Alert issued on man who took flight lessons at Gwinnett airport

Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | April 8, 2005 | SAEED AHMED

[iopscusa]

I am impressed that it only took 2.5 years, 2002-2004, before the Homeland Security kicked into action. Please tell me why we needed another trillion $$$ Agency....was this a jobs program? The AJC reporting is also very weak!

[bill1952]

The guy sounds dumber than a rock.

I'm an instructor, and from this information, it appears that he was enrolled in the type of flight school that has periodic "phase checks" that must be passed to move to the next level of training.

Typically, these schools all aim for an ATP certification, that is, Airline Transport Pilot.

This fine example of a normal guy should have been reported from the very beginning, and I am dismayed that he was not.

Can you imagine boarding an Airbus and hearing the announcement, "Hello, I'm Zayead Christopher Hajaig, and I'll be your pilot today?"

What I don't understand is how an illegal got into a flight school without a valid passport, a student visa issued by the US, and a background check.

All are now required.

[baltodog]

"...Zayead Christopher Hajaig..."

You know, who WOULDN'T feel comfortable flying with someone who has a nice Irish name like that...

[Coop]

Shocking. It took only one post for someone to mock a system doing what it's supposed to be doing.

[ordinaryguy]

The AJC reporting is also very weak!

Um... yeah, what did you expect?

[sure_fine]

Zayead Christopher Hajaig

what year did this muslim add a Christian name to his..British huh

[Lloyd227]

"...who also uses the names Christopher Haijag, David Haijag and Alex Haiaig

Do I denote a sense of humor in this perp? Maybe he just liked the "I'm in charge here" quote. :-)

[ordinaryguy]

The system is supposed to allow an illegal alien with no known means of income to take flight lessons in the United States for more than two and a half years?

[Coop]

The system is supposed to allow an illegal alien with no known means of income to take flight lessons in the United States for more than two and a half years?

And how do we know all that?

[ordinaryguy]

From the article.

[Jim Noble]

I propose that Congress pass a new law - no one whose first name is Zayead is allowed to take flight training in the United States.

[Coop]

From the article.

Correct. And the author of said article knows all this because...

the system worked and the flight school reported the guy.

[bill1952]

No, it's not, and I'm calling around today to find out exactly what happened here.
Being familar with the FAA, it will take a long time for answers.

Coop: It is in the article cited.

[ordinaryguy]

If an illegal alien was allowed to be receiving flight instruction in this country, then the system most certainly did not work. Unless you and I are referring to two entirely separate systems.

[bill1952]

And the system did NOT work.

By law, he should have never been permitted to enroll!

Many good students get their ticket in less than 2 1/2 years.

This guy was dumb, and we lucked out in some fashion.

[Coop]

See, you apparently just want to throw darts at anything and everything, while I'm glad to see some improvement. Kind of a glass half full kind of philosophy, while you're more of a pee in the glass person.

[-=Wing_0_Walker=-]

"AN UPGRADE" !!!! Why would that case an alert? He needs a job.

[ordinaryguy]

If you find anything out, I'd appreciate a ping. Thanks.

[bill1952]

I certainly don't want to throw darts, Coop, but if an illegal can take flight lessons for *only* 2 1/2 years before being reported, then you had best keep out of tall buildings.

Any illegal who wanted flight lessons from me would be talking to Customs in about 15 seconds, and I'm not kidding.

If you had the bucks for simulator time, and the smarts, you would be able to handle a triple 7 in way less time than that.