Anger at Berkshire Continues Among Pilot Base

The death of Warren Buffett's right-hand man Charlie Munger has rippled across the investment industry, providing the disgruntled NetJets union another chance to take aim at their company's parent company, Berkshire Hathaway. The NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) has been in a long-running back-and-forth with their employer, publishing candid statements speaking to the overall drop in prestige they feel the brand has suffered in recent years. The dwindling pilot base seems to agree, with reports of 270 NetJets pilots leaving the company this year alone - in a pilot base of 3,000, that's a pretty significant portion.

Titan Aviation Fuels to Serve as Title Sponsor for T-6 Texan Team

The North American Aerobatic Team will be parting ways with AeroShell after 2 decades of sponsorship, with all-new livery, uniforms, and promotional materials to be produced for the 2024 season and beyond. The team has long been associated with AeroShell in the public eye, to the extent that few of the youth today may even recognize their "North American Aerobatic Team" moniker. But Titan Aviation Fuels proved to be the title sponsors this time around, and there's no bad blood between the former partners.

Inattentive Maintenance Kills Again

A Piper PA-28R-201 crashed in Conway, South Carolina on September 14, 2022, causing fatal injuries to 2. "Shortly after departure, on the first flight following maintenance, the pilot reported a loss of engine power," reads the NTSB report. "The pilot attempted a forced landing onto a gravel road, but the airplane impacted trees and powerlines on final approach. The airplane came to rest against a berm and a post crash fire ensued."

Firm Wants More Shareholder Value, Less Scattered Approach to Aviation

Rolls-Royce's recent strategy release showed a minor pivot in the firm's plans to shore up its cash base over the coming years, even to the point of selling off their electric aviation wing to third parties. "We are creating a high performing, competitive, resilient and growing Rolls-Royce that will have the financial strength to control and shape its own destiny," said Chief Exec Tufan Erginbilgic. "We are clear where we will not invest and re-allocate capital to parts of the business where we can generate more value."

Helo Manufacturer Empowers In-House Refurb and Repair Capabilities

Schweizer has obtained its FAA Part 145 Repair Station certification, allowing the manufacturer to work on its own aircraft as a post-sale service provider. The brand makes the Schweizer S300, S300CBi, and S333 helicopters. Their repair station cert allows them to now overhaul transmissions and "other labor intensive components" in-house, lowering costs for S-series operators. “We are extremely grateful to our partners at the FAA who helped us earn this additional level of quality assurance and capability as we continue to build back the trusted Schweizer brand,” said David Horton, president and CEO of Schweizer.

Academy Proves Popular Thanks to Full-Motion Bell 429 Sim

Bell Training Academy in Valencia, Spain welcomed around 200 students to training using its nifty facilities, its crown jewel being a fully certified Bell 429 Level D Full Flight Simulator. The sim has been a hot commodity, with more than 1,000 hours logged this year alone. The school offers rotary-wing students a chance to experience 'flight' conditions that would otherwise be untenable in real-world operations, whether instrument weather, disorientation, or equipment failure.

Brockton Councillors Vote to Sell Saugeen Municipal to Private Interests

A small-town airport in Canada will soon be up for grabs, after the local council voted to sell off the Saugeen Municipal Airport. A Canadian Owners and Pilots Association report shined a light on the tough life of a small town airport, quoting the council's studies that show each year, despite some activity and business, the taxpayers subsidize Saugeen to the tune of about $15,000 CAD.

Deal Brings Za600 Engines to the UK for "World's First Electric Airline"

ZeroAvia found a like-minded partner abroad, finding a deal with up-and-comer Ecojet abroad. Ecojet, a nascent carrier promising to be the "flag carrier for green Britain", will be open for business in 2024 using a fleet of standard transport aircraft for its routes to and from Edinburgh. Not long after, thanks to a deal with ZeroAvia, the carrier hopes to retrofit the entire fleet with the firm's ZA600 engines - whenever they're certified, of course. At the moment, ZeroAvia is looking for certification in 2025.

Unable To Restore Power To The Engine, He Elected To Execute A Forced Landing

On November 17, 2023, about 1708 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Lancair IV-P, N37MB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Perry, Florida. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he was in cruise flight at 11,500 ft mean sea level (msl) with about 40 minutes of daylight remaining when he noted that a ceiling had developed below him.

From 2015 (YouTube Version): A Unique Gyroplane Offers Side-By-Side Seating

ANN’s roving News Editor, Tom Patton, stopped to talk about gyro planes while he was attending the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo at Sebring, Florida. He had the chance to talk to Chris Lord, the president and CEO of Pictaio aerospace. The gyroplane they had on display is unique because it’s a 2-place machine that seats the pilot and passenger side-by-side rather than the more typical tandem seating of other gyro planes. Tom starts his questioning by asking about this configuration. Among other things, Lord points out that it offers more room for the pilot and passenger a

Aero Linx: The Swift Museum Foundation The Swift Museum Foundation is a 501(3)c non-profit, member supported organization. Membership details are available by contacting the Museum Headquarters. Membership benefits include sharing over 60 years experience in the care and maintenance of the Swift by thousands of owner members. The Swift Museum Foundation was started by Charlie Nelson, our President, over 40 years ago with an ad in Trade-A-Plane to Swift owners inquiring about any interest in forming a type club. It started as the International Swift Association, grew and ten years later became the only type club to purchase the FAA Type Certificate for it’s aircraft. It also acquired with the Ty

High Speed Taxiway A long radius taxiway designed and provided with lighting or marking to define the path of aircraft, traveling at high speed (up to 60 knots), from the runway center to a point on the center of a taxiway. Also referred to as long radius exit or turn-off taxiway. The high speed taxiway is designed to expedite aircraft turning off the runway after landing, thus reducing runway occupancy time.

“We fear NetJets’s intransigence on this industry-shaping moment will have very serious consequences for the brand’s ability to deliver the unparalleled safety and service product for which our customers pay a premium.” Source: NJASAP President Pedro Leroux, in a statement emphasizing that NetJets needs to invest in its pilots, retain talent, and rely less on fresh employees to fill the flight deck.