THE STAFF AT THE AIRPLANE FACTORY, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Our Team
Behind The Sling Manufacturing

A very dynamic team has helped The Airplane Factory grow from strength to strength.

Mike Blyth

Director - Development, Marketing and operations

Mike, a shareholder and the person who started The Airplane Factory, is a fifth generation South African with a passion for aviation. A pioneer of early microlight aviation in South Africa, Mike has been involved in the aircraft business, designing, building and selling aircraft, aircraft engines and accessories, for 25 years. Mike is a past aviation world champion and has received numerous awards both for his contribution to aviation in South Africa and his aviation feats, as well as the films he has made to record them. To learn more about Mike’s aviation adventures see www.trike-expeditions.com and www.noneedforparking.com. Mike has owned the Rotax agency in South Africa for more than 20 years and is also the owner of Comet aviation Supplies (www.cometaviationsupplies.co.za) based in Johannesburg.

The Airplane Factory is Mike’s latest, and he believes greatest, venture.

James Pitman

Director - Corporate

James, also a shareholder in The Airplane Factory, grew up on a farm in the Kwa-Zulu Natal midlands of South Africa. He is a qualified lawyer who completed a university degree in science prior to studying law. More recently James has worked as a VP of a mining exploration company listed in London and Toronto. Following the successful sale of the mining business, James was able to give expression to his love of flying by joining Mike as his business partner in The Airplane Factory.

At a young age James developed a deep love of the outdoors and adventure. He has also always been a keen sportsman and traveler. For background information on some of his more recent adventures see www.noneedforparking.com.

Jean d'Assonville

Director - Production

More info coming soon...

Gareth Bosch

Production manager and Avionics technician - Production

More info coming soon...

Terry Musiker

Engineer - Aeronautical Engineering

Terry graduated in 2009 as an Aeronautical Engineer (BSc. Eng. (Aero.)) from The University of The Witwatersrand. During that period he acquired experience at Advanced Technologies and Engineering where he did a preliminary optimisation of a helicopter main rotor blade. In 2010 joined The Airplane Factory and has since then never looked back.

His role at the Airplane Factory is to utilise his knowledge acquired at university, and Computer Aided Design (CAD) Software, to design aircraft from the conceptual to the final product. This includes predicting the performance of a prototype aircraft, calculating the expected loads, designing each component to meet the standards of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), overseeing the static load testing, and submitting documentation for certification of the aircraft. Furthermore, he contributes to the ongoing updates and improvements of the construction manuals.

Andrew Pitman

Manager - Finance and Marketing

Andrew graduated from Cape Town Varsity College  in 2002 with a degree in Business Management and Marketing. He moved to London the following year and  joined Addison Corporate Marketing as an Account Manager and later Account Director and provided support to the investor relations teams of various clients including Anglo American, Vodafone,  National Grid, The Premier League, Swiss Re, Uniq, Visa and WPP. With six years’ experience in corporate financial communications Andrew fled the UK and returned to South Africa to join The Airplane Factory as the accountant, and sales and marketing manager.