43 Air School Has Chosen Pipistrel To Become The Provider Of Their New Fleet

Pipistrel and 43 Air School are proud to announce the formation of a unique partnership which will revolutionize general aviation in South Africa & Portugal by bringing most innovative and highest quality products, which will prove themselves in the one most demanding training environments, effective immediately.

43 Air School will deploy Virus SW121 to its training fleet with an intention that this airplane becomes the core asset and foundation of Africa’s best flight school program. 43 Air School will update its entire current fleet of 70+ current airplanes with Pipistrel aircraft, whose efficiency, durability and dependability will allow 43 Air School to form its new basis outside of Africa as well.

43 Air School is a dedicated flying training organization, catering for the private, general commercial, airline and military sectors. Its leading Approved Training Organisation (ATO) has branches in Port Alfred, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg, and soon Europe. So far, more than 6000 pilots graduated, helped by 75 full-time instructors. Recently 43 Air School was voted the best Aviation Company and runner up Aviation Safety at the CAIA Awards by the South African Civil Aviation Authority.

At Pipistrel we believe that there is no better partner in the South African region to serve as a distributor than 43 Air School. With a large Approved Maintenance Organization and aircraft engineering support to now assist the numerous already existing Pipistrel customers in South Africa and with 43’s established class-leading local parts stock and dispatch

ability, appointing 43 Air School as the sole distributor means a major upgrade in the quality of service to our current and future customers.

“In my 40 years in the aviation industry I have never seen anything as efficient as these aircraft. The technology in manufacturing gives these aircraft a major advantage in efficiency on all fronts. We are proud to partner with Pipistrel and 43 will be developing programs to integrate the aircraft into our training programs into the future." said Attie Niemann, the CEO of 43 Aircraft Sales.

"The Virus SW121, selected for flight training by 43 is an aircraft fully EASA Type-certified for day and night VFR and intentional spins, running on automotive fuel, giving us the flexibility to use these aircraft also for our expansion plans into Europe and India in the near future.

"The follow on for us to enter aircraft sales focused business, to our product range was inevitable and we believe we have chosen the best product to represent the future of flight training and general aviation.”

“Dealing with 43 Air School immediately felt right. The more I learned about their tradition, values, immense size of operation and attention to detail and environment, human touch, quality, safety and efficiency, the more I was convinced that forming this partnership is the winning factor for Pipistrel’s long term presence in Africa," said Ivo Boscarol, the Founder, Owner and president of Pipistrel group. "I look forward to introducing exciting novelties and opportunities to Pipistrel enthusiasts in the region.”

Pipistrel further announced that 43 Air School intends to become the first flight school in Africa to offer pilot training on electric aircraft, with the first Pipistrel’s Alpha Electro electric trainers already on the way.

(Images provided with Pipistrel news release and from file)

FMI: www.pipistrel-aircraft.com