Our Story
Built by a captain.
Forged in the sky.
Forty years in aviation. From the hangar floor to the flight deck of a 747 at age 30. The story of Contrail Models begins long before the first model was ever built.
The Founder
A career that began
with a wrench.
Brian Nastovski didn't start in a cockpit. He started in a hangar — as an aircraft mechanic, learning the machines from the inside out, developing a respect for aviation that no classroom could teach.
That foundation made everything that followed possible. Understanding how aircraft are built gave him an advantage few pilots ever have. It made him a better aviator, a sharper thinker, and ultimately — a man who sees aircraft not just as machines but as works of engineering art.
That perspective is woven into every Contrail Model ever built.
"I didn't just want to fly them. I wanted to understand them — every rivet, every system, every reason they work."
40 Years in the Sky
From the hangar floor
to the left seat.
Aircraft Mechanic
Started on the ground — learning aviation from the inside out. The foundation that shaped everything that followed.
Early Flight Career
Began building flight hours and experience at Key Air — the start of a cockpit career that would span four decades.
Boeing 747 Captain
Became one of the youngest Boeing 747 Captains in the world at age 30. A milestone that defined a career built on excellence and discipline.
Long-Haul Pacific Cargo
Extensive Pacific cargo operations with Evergreen Airlines — thousands of hours over open ocean, building the kind of experience that only comes from time in the sky.
Captain — Airbus A320/A321
22 years and counting as a JetBlue Captain flying the Airbus A320 and A321 family. A career defined by professionalism, safety, and an enduring love of aviation.
Founder — Contrail Models
40 years of aviation experience — distilled into handmade basswood aircraft art. Built for the people who gave their lives to the sky.
The Origin
We saw what the industry offered.
It wasn't enough.
After four decades watching colleagues retire, earn type ratings, upgrade to Captain, and dedicate their careers to keeping aircraft in the sky — we saw how the industry chose to honor that service.
A certificate. A standard gift. A cardboard printout. For a career that deserves something permanent.
Contrail Models was founded to change that. Every piece is handmade from premium basswood, finished with museum-grade livery, and built to last a lifetime. Not a product off a shelf. A legacy object.
Designed and assembled in the USA. Crafted by artisans. Commissioned individually — because every career that ends in the sky deserves to be remembered that way.
Forty years in the making.
Built to last forever.
Every Contrail Model carries the weight of that story — the hangar, the 747, the Pacific crossings, the 22 years at JetBlue. When you commission a piece, you're not buying a model. You're commissioning a legacy.
Begin a Private Inquiry