposed to applying for a student visa because of... oh, I don't know, ... religious reasons ... or maybe one of your terrorist cell members is being held in Guantanamo and you think that trying to give explanations to Homeland Security about this clearly coincidental mix-up would be an unnecessary and embarrassing experience. Will Venice Flight Training Center turn you down for instruction if you don't have a student visa?

Funny you should ask, as it's the obvious next question, the one that is hugely conspicuous by its absence on their web site FAQ.

Assuming you get around that sticky student visa problem by lying to a customs agent (and the flight school wants you to know that this is apparently about as difficult as convincing a four-year-old that Santa Claus exists), there is one other mandatory hurdle: a background check from the Transportation Security Administration. Yes, that can be a bit tricky, especially if you have a connection to an embassy bombing in South Africa or documented ties to Afghani opium cartels. What to do, what to do?

If that's you, you needn't worry too much. Do it right and you'll be pushing a pilot's stick before the TSA figures anything out:

Question: What about that new TSA background check for people who want to fly small aircraft?
Answer: Yes the rumor is true. You must have a background check before you may start training to obtain a rating or license is the US. Or to be more correct, TSA must acknowledge to us (the school) or you that they have received a check for $ 130, fingerprints and the application. You may do this yourself before traveling, or we gladly take care of it after your arrival. It is a rather simple procedure.

See what I mean? Unless I'm misunderstanding the above, it is basically stating that if you wait until just before your flight training starts to apply for the background check, you'll be home free even if your name is Osama bin Laden -- the background check doesn't need to be completed, merely applied for. The next entry appears to confirm this:

Question: Do you have training dates (classes) or when can I start?
Answer: Sometimes we do, but they are incidental. In the US most schools work with a one on one system. You have your own personal flight/ground instructor that is like a big brother to you and guides and guards you through the course. In our school it is encouraged for students to sit in any class in progress with the ok of the teacher.

In other words, drop your background check application to the feds in the mail and take a seat. You'll be in an airplane within a few days.

Nice. Very nice.

Waiter? Check, please!

Thanks to Tom Brenner for pointing me to the FFTC FAQ page.

Book: Welcome to Terrorland by Daniel Hopsicker, which chronicles the 9/11 terrorists and their time in Venice, Florida

John Patten is the head of Web Operations for Creative Pages, and has worked in broadcasting for over 12 years. He can also be incredibly rude at times.