I worked an agricultural spray season with The Heli Team.
The owner, Chris Bull, uses shady business practices and doesn't maintain his equipment well. He over promised spray quantities on several spray contracts, taking the money from farmers but not providing the service he promised. When we ended up with hundreds of gallons of left over chemical because we weren't told to spray the correct amount (which would have taken more time and cost Chris more money) he expected us to 'dump' it all in a ditch somewhere. He also tried to make the pilots fly past required inspections and wouldn't address maintenance issues that we brought up; then when things broke (because they weren't properly maintained) he blamed us and took away our bonuses.
Warning to anyone who goes to work for Chris Bull at The Heli Team 245 Nilson Way, Orlando, FL 32803. Especially if you are hired as a photographer for WJAX/WFOX-TV in Jacksonville, Florida.
My first week Chris called me and used "F-bombs" and other vulgarity threatening to fire me for refusing to fly until a defective alternator got fixed in the helicopter that came on four times up in the air and then threaten to fire me a few days later when I reported the pilot Parker Brown's unprofessional behavior and actions detrimental that compromise the station's competitive coverage.
Chris Bull committed wage "Wage Theft" not paying me my last two pay checks which totaled $1,317.44. When I wrote demanding my pay check after four days or I would contact the Department Of Labor, volatile temper Chris, threaten to contact a lawyer see if he can put an injunction on me if I go to the Department of Labor. Chris accused me for breaking a little door to the hangar door is why he won't pay me. Nothing happen to the door when I open it and the last person to operate the door was Parker Brown.
I reported Chris Bull to the Department of Labor. He lied to case manager Kenneth Floyd he paid me a long time ago. I forward Kenneth a PDF file attached to my he mail from the payroll person Robert Almon my pay stub for $1,095.90 and emails for hours I worked my last two days asking where to send my last check which would have been $221.54. Kenneth said he would asked to see a canceled check. The next thing I hear from Kenneth he has a check for $580.00 and Chris had different paper work. I said, he altered the books and fabricated documents. I refused the settlement and forward my evidence over to the IRS criminal investigation department for Violation of the Income Law with False Deductions. Taking deductions out when I was not paid. Unsubstantiated Income. Claiming I earn wages and never got paid. False/Altered documents. Department of Labor said, he had different documents from what his payroll manager sent me twice. Unreported Income and Failure to Pay Taxes. His willful failure to pay payroll taxes and did not report my wages to unemployment or the Florida Department of Revenue. For second quarter 2017.
Chris lies about having an impeccable record. His school gave a pilot license to Bruce Teitelbaum, who failed to obtain his pilot's license from two other flight schools because; his behavior was too risky. I spoke to Tom a F.A.A agent who works for Robinson Helicopters who interviewed Chris and the Heli Team. He told me he heard bad things about Chris and his temper and only when he flashed a badge at him he cooperated. I am not the only photographer who had an issue getting paid. A previous photographer had ruins with Chris. When I spoke to Libby Jones at WJAX-TV the problems with Heli-Team, she said we heard similar stories from Sean the previous photographer. We did not know it was that bad. Really that bad and you still have a contract with The Heli Team!?
The Heli Team Reviews
I worked an agricultural spray season with The Heli Team.
The owner, Chris Bull, uses shady business practices and doesn't maintain his equipment well. He over promised spray quantities on several spray contracts, taking the money from farmers but not providing the service he promised. When we ended up with hundreds of gallons of left over chemical because we weren't told to spray the correct amount (which would have taken more time and cost Chris more money) he expected us to 'dump' it all in a ditch somewhere. He also tried to make the pilots fly past required inspections and wouldn't address maintenance issues that we brought up; then when things broke (because they weren't properly maintained) he blamed us and took away our bonuses.
Warning to anyone who goes to work for Chris Bull at The Heli Team 245 Nilson Way, Orlando, FL 32803. Especially if you are hired as a photographer for WJAX/WFOX-TV in Jacksonville, Florida.
My first week Chris called me and used "F-bombs" and other vulgarity threatening to fire me for refusing to fly until a defective alternator got fixed in the helicopter that came on four times up in the air and then threaten to fire me a few days later when I reported the pilot Parker Brown's unprofessional behavior and actions detrimental that compromise the station's competitive coverage.
Chris Bull committed wage "Wage Theft" not paying me my last two pay checks which totaled $1,317.44. When I wrote demanding my pay check after four days or I would contact the Department Of Labor, volatile temper Chris, threaten to contact a lawyer see if he can put an injunction on me if I go to the Department of Labor. Chris accused me for breaking a little door to the hangar door is why he won't pay me. Nothing happen to the door when I open it and the last person to operate the door was Parker Brown.
I reported Chris Bull to the Department of Labor. He lied to case manager Kenneth Floyd he paid me a long time ago. I forward Kenneth a PDF file attached to my he mail from the payroll person Robert Almon my pay stub for $1,095.90 and emails for hours I worked my last two days asking where to send my last check which would have been $221.54. Kenneth said he would asked to see a canceled check. The next thing I hear from Kenneth he has a check for $580.00 and Chris had different paper work. I said, he altered the books and fabricated documents. I refused the settlement and forward my evidence over to the IRS criminal investigation department for Violation of the Income Law with False Deductions. Taking deductions out when I was not paid. Unsubstantiated Income. Claiming I earn wages and never got paid. False/Altered documents. Department of Labor said, he had different documents from what his payroll manager sent me twice. Unreported Income and Failure to Pay Taxes. His willful failure to pay payroll taxes and did not report my wages to unemployment or the Florida Department of Revenue. For second quarter 2017.
Chris lies about having an impeccable record. His school gave a pilot license to Bruce Teitelbaum, who failed to obtain his pilot's license from two other flight schools because; his behavior was too risky. I spoke to Tom a F.A.A agent who works for Robinson Helicopters who interviewed Chris and the Heli Team. He told me he heard bad things about Chris and his temper and only when he flashed a badge at him he cooperated. I am not the only photographer who had an issue getting paid. A previous photographer had ruins with Chris. When I spoke to Libby Jones at WJAX-TV the problems with Heli-Team, she said we heard similar stories from Sean the previous photographer. We did not know it was that bad. Really that bad and you still have a contract with The Heli Team!?