Lombardo covers business aviation maintenance-related issues. He is also a writer and on-air reporter for AINtv. He has over 3000 articles published and is the author of several books on aircraft systems for pilots and on the topic of flight simulation.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from the University of Illinois, has taught aviation for over 35 years in industry and as a university professor and academic dean at three different universities. He is also a frequent seminar and after-dinner motivational speaker.&nbsp;
Lombardo holds an A&amp;P Certificate, ATP, CFI and Ground Instructor ratings. He was a corporate pilot and was a research pilot and flight instructor at the University of Illinois. An FAA Safety Counselor for over 25 years, he was one of the original 13 Counselors appointed to the FAA’s Airworthiness Safety Program for maintenance technicians.&nbsp;

Contributor

David A. Lombardo

The U.S. District Court for Philadelphia has sentenced Joel Stout, of Elizabethtown, Pa., to 60 months probation and 60 hours of community service. Stout, an A&amp;P mechanic and former employee of Flying Tigers, previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to his participation in a complex fraud involving unauthorized aircraft inspections.


Joel Stout’s father, Jay Stout, the president of Flying Tigers, was convicted of numerous counts after a nine-day jury trial in Philadelphia. Joel Stout provided substantial cooperation to the prosecution and testified at the trial on the government’s behalf. The elder Stout, formerly of Elizabethtown, was found guilty of eight counts of wrongdoing: conspiracy, three counts of fraud involving aircraft parts, two counts of mail fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice. He was found not guilty of three counts of mail fraud and three counts of wire fraud. Sentencing is set for July 18 before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III, who presided at the trial.


<a href="http://ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainmxreports/2012-08-29/flying-tigers-indicted-aircraft-parts-fraud">AIN</a> has followed the story, which began in August 2012 with the Philadelphia U.S. Attorney’s Office indicting Flying Tigers of Lancaster, Pa.; its president, Jay Stout; and his son, Joel Stout, with various crimes, including conspiracy, fraud involving aircraft parts, wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Also indicted was Howard Gunter, a former FAA-certified mechanic and inspector, on charges of conspiracy and fraud involving aircraft parts.


The investigation revealed that in 2003 the FAA suspended Jay Stout’s authority to conduct aircraft inspections and ultimately, in 2004, revoked both his airframe and powerplant certification and his inspection authorization certification. Joel Stout, former director of operations at Flying Tigers, did not hold FAA inspection authority past March 2006. The prosecution proved that at various times between October 2003 and January 2010, Flying Tigers charged customers for the annual inspections of their aircraft despite having no certified mechanic with inspection authority.


The six-year investigation revealed that the defendants routinely altered airframe and engine logbooks and made false entries to conceal their actions. Once Jay Stout learned of the government’s investigation, he obstructed the investigation by altering aircraft logbooks to conceal the false certifications. Flying Tigers conducted more than 100 questionable inspections and repairs between 2003 and 2010 involving more than 40 aircraft.


Gunter, a former FAA inspector also charged in the scheme, recently died of natural causes before the trial.


The company is not related to the 1st American Volunteer Group known as the Flying Tigers or its namesake descendant Flying Tiger Line. (FedEx bought that company in 1989.)

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

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