Our Experience

Bio…… August Swanson

A former Vietnam combat pilot, August Swanson is now a leading strategic planning and business development professional with an exceptional background in military and general aviation. August possesses an Airline Transport Pilots license in multi-engine airplanes and a commercial license for multi-engine seaplanes and helicopters. He is a graduate of the prestigious Pepperdine University School of Business in Malibu, California.

August has been involved in the planning and marketing of aircraft for both Piper and Sino Swearingen Jets. Currently August is the Owner of Warbird Connection a unique aircraft brokerage which specializes in World War One (WWI) and World War Two (WWII) aircraft.

August is a former director for Transbiotec, a Long Beach, Calif., firm developing an alcohol detection and blood/alcohol monitoring system which he advised on the initial marketing efforts for the aviation, commercial transportation and OEM automotive industries. Mr. Swanson regularly consults with enterprises requiring marketing expertise, industry knowledge and management proficiency within the aviation, technology/software systems industries. August has been the primary corporate and strategic advisor of Mattix Capital Management, a.s. (Denmark/Czech Republic) since 2005. Mr. Swanson continues to provide Mattix company management with strategic and industry expertise as well as due diligence pertaining to acquisitions and investments on a worldwide basis.

Currently, he is engaged in reviewing and assessing technology/aviation space, and high-tech incubator investment opportunity within Ireland and Eastern Europe. A partner in Willigent Technologies, August also consults on the strategic business development, marketing and deployment of the companies “Wide Area” advanced acoustic security system. A native of Southern California, August is the former president and chief pilot of the Orange County (Calif.) Search and Rescue, a local disaster and response team, of which he managed the growth, training and deployment of rescue experts to California emergencies such as the Northridge earthquake. A trained and certified mountain rescue specialist and EMT, he contributes his voluntary efforts to medical and relief missions and the planning of community emergency response teams.

Now a voluntary pilot for Wings of Faith Missionary Ministries, August flies food, clothing and supplies to the poverty stricken Native American reservations throughout the southwest United States. With a passion for cooking, he also prepares and serves meals to the homeless and less fortunate through the Inland Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Corona California.

Bio…… Ellen Nemenio

Ellen Nemenio is a Cum Laude graduate of the prestigious Chapman University School of Business and an accomplished pilot who earned her private license at the age of 18 while still in high school where she graduated Valedictorian. She currently holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate, with Multi-engine and Instrument ratings and is a graduate of the UAV course of the National Test Pilots School in Mojave, California. Her accomplishments include logging more than 2500 combat hours gratefully supporting our military troops while serving 4 tours in Iraq. Ellen served as lead pilot on General Atomics’ Predator for two combat tours and now continues with the Northrop Grumman Hunter program.

With a love of aviation history, Ellen brings her business experience, flying skills and research expertise to Warbird Connection. Currently working on her Certified Flight Instructor certificate, she especially loves to fly aerobatic routines and anything that drags its' tail. As a former EMT, Ellen has volunteered her time alongside local churches in medical assistance. She has also participated in short-term mission trips throughout the world with RockHarbor Church in Orange County, California and is currently involved with "Wings of Faith Ministries," an organization that flies clothing, generators, toys, etc... to remote American Indian reservations and to missionaries throughout the USA.