Back-to-Back Hurricanes vs. Aviation’s Finest

Good morning! Another week has gone by and I’ve been lucky enough to film a few more airplane reviews. This time, it was a Kodiak 100 from Bridger Aerospace and a Cirrus Vision Jet G2+, courtesy of JAI Aviation. If the rest of my week goes according to plan, I’ll soon be filming a very special bush plane — one that has become an icon in the world of aviation YouTube. Hopefully I’ll be able to share the good news in the next newsletter! 🛩️

-Rob Roy

In today’s email:

• Flying into the Fray

• Around the Skies: Boeing is cutting 17,000 jobs, Unexpected copilot lands King Air, FAA scraps CFI expiration dates, Fatal flight sparks legal battle, Ryanair's fiery takeoff, $100 million keeps warbirds flying

• PilotTube: Hurricane Helene Rescue Mission

THE BUSINESS OF AVIATION

Aviation Volunteers Mobilize for Hurricane Relief

Aviation has had its hands full lately, wrestling with Mother Nature and playing a key role in hurricane preparedness and response. Whether it’s tracking hurricanes and guiding evacuations before things get wild or swooping in afterward to deliver supplies and assess the damage, aviation has proven itself a true disaster-management MVP. When it comes to taking on storms, planes and helicopters aren't just along for the ride — they're leading the charge.

After Hurricane Helene tore through six states, Operation Helo swooped in with a fleet of volunteer helicopters, ranging from Robinsons to Black Hawks, to deliver aid and rescue stranded residents. At Hickory Regional Airport, more than 90 aircraft and their pilots flew over 2,500 missions, delivering millions of pounds of supplies and airlifting more than 400 people from the hard-hit Blue Ridge Mountains. The effort turned an inactive runway into a buzzing helicopter hub, launching daily rescue flights from morning till evening.

The grassroots relief effort highlighted the unique capabilities of helicopters, which often became the only way in or out of flooded, debris-covered areas. Pilots and volunteers worked with military-like efficiency, even using Starlink devices to restore communication in cut-off communities. The operation's success was driven by the general aviation community's willingness to adapt on the fly (literally) to the chaos unfolding each day. As donations poured in to cover fuel costs and support continued missions, the outpouring of aid highlighted not just the versatility of helicopters, but also the resilience and generosity of the volunteers who kept them flying.

Only a few days later, NOAA's Hurricane Hunters braved Hurricane Milton as it barreled toward Florida, flying into the eye of the storm to gather crucial data on its strength, structure and path.

Their fleet, featuring the trusty Lockheed WP-3D Orions "Kermit" and "Miss Piggy," along with the high-flying Gulfstream IV-SP "Gonzo," braved extreme turbulence to collect real-time information for the National Hurricane Center. With dropsondes (expendable devices that float on the ocean and collect information), tail Doppler radar and a whole lot of nerve, they gathered the real-time data needed to help fine-tune forecasts as Milton’s 155 mph winds threatened to give Florida’s west coast a serious shake-up.

Aviation has proven itself, once again, to be the ultimate hurricane hero, tackling everything from human rescue to logging crucial storm data. When disaster hits, aircraft and their pilots aren’t just tagging along — they’re leading the charge, fearlessly taking on whatever challenges Mother Nature decides to throw their way.

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AROUND THE SKIES

🛩️ Boeing is cutting 17,000 jobs and pushing the 777X launch to 2026, blaming strikes and turbulence in its bottom line. With $5 billion 👀 in projected losses for Q3, the aerospace giant is grounding the 767 for good by 2027 and recalibrating priorities. CEO Kelly Ortberg says it’s time for “tough decisions” to keep Boeing flying high, but right now, it’s more about damage control.

🛩️ When a King Air C90 pilot suffered a suspected heart attack mid-flight, his wife took control of the aircraft. Despite having no formal flight training, she managed to land the plane safely at Bakersfield Meadows Field. Guided by air traffic controllers and pilots on the ground, she brought the twin-engine aircraft to a stop without damage or injury 👍🏼

🛩️ The FAA is removing the expiration date for flight instructor certificates starting December 1st. CFIs will still need to renew every 24 months through refresher clinics or qualifying activities. The change aims to simplify the process and save the FAA from endlessly churning out new plastic cards.

🛩️ The parents of a flight student killed in September are suing over his fatal plane crash, arguing that the stormy night flight was a disaster waiting to happen. The lawsuit points to the instructor’s social media posts, where he mocked the student pilot and brushed off the bad weather. While the NTSB investigation is still underway, the family claims the flight school turned a blind eye to the instructor pilot’s shaky track record.

🛩️ A Ryanair Boeing 737 with 184 passengers on board had a fiery start to its morning in Italy, as flames shot from an engine just before takeoff at Brindisi Airport. The cabin crew safely evacuated everyone using emergency slides, while firefighters rushed to the scene.

🛩️ Philanthropist and businessman Gerald Yagen just donated a cool $100 million to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach (which he founded in 2006). Announced at the Warbirds Over the Beach airshow, the gift is one of Virginia's biggest EVER, showing Yagen's passion for aviation history isn't just a passing fancy. With $30 million dedicated to establish the museum’s endowment, these warbirds are set to keep buzzing the skies for years to come 🙌🏼

PilotTube

Watch as disaster relief efforts took flight in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, which left severe flooding and landslides in its wake. Using an R44 helicopter, Rebuild Rescue flies into isolated areas to deliver essential supplies and starlink communication for communities cut off by the storm.

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