After scamming $100 million of state and city taxes, with exaggerated and questionable, yet unchallenged, claims and promises to create a business that would employee 300 people the money has all disappeared? We are seeing the reality of another sham business development project that had stupid idea written all over it before it started. But, this project made a lot of money for a few people. Mainly the Altus Venture Group, who put the scam together and had the connections to get an ill advised project funded.

Here are some milestones that were raising red flags along the way.

May 6, 1998 - The first version of the Luscombe 11-E could be flying within a matter of weeks. "Our plan was to produce 50 to 60 airplanes in 1998 and 125 in 1999," he said. "We may not hit the 1998 schedule, but I'm confident that we'll hit the 1999 schedule."   So we were told.

Then about 8 years later.

March 28, 2006 - Quartz Mountain Aerospace, said the company's manufacturing facility begins its first production cycle on 68 airplanes in September. Journal Record

Owl: More evidence of a cozy media. The same newspaper yet the reporter rather than questioning why the current claim should be accepted, prints the spin as believable.

Now John Daniel, the president of Quartz Mountain, with the end in site, stops business for a day, and diverts scarce funds to puts on an extravagant feel good ceremony for more shot of glory. Rolling out one more bottle of snake oil in the form of a half finished shell of an airplane. "This is the first of thousands of airplanes that will be built right here in Altus, America."

Mr. Daniel tells a good story, and apparently one that the gullible and those who know nothing about business gobble up like a famished pack of hyenas when a pride of lions have their fill and leave the kill.

Now the president of Quartz Mountain, with the end in site, stops business for a day, and diverts scarce funds to puts on an extravagant feel good ceremony for more shot of glory. Rolling out one more bottle of snake oil in the form of a half finished shell of an airplane. "This is the first of thousands of airplanes that will be built right here in Altus, America."

The man tells a good story, and apparently one that the gullible and those who know nothing about business gobble up like a famished pack of hyenas when a pride of lions have their fill and leave the kill.

The entertaining part of Mr. Daniel's story is about the unfinished airplane "to facilitate checks for water leaks, fuel and brakes and to provide easy access to the working parts inside the cabins." The same sort of things that done on any airplane before it is finished off.

What Mr. Daniel was trying to pull over on the folks at the premature celebration was they have spent all the money and the plane is far from being finished. The celebration and claims are a desperate effort at trying to raise more money for a poor business idea. A company that for 11 years has existed on tax subsidies, not making one useable product.