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.
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.
Also: Bell Training, FAA Reauthorization, Coulson Aviation, More Pegasus Tankers
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." During their investigation, the NTSB found a good deal of engine damage, oil, and heat discoloration. 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 wi
Lack of Long-Term Confidence Harms Industry, Says Stakeholder
A handful of GA advocacy groups have taken issue with the "continued short-term extensions of authorization for the FAA", telling Congress that they could "challenge the certainty that industry and the FAA depend on to enable long-term planning and investment in many critical areas required to ensure the safety of the NAS and America's global leadership in aviation." The FAA is only authorized through December 31st of this year, despite months of negotiations. Last July, the House passed bipartisan reauthorization legislation that would see the FAA set through 2028, but the Senate has yet to act on the bill. Patience, it seems, is wearing thin in the industry.
Honda's work with ForeFlight has borne fruit for the clientele of both brands, with HondaJet operators now able to integrate accurate "Runway Analysis" into their everyday flights. The tool "transforms the tedious task of calculating takeoff and landing performance into an integral and effortless part of any jet pilot’s preflight workflow", saving pilots some trouble in their flight planning. Of course, nothing comes free with ForeFlight - the addition must be purchased as an add-on to an existing ForeFlight subscription.
Breadth of 500, 550, 560 Series Covered with Backup EFIS
Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies has obtained the STC for the retrofitment of the GI-275 Electronic Standby Instrument System for Cessna Citation aircraft. The models included in the STC vary, including all serial number aircraft for 500,501,550,S550,560,560XL series Citations. As usual, the GI-275 is a fave for those running older, less reliable systems - a well-placed unit can be a very affordable way to have faithful standby instruments that operators can go the distance with minimal fuss. A Blackhawk Aerospace PMA kit rounds out the ease of installation.
Quick Reaction Force Gains Chinook Support for 6th Year Running
Coulson Aviation will station 3 of its Boeing CH-47 Chinook Very Large Helitankers, a Sikorsky S-76 recon helo, and full staff with Southern California Edison in support of their Quick Reaction Force. Since their first year contracting, the firm has flown over 700 hours, with 60% of that time logged at night under NVGs. Throughout the missions, they've dropped more than 4.5 million gallons of water on nearly 200 wildfires. The company proudly notes that "every fire Coulson fought with the QRF was successfully extinguished in its initial burn - none have expanded into large campaign fires."
eSTOL Expected to Be a Solid Performer in Bristow Service
Electra.aero, Inc.’s eSTOL demonstrator aircraft has struck a deal to provide the Bristow Group for 5 early delivery positions for the upcoming production aircraft. The agreement was firmed up by the payment of a deposit agreement, riding on a 2021 memorandum of understanding. That MoU saw Bristow gain pole position as the principal launch customer for the Electra eSTOL, with a big pre-order for up to 50 aircraft. These first 5 could be just the tip of that iceberg, should Bristow decide to exercise its options later on.
JB Investments Adds 3 More Aircraft in Aircraft Offerings
Bell Textron signed a pair of purchase agreements for 2 Bell 407GXis and a Bell 505 to JB Investments of Poland. The aircraft will be put to use as private travel runabouts, added to the distributor's GA and helicopter offerings in the Polish market. The purchase of all 3 aircraft was celebrated with a signing ceremony at the Bell booth during the recent European Rotors 2023 expo in Madrid, Spain.
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