Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

By an affirmative vote of 96.3 percent, members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPAO) voted to authorized a rolling strike against OGP and search and rescue helicopter provider Bristow Group’s UK operations. BALPA will conduct weekly, two-day strikes throughout next month beginning on March 3. 
BALPA said it was taking the action due to a lack of progress in negotiating a new contract with the company. “Bristow’s management has failed to listen to employees and offer decent pay deal. We have repeatedly opened the door for them to come forward with a revised offer, but it just hasn’t come,” said Amy Leversidge, BALPA general secretary. “We strongly urge Bristow to start listening to what their workers are telling them loud and clear- to get back to the bargaining table with BALPA with a fair and reasonable pay offer, to prevent further escalation in this dispute.”
Europe is Bristow’s largest offshore energy revenue region, accounting for $267 million through the first nine months of 2023. Bristow provides helicopter for OGP operations in the North Sea from bases at Sumburgh, Norwich, and Aberdeen and is contracted to fly search and rescue (SAR) missions for His Majesty’s Coast Guard, utilizing a mixed fleet of Skorsky S-92A and Leoanrdo AW189 helicopters and employing 360 at ten SAR bases across the UK. Bristow said it “would not allow” the strikes, characterized as an “industrial action,” to impact its SAR operations and has developed “mitigation plans” to cover those operations and its OGP obligations. Bristow’s SAR current contract with the UK runs through December 2026. A ten-year, follow-on contract is valued at $1.9 billion.

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Spirit AeroSystems workers give Leeham News and Analysis the inside track 

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News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

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