Captain Preston Wilson

Independent (Flight Crew)

Started flying back in Hastings, New Zealand in 1984 participating in a scholarship at the local flying club, Hawkes Bay & East Coast. PPL attained at school, and moved to the UK in the mid 1990’s.

British Midland/Bmi sponsorship in 1998/99, joined Bmi 1999 on the A320. 6 excellent years at Bmi followed, before a move to BA in early 2006 on the B777.

6 years long haul, a return to the A320 in 2012. Command in 2015, most of the time since then at LGW, a return to LHR in early 2020. 

Andrew Young

Independent (Helicopter Crew)

As a career change and following some travelling, in the early 2000s I threw myself and all the resources I had into retraining as a Helicopter Pilot. I was lucky enough to get an Instructor job straight away and have been busy ever since working on-shore. I now hold CPL, FI, FE on Robinsons, Bell 206 and AS355.

Jason White

Airworthiness Surveyor, Continued Airworthiness, CAA

Dr. Michael Trudgill

Dr Michael Trudgill MSc MB BCh MFOM MRCGP DAvMed DipIMC RCS(Ed) FAsMA FRAeS

Michael is the Civil Aviation Authority Chief Medical Officer and joined the organisation in 2017. He previously held senior positions as an MOD Civil servant at the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine prior to which he was a British Senior Medical Officer and Officer Commanding for the Aircrew Equipment Integration Group at the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine.

Throughout his career he focussed on the health and wellbeing of aircrew and developed specialist interests in ergonomics, protective equipment, survival and human performance. A former serving Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force, he saw operational service and worked in deployed operational care and aeromedical evacuation. An enthusiastic private pilot with over 1,000 hours, he is an active member of the UK LAA and has held both testing and display authorizations. He is an aircraft owner and enjoys all aspects of the restoration, maintenance and operation.

Captain Mike Thrower

BALPA

College of Air Training 1974-1976

British Caledonian Airways 1976-1988 – flying BAC 1-11, B707, DC10

British Airways 1988-current – flying B747-400, B777, B787 TRE/TRI since 1992

BALPA Study Rep 2010- current

Andrew Thorington

Interim Flight Operations Manager – Aeroplanes – Civil Aviation Authority

Andy has over thirty years’ experience flying a variety of aircraft types and spent fifteen years in airline management positions. He is now the Interim Flight Operations Manager (Aeroplanes) at the CAA.

He was sponsored through university by the Royal Air Force and graduated from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne with a BSc in Biochemistry and Genetics.  After spending nine years in the RAF Andy started a career in commercial aviation, initially with Excalibur Airways, then joining Caledonian Airways (becoming JMC, then Thomas Cook Airlines).  He was a Training Captain, TRI and Standards Captain on the A320/A330.  Andy joined the management team initially as Fleet Manager, subsequently serving in a number of roles including Group Airlines Director for Flight Operations Compliance, Risk and Standards (this included airlines in Denmark, Germany and Spain).  During his career he has worked on a number of cross discipline projects, including EASA Rule Making Tasks and State Safety Partnerships. Andy joined the CAA in November 2019.

Adam Spink

Independent (Air Traffic Controller)

Adam joined NATS as a trainee air traffic controller in 1998, and has worked at Heathrow Tower since qualifying, becoming an instructor, supervisor, and examiner. In 2008, he started in the ATC Operations department at Heathrow Tower, where he works on introducing new procedures and equipment, conducting safety analyses and research and development projects, while maintaining currency as a controller.

Adam represents NATS and the UK on various ICAO, EASA, Eurocontrol and industry working groups.

Adam also is part of the volunteer ATC team that provides air traffic services for the Royal International Air Tattoo each year at RAF Fairford, and also works in his spare time with other organisations such as the London Air Ambulance and Royal London Hospitals on human factors and team resource management.

Jason Sandever

Ground Safety Inspector, Civil Aviation Authority

Jason has been the Ground Safety Inspector at the UK CAA for over 12 years.  He joined the Flight Operations Inspectorate in 2004, after nearly a decade at a UK cargo airline where he worked as a Loadmaster on various Turboprop and Jet aircraft types.

His regulatory oversight duties are very much focused on all aspects on Ground Operations, which as well as live under-wing operations, include topics such as compliance monitoring and safety management.

He is also the co-chair of the GHOST (Ground Handling Operations Safety Team) and in light of the recent addition of ground handling reporting, has joined CHIRP to support and participate in the programme.

Lloyd Simpson

Birmingham Airport

Joseph Ryan

Ryanair

Joe Ryan has been working in Aviation for the past 10 years. After completing a degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Limerick he started off working in Engineering Technical Services on 737 Reliability and Maintenance Programmes. He spent 4 years managing aircraft deliveries as a Ryanair customer representative at Boeing in Seattle, WA. During that time he took deliveries of almost 200 new aircraft for the airline. 

He has since worked in various Engineering roles and projects in Ryanair’s Dublin Office including the Entry Into Service of the new 737-8200. He is currently is working as Safety Manager – Engineering and excited to learn about and contribute to the ever developing and changing field of Aviation Safety. 

Davy Ross

Association Licensed Aircraft Engineers (ALAE)

Jonny Roe

Safety Manager/Security Officer – TAG Aviation

Jonny was appointed Safety Manager/Security Officer for TAG Aviation in October 2016. Jonny joined TAG Aviation in November 2014 as a Crew Training Instructor at TAG Global Training, where he helped to construct and deliver ground school training to TAG Pilots, Cabin Crew and Third-Party Clients. Prior to joining TAG UK, Jonny worked as Cabin Crew with Monarch for twenty years, with ten of those years as a CRM Instructor, training both Pilots and Cabin Crew.

Tim Richardson

Independent (Air Traffic Control)

Tim joined NATS in 1998 and validated as a Luton Tower controller in 2000.  In 2004 he moved to Cardiff and validated in Tower and Radar.  In 2006 he became a Deputy Watch Manager and, in this role, he was heavily involved in safety management work, including ATC procedures safety analysis, incident investigation and lesson learning.

Since 2011 Tim has been an ATC Watch Manager and Unit Safety Manager, responsible for driving forward safety improvement at all levels of the operation and chairing the Unit’s Safety Steering Group. He has been a member of the ATAB since January 2018.

Tom Redsell

GATCO (ATCO)

Tom joined NATS in 2010 and went on to validate as an en-route controller at Swanwick on the London West sectors.

He has since enjoyed working as an on-the-job-training-instructor, a safety representative liaising between controllers and unit safety, and is also a member of various project teams developing the next generation of controller equipment and future tools. 

Tom is really pleased to become a part of the CHIRP ATAB and hope to be able to contribute to our collective impact on the maintenance and improvement of aviation safety.

Sukhi Rai

Quality Manager, British Airways Engineering

Jez Pigden

Independent

Jez joined NATS in 1991 working as an area radar Controller and more recently as a Supervisor at London Centre.  He spent a number of years working in NATS’ incident investigation team and then within its corporate safety team.

Jez was a member of, and then chair of the Professional and Legal Committee of IFATCA.  He has a degree in Psychology and is currently studying for an MSc in Human Factors.  

Chris Morris

Independent (Engineer)

Vickers Armstrong Technical apprentice 1963 1969 working on BAC1-11, VC10, TSR 2, and final flight testing.  Chris joined BEA in 1969 later to become BA.  He is a B1/2 Part 66- licensed engineer B707/737/747/757/767 A320 Series BAC 1-11 Tristar all series.

Chris was an Aircraft Supervisor on casualty aircraft, and Technical Management Group as a Fleet Technical Engineer, also one of three other FTE’s who were responsible for all aircraft recoveries worldwide.  He also supervised the recovery of Virgin Atlantic’s A340 that landed with a gear up landing at LHR in November 1997, with BA crash gang personnel and was an apprentice assessor at Brooklands College at Weybridge.

Chris contributed to World Sills Canada 2009 for Aircraft Maintenance, setting daily checks on a B737 for RAF, FLEET AIR ARM and ARY engineers, helped to select the RAF engineer to attend the event in Calgary who won the Bronze medal.

He also supplied BA with Delta Airlines procedures for single engine taxing, which they incorporated into their procedures.

Simon Kovach

UK AOC Flight Safety Officer, Bristow Group

Captain Si Kovach has been flying professionally since 1997, initially qualifying as a pilot in the RAF and flying Puma, Merlin and Griffin helicopters, before retiring in 2013 when he joined Bristow Helicopters Ltd in Aberdeen.

Si has been flying the Sikorsky S92A in the offshore transport role since 2013, gaining his command in 2015 and spending 5 years as a Chief Pilot before transferring to become the UK AOC Aviation Safety Officer in 2020, responsible for safety reporting and HFDM across Oil & Gas and SAR AOCs in the UK.

Dr. David King

Independent

David King was the United Kingdom’s Chief Inspector of Air Accidents; Head of the Department for Transport’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) based in Farnborough.

He served an apprenticeship with Hawker Siddeley Aviation, obtaining a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering and then worked in the Future Projects section on Harrier development and early Hawk wind tunnel testing.

He joined the AAIB as an investigator in 1972 and was engaged in accident investigations throughout Europe, Africa, North, Central and South America. As the Investigator-in-Charge, he has been responsible for the conduct of investigations into several large public transport accidents, including investigations focussed on human factors helping to develop knowledge in the area of maintenance activity related Human Factors.

He obtained an MBA from The City University in 1991, is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. In 1999 he was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering by Kingston University in recognition of more than 25 years contribution to aircraft accident investigation.

After the AAIB, David spent 9 years as Chair of the Board Safety Review Committee for Cathay Pacific and 8 years as a Non-executive Director on the board of the UK CAA.

David is a former CHIRP Trustee and a current visiting Professor of Cranfield University assigned to the Safety and Accident Investigation section.

He has held a multi-engine Private Pilot’s Licence with an unrestricted Instrument rating.

Darren Howe

Unite the Union (Engineer)

Darren has been an engineer in the aviation industry for over 25 years, the majority of that time spent working for Britannia/Thomson/TUI.

After spells in Workshops, Hangar and predominantly the Line Engineering environment Darren now holds the position of Duty Engineer at TUI’s Manchester facility.

He has held the position of a TUI internal Human Factors Investigator for 10 years and is also a Unite The Union shop steward, a position held for a similar period.

Darren joined the ATAB (Air Transport Advisory Board) representing Unite in 2019.

Mike Hornby

Independent (Air Traffic Control)

John Hill

Independent (Helicopter Flight Crew)

Jon gained a PPL at age 17, trained by my grandfather, a retired test pilot. He joined the army with the intent of flying for the Army Air Corps, unfortunately, a failed medical lead to 6 years as an infantry officer mostly spent in Ulster hedgerows and riots around the Divis Flats. 

John left the army to train as a commercial pilot at Oxford Air Training School in 1986, qualified on fixed wing and then in 1989 on rotary. 

Since then John has flown a mix of fixed and rotary ops, from A320 loads around Europe, helicopters on the North Sea, on UN support in Africa (5 civil wars) Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia.  He took redundancy in 1989 and fell into AOC management as a Chief Pilot and latterly Ops Director flying a mix of corporate jets and helicopters, as well as working as a film and tv pilot flying both filming aircraft and stunt work. 

John now runs his own company offering turn key operations on fixed and rotary wing for corporate and VVIP owners. With 17,500 hours I’m current on G650, EC135, EC155 and A109. 

Apart from CHIRP John also works with the UKAB as one of two civilian helicopter advisers. 

John added – ‘It’s been a fun and very eventful career, my ambitions now are to leave aviation as a safer career than it was when I started, to retire solvent (oddly Covid made the VIP market very busy) improve my golf, and to eventually die on a green English airfield to the music of gypsy engines and the wind over Tiger Moth wings at the age of 103’

Tom Harris

Independent (Air Traffic Control)

I have over 20 years’ experience in the aviation industry. My career started in 1996 in the RAF as an Aircraft Electrical Technician. In 2005 I elected to change careers to become an Air Traffic Controller. I currently hold the role of ATC Watch Manager at Birmingham Airport but previously I have held a variety of other at roles at other units. These roles have included Manager Air Traffic and Head of Unit Competence.

I hold Aerodrome, Approach Procedural and Radar Ratings together with ATC Assessor and Instructor endorsements and I am a qualified incident investigator. I have experience of busy GA and commercial air traffic environments both outside and within controlled airspace. I also hold Director and Non-Executive Director positions within two SMEs in the aviation industry.

Ben Greenaway

Independent (Engineering)

Ben Greenaway is a B1/2 Part-66 licensed engineer.  He spent over 20-years at British Airways going from apprentice to supervisor, working on a variety of aircraft including A320, B777 and the Concorde.  He left as a Part-147 A380 subject matter expert to become a Part-66/147 airworthiness surveyor with the UK CAA and is now currently the Head of Training for Storm Aviation.

Passionate about aviation, Ben is driven to help those at all stages of their career to be safe, regulatory compliant and move forward.  He is very clear on the need to use HF feedback to improve the safety margin and ensure that the UK continues to be at the forefront of the aviation industry.

Dr. Simon Gill

Independent

Simon has been involved in human factors, risk and safety management in the aviation industry for over two decades. After obtaining his first degree in Integrated Engineering Simon started his career at Airbus. Identifying the need to address maintenance human factors and the unique role played by the manufacturer, Simon undertook a secondment in BAE Systems and completed a PhD in the subject. 

Returning to Airbus as Maintenance Human Factors Manager, he set up and managed a team of psychologists and engineers working together to advise on the safe and efficient maintenance of aircraft. They developed and implemented safety improvement processes focussing specifically on how designs can be assessed for maintenance error and how this might be managed before production. He coordinated the sharing of incident data from the Airbus fleet and was on the committee which triaged maintenance incidents, analysing them and proposing action to be taken. He coordinated European maintenance human factors, research trained airlines, maintenance organisations and aviation regulators worldwide and presented at many international conferences and symposia. 

For the last decade, he has operated as an independent consultant advising companies on the modern approach to risk management and on organisational resilience and Safety-II. Within aviation, Simon has continued providing support on fixed wing but also on rotorcraft. Working with all the major helicopter manufacturers he has co-developed techniques to review maintenance resilience of in-service aircraft and human hazard analysis techniques to improve design. He also lectures for Cranfield University and City University, London and co- authored an internal White Paper on “Human-Centred Design for Maintenance” for the RAeS which will drive change on this important topic in the years to come.

Outside of aviation, he is a trained business coach, worked on ‘The Resilience Shift’, the drive to improve resilience in critical infrastructure, and also adapted aviation risk and safety concepts for use within a health and social care setting, in care homes, hospitals, children’s and adult social care. He is a member of ‘Q’ the UK National Health Service Quality and Patient Safety initiative and is founder of the Organisational Resilience Special Interest Group. He is also on the executive committee of the Resilience Engineering Association.

Captain Terry Eglinton

Flight Safety Officer & Line Training Captain, Babcock International

Terry started his aviation career started with the Royal Air Force as an engineer and worked in engineering for 17 years, ending as Director of Maintenance for two companies in the United States, before flying full time.  He was a line pilot with the Chiltern Air Support Unit based at Luton International Airport and RAF Benson, supporting Police and other agencies in surveillance, search and casualty evacuation missions and rapid transportation of specialists.  Previous to flying police operations, Terry flew offshore for 4 years and onshore conducting training and charter.

From 2006 to 2009, he held a dual role within BAS: Flight Safety Officer and EC135 Fleet Training Captain.  BAS operated 70% of the UK’s air ambulances and the Police helicopters for Scotland and South Wales, in addition to supporting Trinity lighthouse and the Northern Lighthouse board, BAS developed the UK’s first offshore wind farm helicopter support.

Since 2009, Terry has again been evolving in a dual role with Babcock (previously Bond Offshore Helicopters): Flight Safety Officer and Line Training Captain, based at Norwich and covering the Southern North Sea. Terry now also operates as a freelance training Captain. 

Robert Edson

Ground Operations Manager, Atlantic Airlines

Robert started his aviation career Lufthansa Cargo based at East Midlands Airport.  He is currently employed as Nominated Post-Holder Ground Operations with Atlantic Airlines.  Robert joined the company in 2005 and was initially based in Italy before returning to the UK in 2010.

Atlantic Airlines operates a fleet of all cargo Boeing 737 aircraft operating on behalf of Postal and Express Integrator clients throughout Europe and is part of the West Atlantic Group.

Terry Dudley. Lame, MBA

Independent (Engineer)

I work for Panasonic Avionics in the Panasonic Technical Services branch (PTS). And have been with them for 5 years this year. I am the Regional Manager covering the UK and Europe and a Form 4 post holder working with the IAA and the UKCAA.

 I oversee Line Maintenance operations for Panasonic systems fitted on A/C under the respective Part 145 approval with A and B licensed engineers at each location interacting with most major long-haul carriers in the UK and Europe as well as from around the globe. We have stations in several major European airports as well as three UK basis

Prior to joining PTS I spent eight years with Virgin Atlantic in Various positions, such as Overseas Line maintenance Manager, with stations around the globe supporting VAA and many customers. Outsourced base maintenance manager. Working with MROs such as Delta, LHT Frankfurt, LHT Manila and Malta. EFW Dresden and SRT Zurich.  UK Hangar manager. Looking after the two Hangars in the UK. One at LHR primarily maintaining the VAA fleet of A330/ A340 and Boing 747s and 787s, while at LGW I was mainly supporting the B747 fleet during the day and at night the EasyJet operation for overnight checks.

Prior to this I was with British Midland for 18 years as a mechanic then licensed engineer and eventually line and Base manager for LHR operations with well over 100 turns per day on Fokkers, B737s and A320 & A330 A/C. It was here that I acquired a huge amount of experience in various positions including management and obtained my MBA.

I can go further back but probably not to relevant as most companies have since disappeared off the aviation map. I also spent several years on Vintage and light A/C where I learnt my trade and spent many happy hours flying around the skies in both modern and vintage A/C.

Main interests are walking cycling, football

Lt Cdr Rob De Maine CFS

MAA – Human Factors

Rob began his career in the Royal Navy in 2005 and trained as a helicopter pilot flying the EH101 (Merlin) helicopter and amassing approximately 2900 flying hours. He has operated from various ships and shore establishments across the globe in a broad spectrum of roles from anti-submarine warfare to counter piracy/narcotics. 

For the last 5 years he has been a Qualified Helicopter Instructor at the tri-service Flying Training School, RAF Shawbury. Here he was the Senior Pilot of one of the Squadrons instructing intermediate trainees in low level, mountain and NVD flying.

Rob joined the MAA in January 2022 to cover the role of Air Safety Management – Human Factors.

William M H Dean

Boeing Test and Evaluation UK Air Safety Lead

 Bill spent the majority of his childhood in Africa and USA before a family move back to the UK aged 17.  He went on to study Pure Mathematics at London School of Economics and Political Science before joining the Royal Navy as a pilot in 1984.   

He flew a variety of operational roles in the RN, firstly as a search and rescue helicopter pilot from Prestwick, Scotland and then, after fast jet training, the majority of his operational service was spent as a Sea Harrier pilot operating from HMS INVINCIBLE including two years as Senior Pilot 800 NAS for air defence operations over Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo.  He then worked in the USA from 2001 until 2006 in various roles flying F/A18C Hornet and AV-8B Harrier with USN before transferring to the F35 project team in Washington D.C. Bill finished his military service in 2008 as Deputy Force Commander, Joint Force Harrier.

Bill then initially worked as an independent aerospace consultant before joining Rolls-Royce plc in 2011 as Chief Pilot (Defence Aerospace) based at Filton, Bristol. In 2020, he joined Boeing Test & Evaluation as the UK ASO (Air Safety Official) and his role is the primary aviation safety focal for Boeing flight test operations in UK.

Bill stays current on a variety of fixed wing, and when able rotary wing types, and specialises in air display flying including various marks of Spitfire for Rolls-Royce plc, Navy Wings Heritage Flight and other organisations.

Jane Hannick

Senior External Safety Specialist, NATS Safety Service

Scott Hadden

Independent (Air Traffic Control)

Scott was born in Fife, Scotland in 1973 and from a very early age wanted to become a commercial pilot.  However, after years of commitment to that path (he started flying at the age of 12), Scott made the difficult decision in 2001 not to pursue a flying career due to the post 9/11 employment landscape at that time.

He then joined NATS in 2002 to train as an Air Traffic Controller. After training, he was initially posted to LATCC West Drayton in Terminal Control which, in 2007, closed with the unit relocating to Swanwick in Hampshire.  Since then, he has worked on various projects within NATS such as the next generation Flight Data Processor, controller tools and workstation.

Scott has been a GATCO (Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers) member since 2002 and a GATCO Board member since 2012 in the role of Manager Recruitment and, more recently, Manager Benefits and Admin.  Scott is passionate about the future of Air Traffic Control from a professional and technological standpoint and hopes to make further contributions in these areas in the years to come.  He still flies for fun and is now a keen Instrument Rated GA pilot which gives him an exposure to ATC from ‘the other side’.  He is also a bit of a car nut and has a love for all things mechanical, especially those that are petrol powered!!

Scott is honoured to be on the CHIRP ATAB and GAAB and hopes that his experience and expertise can play a small part in the process of further advancing aviation safety.

Captain George Capon

Independent

George started his flying career in 1976, joining the Air Training Corps and Commanding a VGS for 12 years, initially learning to fly at Southend, he obtained his ATPL ,latterly flying as a Captain on the A340 and A330. Never forgetting the grass roots of aviation he has continuously held  CAA and FAA instructor single and multi engine ratings since 1988 and an examiner rating since 2011.

He has had various flight safety, H&S, Human Factors, Training and Procurement roles  in Gliding, General Aviation and Commercial Air Transport.

George joined CHIRP in May 2020.

Eva Wilkinson

Safety Performance Manager, CAA

Eva graduated from law school in Hungary where she developed her passion for aviation through the International and Aviation Law faculties. She was a trainee solicitor expanding her knowledge in civil and military law. She worked for one of the UK major airlines in various roles in the field of Training, Flight Time Limitations, Fatigue and Safety Management. 

As a qualified translator and interpreter for over 10 years, she also helped the Government – funded projects supporting individuals to gain better access to health services, counselling, legal advice, education and employment opportunities.

She joined the CAA in 2018. Alongside her inspecting role, she acted as the safety focal point for Flight Operations, coordinating safety performance and risk management activities through Industry engagement and within the Authority itself. She moved to the Safety Performance Manager role in 2021 defining departmental safety strategy and approaches with the overall aim of improving safety standards within the UK and through harmonized international activities.

Air Commodore Dai Whittingham Fraes

Chief Executive, UK Flight Safety Committee

Dai Whittingham joined the RAF as a pilot in 1974.  He flew Phantoms in the Air Defence fighter role and served as a flying instructor on the Jet Provost.  He has commanded an E-3D AWACS squadron and the main operating base of RAF Waddington.

A graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies, he deployed in 2004 as the Air Component Commander for all UK flying operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, prior to taking up a MOD operational management appointment.  MOD duties included policy for air safety, UK and European airspace, ATM aircraft equipment and uavs; he also chaired the Military Aviation Regulatory Group.  He has held responsibility for operational management and oversight of all RAF airborne surveillance platforms and the RAF Search and Rescue Force.  His last formal military appointment was as Deputy Commander, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force.

Dai joined the UKFSC as Chief Executive in February 2012, where he works with a wide range of industry partners to improve commercial aviation safety.

Currently Chairman of the national Laser Working Group and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots Technical Committee, he is also a member of the raes Flight Operations Group and several industry forums in the UK and Europe.

Ben Daniel

Pilot and Base Flight Safety Officer, Babcock International Group

In order to pursue a lifelong passion for aviation, Ben Daniel joined the UK MoD in 2000, following completion of a BA(Hons) in English and German at the University of Stirling. He completed training as a Sea King HC Mk4 Junglie Pilot in the Royal Navy in 2005 and joined 846 NAS. 

After 3 years on the Sea King, conducting operations in arctic, maritime and desert conditions, he converted onto the Lynx (Mk7 and Mk 9A) and joined 847 NAS. A further 5 years of worldwide operational tasking, including jungle, arctic, desert and maritime operations, ensued prior to taking up the roles of Air Safety Officer at RNAS Yeovilton and Air Experience Flight Pilot on the Grob Tutor with 727 NAS.

Having left the Royal Navy in 2016, he spent 2 years working within the UAS industry, delivering operations on small and medium unmanned platforms across Europe. He joined Babcock Mission Critical Services (BMCS) Onshore as an Air Ambulance Pilot in Inverness in 2018 on the AH H145 and EC135, delivering day, night and NVG HEMS missions throughout Scotland.

In 2020, he transferred to BMCS Offshore (now Offshore Helicopter Services UK) in Aberdeen and converted onto the H175, delivering North Sea Crew Change operations. 

With backgrounds in training, as an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner, a Night Vision Goggle Instructor and a Human Factors Instructor and Examiner, and Flight Safety, he commenced the role of Aberdeen Base Flight Safety Officer in 2021. 

Outside aviation, Ben lives with his wife and young family in Aberdeenshire and enjoys the many and varied benefits and opportunities of living within close proximity of miles of beautiful coastline and plentiful mountains.

Rob Clements

Operations Inspector, AAIB

Rob has been an Operations Inspector with the AAIB since 2017.  Prior to joining the AAIB he was a pilot for British Airways flying the Boeing 777 and 737, he continues to fly regularly with BA on the B777.  He was a training co-pilot for British Airways and holds a B777 TRI and TRE.

Rob has a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering and Post Graduate Certificates in ‘Accident Investigation’ and in ‘Safety & Human Factors in Aviation’.

Rob regularly flies light aircraft both fixed and rotary wing.

Captain Tim Cheal

Independent

On leaving School in 1977, Tim joined the RAF as a pilot. He served in the RAF for 20 years where he operated Harrier aircraft in the UK, USA and Germany. He spent much of his time on instructional duties with formal instructional appointments on the Jet Provost, Hawk and Harrier aircraft. His final tour in the RAF was as a Board of Inquiry Advisor, working closely with the AAIB investigating RAF aircraft accidents.

In 1997, Tim joined Airtours as a Boeing 757 First Officer. He gained Command on the Boeing 757 and 767 in 1999 and has since progressed as Line Training Captain, TRI, TRE and Senior Examiner. He has filled the roles of Flight Safety Officer, Fleet Operations Manager and Fleet Manager and was appointed as the Head of Training (Training Post holder) in November 2005. During this time Airtours rebranded as MyTravel Airways, and then merged with Thomas Cook Airlines in 2008. Tim moved to the Airbus fleet in 2014, flying both the A320/1 and A330 aircraft in long and short haul operations. In 2016 Tim left his Training post holder role to return to Airbus line operations as a TRE, SE and TRI Tutor. Since September 2019, when Thomas Cook ceased operations, Tim has regained his B757/767 qualification and has been working as a simulator TRI/TRE and SE on both Airbus and Boeing types.

Mark Brosnan

Safety and Quality Manager UK, CHC Helicopter

Glenn Bradley

Head of Flight Operations, CAA

Glenn took over as Head of Flight Operations at the CAA in October 2020, after having joined the Authority in 2017 as Flight Operations Manager – Aeroplanes. He remains a current A320 pilot and TI/SE/TRE/TRI.

Prior to that he spent 9 years at easyJet in several roles but latterly as Head of Aircraft Operations and Flight Operations Manager – Operational Standards. As well as being a A320 Capt, TRI/TRE.

This was preceded by 9 years at GB Airways (BA franchise) as Flight Technical Manager.

Before his career in civil aviation he spent 12 years in the RAF mainly flying Tornado GR1/GR1a aircraft.
He is also a keen GA pilot retaining a share in a Beagle Pup aircraft.

Peter Boston

Flight Data Monitoring Manager, Offshore Helicopter Services UK Ltd.

Growing up within a few miles of Biggin Hill Airfield, it was probably inevitable that I would spend much of my early teens as a cadet in the Air Training Corps. I was fortunate to gain my fixed wing PPL with the help of an RAF flying scholarship at Cinque Ports Flying Club, Lydd. However, while doing work experience at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, I got to sit in the back of a Lynx which was taking part in the Plymouth Air Display and the hour and a bit flight decided my mind that Helicopters was the way to go. 

After gaining my CPLH at Trent Air Services Cranfield on the Bell 47, I joined Bond Helicopters in 1987 and stayed during the merger with CHC for 30 years, flying 2 Dauphin and 3 Puma variants, finishing on the EC225 prior to losing my medical. During those years I was an offshore SAR Captain and Line Trainer, clocking up 16,000 hours. I was also for a short time the Chair of the BALPA Helicopter Safety Committee and was especially pleased to be associated with the Committee during the development phase of TCAS II for helicopters. Since leaving CHC, I have spent a short time working at the Helideck Certification Agency before joining Babcock MCS Offshore as a Compliance Manager for Flight Operations and have since become Flight Data Monitoring Manager for the now Offshore Helicopter Services UK Ltd.

Captain David Balmer

Independent (Flight Crew)

David is an A380 line Captain with nearly 20,000 hours in his logbook, gained on A319/A320, A380, BAC1-11, DC-10, B737-200, B747-100/200, B757, B767 and B777-200/300 based at BHX, LGW and LHR.

After a RAF flying scholarship and university, he switched careers and left chartered accountancy at Coopers & Lybrand (PWC nowadays) to join British Airways as a pilot cadet in 1988.

Chris Aplin

Independent (Engineer)

Captain Chris Hanson

ATAB Chairman - Independent

Chris has been flying professionally since 1985 and has worked in a management role in British Airways since 2004.  In the Royal Air Force, he flew, and trained pilots, on the Hawk and Tornado F3.  In British Airways he has gained type ratings on the Boeing 737, 757, 767,777 and 787, he also has instructor ratings and examiner authorisation on the B737, 777 and 787.

Chris’s main focus has always been the training of pilots; as a Flight Training Manager he was responsible for the management of training on the B777/787 and B737 fleets.  His management experience covered the fields of Quality, Technical and Training at both Heathrow and Gatwick and he has worked inter-departmentally within British Airways, across the airline industry as a whole, and with national and international regulatory bodies, including speaking at international training conferences.

Chris now works as a Training Standards Captain on the B777/787 fleet in British Airways, which he enjoys immensely.

Captain Ed Pooley

Ed spent over 30 years as an airline pilot ending up at British Airways after much time in the independent sector.  As a young co-pilot, he was an active light aircraft instructor.  After becoming a line and later a Training Captain, he then led the implementation of integrated and independent oversight of operational safety and accident/serious incident investigation at the British Regional Air Lines Group as it expanded to a 100-aircraft operation in the 1990s.  He continued in this role whilst continuing to fly until taking early retirement during re-organisation at British Airways.

Since then, he has set up and led a small consultancy business which has carried out work for clients in Europe and around the world.  He has been a presenter at leading safety conferences for almost 20 years and remains active in various pro-bono activities relating to aviation safety.

Jane Hannick

Senior External Safety Specialist, NATS Safety Service

Scott Hadden

Independent (Air Traffic Control)

Scott was born in Fife, Scotland in 1973 and from a very early age wanted to become a commercial pilot.  However, after years of commitment to that path (he started flying at the age of 12), Scott made the difficult decision in 2001 not to pursue a flying career due to the post 9/11 employment landscape at that time.

He then joined NATS in 2002 to train as an Air Traffic Controller. After training, he was initially posted to LATCC West Drayton in Terminal Control which, in 2007, closed with the unit relocating to Swanwick in Hampshire.  Since then, he has worked on various projects within NATS such as the next generation Flight Data Processor, controller tools and workstation.

Scott has been a GATCO (Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers) member since 2002 and a GATCO Board member since 2012 in the role of Manager Recruitment and, more recently, Manager Benefits and Admin.  Scott is passionate about the future of Air Traffic Control from a professional and technological standpoint and hopes to make further contributions in these areas in the years to come.  He still flies for fun and is now a keen Instrument Rated GA pilot which gives him an exposure to ATC from ‘the other side’.  He is also a bit of a car nut and has a love for all things mechanical, especially those that are petrol powered!!

Scott is honoured to be on the CHIRP ATAB and GAAB and hopes that his experience and expertise can play a small part in the process of further advancing aviation safety.

Captain George Capon

Independent

George started his flying career in 1976, joining the Air Training Corps and Commanding a VGS for 12 years, initially learning to fly at Southend, he obtained his ATPL ,latterly flying as a Captain on the A340 and A330. Never forgetting the grass roots of aviation he has continuously held  CAA and FAA instructor single and multi engine ratings since 1988 and an examiner rating since 2011.

He has had various flight safety, H&S, Human Factors, Training and Procurement roles  in Gliding, General Aviation and Commercial Air Transport.

George joined CHIRP in May 2020.

Nick Wall

Independent

Nick Wall is an aviation journalist focusing mainly on safety issues. A former Editor of a wide range of GA aviation magazines, he is, and has been, both a GA and glider pilot for many years.

Rob Taylor

Independent

Rob Taylor has been an SEP (A) PPL holder since August 2004 and has logged just under 900 hours total time in fixed wing aircraft. He currently holds a class rating instructor rating, night rating, and plans to add an IR(R) rating when time allows. His passion for aviation started when he was at primary school where he would pretend to be a fast jet and take off with his arms stretched before being swept back for high-speed flight. A few years later, he progressed to ‘flying’ a beautifully made metal Spitfire attached to the end of a length of string, which was lost to centrifugal forces when a knot failure caused it to detach. It was an important first lesson in flight safety.

Rob started his career working for a firm of accountants where he discovered an interest in computer audit. He qualified as a Certified Information Systems Auditor and joined Standard Chartered Bank travelling throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia, reviewing IT security and operations. After a short time with Citigroup, Rob joined Swiss Re as a technology auditor but was quickly seconded to the Chief Risk Officer to resolve critical problems he found with their payment systems. Building upon the success of this assignment, Rob undertook further challenges identifying root causes of highprofile problems with data and processes throughout the company and managing their resolution. He left Swiss Re in 2018 for his most challenging role as Head of Offspring Development with responsibility for his son’s journey into primary school. Outside the school-run hours, Rob now offers consultancy services to businesses covering the full scope of his experience and creates digital animations and media.

Mike Stanway

Independent

Mike started his flying as a Staff Cadet at No 12 AEF at Turnhouse (Edinburgh) and also obtained his PPL via a Flying Scholarship during this time.  He joined the RAF from school and flew assorted types almost all of which are now in museums!  His RAF flying included 10 years on Tornado GR1/1a and 5 years as Officer Commanding Wales University Air Squadron on Bulldog and Tutor; he was also one of the RAF representatives on the UKAB for some years.  After leaving the Service he was ‘persuaded’ by his Son to gain his civilian FI rating.  Mike also serves as Flying Display Director for the RAF Cosford Airshow and holds a A/G RT licence for comms at smaller display events.

Steve Slater

CEO, The Light Aircraft Association

Stephen Slater, became Chief Executive officer of the Light Aircraft Association on 1st September 2015, working on behalf of around 7,500 members who operate over 4,000 sport aircraft.

Stephen joined the Association from a successful career in PR and marketing communications where he ran a leading agency working in sectors including aviation, the motor industry and tourism, both in the UK and in Asia.  He was for 15 years ‘the voice of Formula One’ in the Far East, working as commentator with the Singapore-based Star Sports TV channel.  He was also part of the team which created the Singapore Grand Prix, Formula One’s first-ever night race.

Stephen has been actively involved in the light aviation community for around 20 years, including spells as Chairman of the Vintage Aircraft Club and Vice-Chairman of the General Aviation Awareness Council.  His roots in flying go back to being a 14 year-old ‘hangar brat’ in the 1970s at the Middleton St. George Aero Club, at what is now Durham Tees Valley Airport, but like many he then spent time away from flying before returning when commitments allowed.

Stephen, who lives in Chesham in Buckinghamshire, owns and flies a Piper J-3 Cub based at Bicester and is co-owner and co-restorer of the ‘Biggles Biplane’, a replica 1914 BE-2c Royal Flying Corps observation biplane.

Dorothy Saul-Pooley

Master, Honourable Company of Air Pilots

Dorothy Saul-Pooley originally qualified as a Solicitor and worked in the City for several years before learning to fly.  She left the law in the early 1990s to gain a CPL (A) and Instructor Rating and worked as an instructor full-time for several years.  She then continued to instruct part-time whilst working as an Aviation Lawyer, finally reversing the balance in 1999 to instruct full-time on Instructor courses and act as a part-time aviation consultant.  Having successfully run FI courses at Shoreham for a number of years, Dorothy set up Pooleys Flying Instructor School in early 2005 to specialise solely in the training of Flying Instructors and Examiners.  The school held approval for Instructor and Examiner Refresher seminars. Dorothy sold the school in 2018 to concentrate on writing projects and independent consultancy and has continued to provide input to a successor company delivering instructor seminars.

In addition to holding an ATPL(A) and FIC/FIE ratings on aeroplanes, Dorothy is unique in holding a CPL(H) and is also qualified as a helicopter instructor.

Dorothy was the first Chairman of the Instructor sub-Committee and is also a past Chairman of the Education and Training Committee of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (formerly known as GAPAN).  She has served on the Court of the Air Pilots since 2001 and was for many years on the Scholarship selection committee.  She has served on the Trophies and Awards Committee since 2007. Dorothy was installed as the Master of the Honourable Company on 17th March 2014 and when she completed her term of office, on 9th March 2015, was installed as the Immediate Past Master.

Dorothy is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Stationers, a director of Air Pilot Publishing Limited and a Court member of the Guild of Freemen.  In addition, Dorothy is the Founder and Chairman of the Professional Flying Instructor Association, the Governor of the British Section of the 99s, International Women Pilots Organisation, the founder and past Chairman of the Southern England (Concorde) chapter of Women in Aviation International and the author and editor of a number of training manuals.

Captain Nigel Rhind

Independent

Dan Pryce

Independent

Dan Pryce started his aviation career learning to fly at EGSE – Ipswich Airport. An ambition to be a commercial pilot was furthered with an IMC and twin rating, but then he discovered air traffic control, or at least the GA equivalent, at the same time as running out of money for an ATPL.

Dan has worked as an air/ground operator and FISO at various airfields including Ipswich, Elmsett and Old Buckenham. Turning down a career with Eurocontrol, but rebuffed by NATS, when Ipswich closed he found himself at Wattisham as an Air Traffic Assistant. Great fun was had flying in (and occasionally flying!) lots of helicopters courtesy of the Army Air Corps.

Finally NATS gave in and took Dan under their wing in 1999. Four years at Farnborough flew by (all puns intended), and his love of GA ensured he enjoyed every minute of providing a LARS service, even on a sunny Saturday. Dan would regularly join the fray as a member of the Farnborough Aero Club. Providing a Radar Advisory Service (remember that?) to bizjets in uncontrolled Class G was not so much fun though.

Moving to Stansted Airport to be closer to home, but sadly having to give up radar (which for all the London Airports is done centrally) Dan has remained there ever since and is currently a Watch Manager and the Unit Safety Manager. A love of airshows, which started at Wethersfield in 1984 and was strengthened by being part of them at Farnborough, has continued with the occasional busman’s holiday as part of the air traffic team at RIAT Fairford.

Being part of the CHIRP General Aviation Advisory Board allows Dan to give something back to the industry that started his career.

David Phipps

Chief Executive, The British Model Flying Association (BMFA)

Dave was appointed as BMFA General Manager in 2003 and became CEO in 2005.  He has also served as the Co-ordinator for the BMFA Power National Championships since 2010.  The BMFA is the oldest and largest Association within the Royal Aero Club, formed in 1922 and currently with 33,000 members.

Dave has been a member of the BMFA since 1983 and has flown gliders, fixed wing powered aircraft, helicopters and multi-rotors.  He is a current member of the Shillito Wood Model Flying Group which is one of the BMFA’s 840 Affiliated Clubs.

He became General Secretary of the Royal Aero Club in 2009, Europe Air Sports Technical Officer for Unmanned Aircraft in 2015 and a member of EASA’s Expert Group on Unmanned Aircraft in 2016.  He is also a director of the General Aviation Awareness Council.

In 2016, he was a founder member of the European Model Flying Union along with colleagues from the German, Austrian and Swiss Aero Clubs who came together to formalise support for his ongoing work with EASA on behalf of the wider model flying community.  He was voted in for a second term as President in June 2019. The EMFU currently represents 125,000 model flyers throughout Europe.

Dave has led the UK model flying community in their negotiations at national level with the UK Government and CAA and has been asked to Co-Chair the Drone and Model Flying Committee within the All Party Parliamentary Group for General Aviation.

He lives on the edge of the Peak District in Derbyshire with his wife Janine.  He has two grown up children, the youngest of which is studying to be a Vet.  In his ‘spare’ time he is Chairman of his local Parish Council and Village Hall Committee.

Andy Ormshaw

Manager or Air Traffic Services and Airfield Accountable Manager at Cornwall Airport, Newquay

Andy Ormshaw is the Manager of Air Traffic Services and Airfield Accountable Manager at Cornwall Airport, Newquay. Andy joined Newquay in 2008 to transition the airfield/ATC from military operation – RAF St Mawgan – to a purely civil licensed airport. Previous to that he had been the Air Traffic and Safety Services Manager of Leeds Bradford International Airport.

Andy started his career in the RN, initially as a Seaman Officer, becoming a Fighter Controller and ATCO after his initial sea training. He qualified as a Civil ATCO before leaving the RN to start work at LBIA in 1995.  He retains a current ATC operational status, and after many years of being financially grounded by family commitments is attempting to regain his PPL. Andy joined Chirp in July 2021.

Tom Mccormack

Manager of Air Traffic Services

Tom joined the RAF at age 16 as a Halton Apprentice and graduated at BSc level in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He served in RAF for 11 years – travelling worldwide. Following the RAF, Tom had several very different careers that have gave him a wide range of knowledge of both technical and commercial topics. This includes: Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Military Communications, plus 40 years of business consulting and managing £ multimillion Business Change programs across a range of industries including Avionics, Defence and Global Aerospace manufacturing. Tom started flying gliders in the ATC age 13, and at 14, becoming a staff cadet at North Weald & Debden RAF GS. He gained his PPL via a scholarship at RAF Goose Bay Labrador, followed by 2 years of bush flying (on wheels, ski’s, floats and amphibians).

Tom has owned shares in several GA aircraft, the current aircraft being (a Piper PA32-300) since 1985. He gained IMC and NR in 1977 and CRI in 1999 – all still current. Tom has flown extensively around the UK, Europe and the world, for example: 3 x transatlantic crossings + trips to North Africa and Cyprus – and on business trips all over Europe. Tom is current on most SEP’s including 3 axis microlights, tailwheel and complex and is experienced in teaching pilots how to use GPS navigation products alongside tradition navigational techniques. He has approx 6400 hrs total PIC, including approx. 900 hrs IMC/IFR and 500hrs instructing. Covid excepted, Tom has been flying approx. 400 hrs per year over the last 4-5 years.

Chris Mason

GA Unit, CAA

Chris has worked in the aviation industry since leaving school, gaining a wealth of experience covering a wide variety of aircraft and airport safety, security, operational and technical matters.  He has held senior and diverse roles with British Airways, Air Foyle/Antonov, SITA, European Regions Airline Association and currently the Civil Aviation Authority.

Throughout his career Chris has attained valuable experience and expertise in a vast array of aviation disciplines, including aircraft performance, airport inspections, cargo charter operations and navigation/aeronautical information management.  As a result Chris has travelled extensively both within Europe and Globally, sitting on various aviation safety and security consultative committees requiring liaison with numerous government and regulatory bodies including EASA, European Commission, ECAC, IATA and Eurocontrol.

In his current role at the Civil Aviation Authority he works within the General Aviation Unit combing two roles, working as a Flight Standards Officer with the Air Display team and as primary Subject Matter Expert within the Operations team investigating Mandatory Occurrence Reports and Alleged Breaches of Air Navigation Legislation.

In his spare time Chris is in the process of gaining his PPL, enjoys travel and plays badminton to league and national level.

Paul Mahony

British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA)

David James

GA Unit, CAA

David started his career in aviation in 2018 having left a longstanding role in Employment Law. He obtained his FISO license in 2018 and gained validation at Coventry in 2019 where he has worked full time since. He is a member of the GAAB representing GATCO.

David gain this PPL(A) in 2015 learning in a Grob 115 for which he still has a soft spot! Since then he has flown a range of aircraft and finds himself mainly in the trusty PA28 owned by the club he is an active member of. He has flown aircraft all over the UK and recently started to venture into Europe, hoping to fly around the nordic countries.

To further his knowledge, he is hoping to complete his IR(R) soon and move into flight instructing, focussing on the LAPL and Class Ratings.

Rob Hughes

Chief Executive, British Microlight Aircraft Association

Steven Hoare

AAIB

Martin Hill

Independent

Mike Gunston

British Balloon & Airship Club

On leaving grammar school in 1973, Mike joined NATS (as it was to become) as a trainee Air Traffic Control Officer. On graduation, he worked for NATS for 44 years as an ATCO at places diverse as Sumburgh (Shetland Isles), Glasgow, Manchester, London Heathrow and also, the area control unit at Swanwick.  A pilots licence for light aircraft came with the job and in 1990, Mike decided to try out hot air ballooning.

He has a current PPL for both Airplanes and Balloons and is on the main committee of the British Balloon and Airship Club (BBAC). Mike flies a Czech Airworks Sportcruiser to get from A to B, but if he fancies floating around, he uses his Cameron Z-90.

On the CHIRP GAAB panel, Mike represents ballooning but also contributes his knowledge of fixed wing and Air Traffic Control to the debate.

Anthony Gee

British Gliding Association

On first getting airborne at age 14 in a Tiger Moth from a local farm strip, Tony switched from models to full-scale aviation. School was followed by 6 years at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough and the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine, specialising in instrumentation and homosapiens’ limitations.  A sojourn in higher education led to research and a Doctorate in (nanometric) measurement and control and his career thereafter embraced posts at Reading, Surrey and Cranfield Universities in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering with sabbaticals in USA and Brazil.

Having commenced gliding at Farnborough, he is one of a select few who soloed and learnt pilotage skills in its hallowed air. With 4000hrs logged, mostly powerless, on ~120 types (of which ~70 had no second seat), type-conversion assessment issues are particular interests, including effects of scale, span, human performance limitations and pre/post stall handling.

He holds the Gliding Gold Cert., a Full Category Instructor Rating, is Safety Officer for an RAFGSA Club and a BGA Regional Safety Officer. He has served on the BGA Safety Committee, represents it on the GASCo Council, advises Brunel U Flight Safety Lab and is a member of Royal Aeronautical Society GA Committee.

Academic interests continue in astro-instrumentation as a Senior Research Associate in the Dept of Physics and Astronomy, University College London.

Adrian Fountain

Independent

Joined Royal Air Force on leaving 6th form as electronics engineer working on radar and missile systems. Transferred later and graduated as a flight engineer, completing operational and instructional tours on C130 and L1011. 2004 gained PPL. 2006 left Royal Air Force and joined a test evaluation Sqn at MoD Boscombe down, completing many varied trials on multiple aircraft types, including air to air refuelling, glass cockpit upgrades and aircraft certification activities. 2017 Aeromedical Survival Training Centre MoD Boscombe Down. Responsible for delivery of aircrew maritime survival, Human Factors, CRM, Aviation Medicine training to civilian and military aircrew, flight test engineers. From 2004 to date has remained current in General Aviation and active within the local club being the flight safety representative.

Rod Dean

Independent

Rod Dean joined the Royal Air Force is September 1962 and spent just over 21 years in the service.  During that period he was continually involved, after training, in flying on either operational squadrons or Operational Conversion Units/Tactical Weapons Units.  These included, on the Hunter, 43 Squadron in Aden, 229 OCU at RAF Chivenor and 208 Squadron in Bahrain. A further tour at Chivenor on 79 Squadron was followed by a tour at RAF Bruggen, Germany on the Jaguar.  After promotion to Squadron Leader, a posting to Brawdy as OC 79 Squadron completed his flying with the RAF.  His final tour before retiring from the RAF was on loan to the Sultan of Oman’s Air Force as a QFI flying the Jaguar and the Hunter.

In 1972 and 73 he was the Strike Command Hunter display pilot at RAF Chivenor when he flew some 50 public displays over the two seasons and was the winner of the first WD & HO Wills Solo Jet Display Trophy at the North Weald International Air Tattoo in 1972.  He left the service as a Squadron Leader and as a Qualified Flying Instructor and Qualified Weapons Instructor.

After leaving the RAF, Rod spent ten years as the Business Manager for a flight simulator training company followed by fifteen years with the Civil Aviation Authority.  When he left the CAA he was the Chief Executive Officer of Air Safety Support International, a wholly owned subsidiary of the CAA tasked with overseeing civil aviation regulation in the UK Overseas Territories.  Prior to this appointment he was the Head of the General Aviation Department.  He was, most recently, the Flight Operations Consultant (and Flying Display Director during the 2010 and 2012 Airshows) for Farnborough International Limited, the organisers of the Farnborough Airshow.  Rod is now the Flying Display Coordinator for a number of well know flying displays such as those at Blackpool and the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

He spent many years instructing on light general aviation aircraft and has been displaying civil aircraft since 1984 when he retired from the RAF.  Rod has flown a wide variety of World War II and immediate post-war piston fighters such as the Mustang, Corsair, Wildcat, Sea Fury, Bearcat, Hurricane, Harvard, Skyraider and, favorite of all, the Spitfire.  He has also flown a number of vintage jet aircraft such as the Meteor, Vampire, Venom, T33, F86 Sabre and, not surprisingly, the Hunter.  He continues to fly, and display, a variety of light aircraft such as the Slingsby T67M, the Harvard and Provost.

Simon Dale

FPV UK

Between 2008 and 2018, Simon founded and ran the UK’s first FPV supplier (which sold probably the first consumer ‘drone’ kit in the UK in January 2010), a drone wholesaler, and the UK’s only DJI recommended repair centre – Drone Doctor. He now serves as Chief Executive for FPV UK. An association of over 5,000 drone and model aircraft operators which is recognised and audited by the CAA. Its members are each registered with the CAA, and have done an unmanned aircraft competency test. Over the last twelve years Simon has been part of many and various CAA/ DfT/ BEIS/ NATS/ NPCC working groups and industry panels relating to unmanned aircraft, mid-air collisions, electronic conspicuity, remote ID, etc. He has also given evidence to the House of Lords and House of Commons Select Committee on drones. 

Simon co-founded Airprox Reality Check to more thoroughly investigate airprox reports which apparently involved unmanned aircraft. This work was important in changing the way the UK airprox board presents its reports publicly and how the media subsequently reports on this topic.

David Cockburn

Independent

David Cockburn is a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation, and a member of AOPA’s Training Committee. He is the author of the Radio Aids volume of the series “Ground Studies for Pilots” published by Blackwell, and the series of PPL training books published by Pooley.

He served for 28 years in the Royal Air Force as a pilot, initially on the Vulcans and Canberra, then on Jet Provost and the Chipmunk. On the Jet Provost, he served as an instructor first of navigators then of pilots in basic flying training. His final flying tour was teaching elementary flying on the Chipmunk.

He started flying gliders in 1965, eventually effectively ceasing in 1996 having gained the FAI diamond badge, flown in several national championships and been Chief Instructor of 4 clubs.

Having gained his PPL in 1965, he obtained his commercial licence in 1995 after leaving the RAF and his airline transport licence in 2001. He has been a CAA flying instructor since 1995 and a PPL examiner since 2003, on single engine piston aeroplanes and touring motor gliders, and is currently the Head of Training of the Light Aircraft Association’s Pilot Coaching Scheme.

After working for a while as an aviation lecturer in Saudi Arabia, he joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority in 1999, where he was employed until 2013 as the General Aviation Safety Promotion Officer, presenting CAA safety evenings around the country and editing GASIL and the GA SafetySense leaflets. He continues to instruct and examine in his free time, and has recently returned to gliding.

Rob Buckley

Chair, CHIRP Drone/UAS Advisory Board

Rob was elected in 2011 as secretary of the UK Large Model Association, and since 2015 has worked with the UK DfT, CAA and the other UK model flying associations to steer and define the national implementation of model flying regulation under the EASA unmanned aircraft rules. He also sits on several CAA working groups representing the interests of model aircraft flyers. In 2016, he was a founder member of the European Model Flying Union and is an executive board member. He started flying model aircraft in 1982, and has built and flown everything from free flight gliders to turbine powered aircraft but never really got on with helicopters. 

He trained as an aeronautical engineer, and since 1996 has worked on the design, airworthiness and certification of balloons, airships, light aircraft, airliners and both large and small unmanned aircraft platforms as a chartered mechanical engineer. He additionally brings experience of the identification and mitigation of human factors and human error in large aircraft maintenance. He gained a fixed wing PPL in 2018 and now has a share in a permit to fly vintage aircraft based at Compton Abbas.

John Broad

Vintage Aircraft Club

John’s first flight was in a De Havilland Dragon Rapide as a pleasure flight around Heathrow with his father paying 10 shillings each for his brother and him. You could say this was his first training on weight and balance calculations as they were both weighed and positioned in the aircraft to suit.

He joined the City of Oxford Sqn No 150 of the Air Training Corps, rising to the rank of Corporal. He cadged flights in Beverley’s from RAF Abingdon and a trip in a Piston Provost and DH Chipmunks plus ATC Camps around the country.  An opportunity to gain an ‘A’ and ‘B’ Gliding Licence with the ATC at RAF Hawkinge was fun and followed up with more gliding from Weston-on-the-Green with the Oxford Gliding Club.

Work involved an apprenticeship with Pressed Steel Co at Cowley followed by 38 years in all the incarnations of the motor industry on that site and at the Swindon plant specialising on Press Tooling.  A part time job, starting in the year 2000, as a technician in Jacobs Engineering working on bridges and structures has been concluded as with all the aviation work, he didn’t have time to go to work!  A concentrated course starting on the auspicious date of April 1st 1969 gained him his PPL (A) flying Cessna 152’s at Wycombe Air Centre.  Many trips around the UK and Europe with the touring group set up between the Pilots at the Air Centre proved educational and fun.  Other types flown include Piper Cubs, Chipmunk, Luscombe Silvaires and passenger in the Harvard plus some hours as Pilots Assistant in a Beech Kingair operating from Heathrow.

When the Flying Club rental price exceeded £2 per minute, John and a colleague bought an Aeronca Champion 7AC, which taught them both a huge amount about flying real aircraft.

Joining the Vintage Aircraft Club and eventually taking on its Chairmanship has allowed contacts with many superb airmen and craftsmen, although he has now resigned chairmanship of the Club.  As a member of the old PFA and the Oxford Strut, John joined the organising committee.  He also represents the VAC on various safety organisations and committees; CHIRP, GASCo, AIWG, etc.

John’s other interest is mainly motorcycling, especially vintage types and is a member of the VMCC, Ariel Owners Club, BMW Owners Club, Motorcycle Action Group and the British Motorcyclists Federation.

Peter Barker

Helicopter Club of Great Britain

Peter graduated with a Master’s Degree in Engineering from The City University. His career in aviation commenced by being given employment in the Hawker Aircraft Ltd design office by Sir Sidney Camm.  Peter worked on P1127, Kestrel and Harrier systems design before moving to Dunsfold Aerodrome to work on Harrier weapons systems flight trials.

He retired from proper employment to form his own architectural design consultancy company which specialises in the relocation, conservation and conversion of ancient oak framed buildings – the hobby that grew – successfully enough to finance helicopter flying. Peter started flying helicopters in 1985, initially Enstrom and then successively, Gazelle, Bell 206 and Hughes 500.  He currently owns an Enstrom 280C which is based at home and regularly flies a Squirrel B3.

Peter flies extensively in Europe – as far south as the Greek Islands and East as far as Moscow, is an active member of the Helicopter Club of Great Britain.  He has competed historically and in the last two British Helicopter Championships and is an International Judge and a Liveryman of the Guild of Air Pilots & Air Navigators.

Peter enjoys none-flying activities including fly fishing, game shooting and scuba diving.

Robert Curry

Chairman

Rob Curry first started flying (in his head) aged about 5 whilst looking up at Concorde climbing out of Filton.  Then followed pretty much every model aircraft you can think of, Air Training Corps, a bit of gliding and University Air Squadron. After graduating, much to his surprise, with an Engineering degree, he was fortunate enough to find himself trusted with one of Her Majesty’s supersonic nuclear fighter-bombers and 20 years in the RAF flashed by, literally and metaphorically!

After the RAF, a ground tour as an Operations Analyst with Boeing resulted in an unhealthy interest in geeky maths before returning to the flying fold with gliding, as an Airprox Inspector and as CFI at a local flying school. Rob is a current CPL/FI/IRI and LAA member.

Rob became Chairman of the GAAB in August 2020.

Lisa Huttlestone

Cabin Safety Manager, easyjet

Lisa has been in the aviation industry since 1994, working for several different ad-hoc charter and scheduled airlines, flying as cabin crew on both turbo prop and jet aircraft. She has been with easyjet since 2004 where she was initially a Cabin Crew Trainer conducting training for cabin crew and pilots in First Aid, SEP, CRM, Security and Dangerous Goods. After an enjoyable 5 years in training, Lisa moved onto the Cabin Safety Department. Her current role is the Cabin Safety Manager based at easyjet’s Head Office in Luton. Lisa is a cabin safety subject matter expert, responsible for safety and compliance in the cabin relating to safety equipment, and cabin crew procedures. Lisa conducts safety investigations, including for cabin mandatory occurrence reports and is responsible for cabin safety management oversight across the easyjet network to ensure a safe operation.   

The role of Cabin Safety Manager also includes writing and reviewing safety procedures and she has experience writing Ops Manuals in accordance with regulatory requirements.    

Lisa is also a member of the Cabin Safety Liaison Group (CSLG), a group made up of UK and Irish AOC Heads of Crew Safety/Training, working together for best practice related to cabin safety and training.

Eva Wilkinson

Safety Performance Manager, CAA

Eva graduated from law school in Hungary where she developed her passion for aviation through the International and Aviation Law faculties. She was a trainee solicitor expanding her knowledge in civil and military law. She worked for one of the UK major airlines in various roles in the field of Training, Flight Time Limitations, Fatigue and Safety Management. 

As a qualified translator and interpreter for over 10 years, she also helped the Government – funded projects supporting individuals to gain better access to health services, counselling, legal advice, education and employment opportunities.

She joined the CAA in 2018. Alongside her inspecting role, she acted as the safety focal point for Flight Operations, coordinating safety performance and risk management activities through Industry engagement and within the Authority itself. She moved to the Safety Performance Manager role in 2021 defining departmental safety strategy and approaches with the overall aim of improving safety standards within the UK and through harmonized international activities.

Air Commodore Dai Whittingham Fraes

Chief Executive, UK Flight Safety Committee

Dai Whittingham joined the RAF as a pilot in 1974.  He flew Phantoms in the Air Defence fighter role and served as a flying instructor on the Jet Provost.  He has commanded an E-3D AWACS squadron and the main operating base of RAF Waddington.

A graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies, he deployed in 2004 as the Air Component Commander for all UK flying operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, prior to taking up a MOD operational management appointment.  MOD duties included policy for air safety, UK and European airspace, ATM aircraft equipment and uavs; he also chaired the Military Aviation Regulatory Group.  He has held responsibility for operational management and oversight of all RAF airborne surveillance platforms and the RAF Search and Rescue Force.  His last formal military appointment was as Deputy Commander, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force.

Dai joined the UKFSC as Chief Executive in February 2012, where he works with a wide range of industry partners to improve commercial aviation safety.

Currently Chairman of the national Laser Working Group and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots Technical Committee, he is also a member of the raes Flight Operations Group and several industry forums in the UK and Europe.

Nicola Walker

Cabin Standards Manager, Jet2.com

I started flying career in MAN for airtours International in 1996-2003, qualified on various aircraft types including A320/321 7A330, B757/B767 and worked on the Air New Zealand damp less aircraft B747-200 for a year. Wanted to be based near to my home town of Leeds , joined Jet2 on the first Cabin Crew course and have been there ever since. 

I was promoted to Performance Trainer specializing in SEP/ Security& Dangerous Goods / Disruptive Passenger Training/  First Aid / Manual Handling, a role I loved and enjoyed for over ten year.

In 2016 I needed a challenge and was promoted to Cabin Standards Manager, which was a new role for the Cabin Services Department. During my time to date , I have developed key relationships with many departments including engineering, IFR and Cabin Safety. I play an integral part in implanting changes to our procedures and processes, which is driven from Audit data and Safety reports.

I manage a Team of Auditors, that takes a look at Cabin Services Operating Procedures, Training Facilities and Ground School Training, ensuring as a department, we are fully complaint with all our processes and procedures, aware of risk factors and maintain a safe working environment on board our aircraft.

Claire Simpson

UNITE Regional Manager

Adam Rowland

Training Manager – Safety

Adam started his aviation career in 1995 as ‘summer only’ cabin crew with Airtours International on its 757s flying out of Glasgow.   Along with his experience as cabin crew on larger jets he also operated as single crew on turboprops with British Airways franchise cityflyer Express at Gatwick on the ATR42 and 72, progressing to Line Trainer there.  Became Safety Training Manager at Astraeus during its start-up and growth from 2001 to 2006, flying regularly alongside his management responsibilities.  Joined Zoom Airlines in the same management role through its start-up and regulatory approvals to fly 767 aircraft, and operated as Cabin Manager. 

Adam then joined the UK CAA as a Cabin Safety Inspector in 2009.  After intensive training and rigorous CAA sign-off processes became a cabin safety inspector, undertaking inspections and audits on a wide range of UK operators, including the introduction of the 787 and A380 to UK AOC holders.  Represented the CAA on the cabin crew CHIRP programme, attended EASA rulemaking task groups and provided regulatory oversight of cabin operations of UK airlines flying Hajj contracts.  

In 2015, joined easyjet as Training Manager – Safety, Security & First Aid,  and has been responsible for developments in the airline’s training methodology and delivery.  Adam has extensive knowledge of EASA  CS25 and an understanding of Part M and Part 145 through aircraft delivery and into service checks, gained from both an operator’s and a regulator’s perspective.

Helena Roman Echevarria

Manager of Inflight Safety & Safety Training, Lauda Europe

Helena started as Cabin Crew Member in Ryanair DAC in 2009 and became Senior Cabin Crew Member in 2014. In 2016 she became a Safety and Emergency Procedures Instructor, becoming a Safety and Emergency Procedures Examiner within the Company in 2018. At the end of 2019 Helena joined Laudamotion gmbh as Inflight Safety Officer and transferred to Vienna. In November 2020 she became Manager of Inflight Safety & Safety Training in Lauda Europe Ltd.

As Manager of Inflight Safety & Safety Training Helena participated on the set up of the Inflight Safety Office and the Inflight Training Department in Lauda Europe. Helena is responsible of the Safety Cabin Crew Reporting System, completing inflight safety investigations, trend analysis and participates in safety risk assessments. Helena ensures that safety policies and just culture is promoted within the Inflight Department. She’s also responsible for Cabin Crew Safety and Emergency Procedures Training and the Safety and Emergency Procedures Manual

Richard Oxbrough

Head of Cabin Services and Training, Eastern Airways

Worked within the aviation industry since 2002, working for Ryanair, Excel Airways, Aer Lingus, Strategic Airlines and now Eastern Airways since 2012. During my career held the roles of Cabin Crew, Purser, Line Trainer, Classroom Trainer and now find myself in the position of Head of Cabin Services & Training. I still maintain my recency on 3 aircraft types ERJ/ATR/EJET and fly the line when I’m able to.

Wendy Nair

Cabin Safety Trainer, airtanker

Kris Major

Unite (Cabin Crew – British Airways)

Kris has been flying as cabin crew for nearly 20 years and a workplace rep for almost 16 years.  He started at bmi and progressed to Cabin Service Manager and was also a Cabin Safety Trainer.

Kris is currently a Cabin Service Director at British Airways.  He has a seat on the Cabin Crew Advisory Group and European Transport Federation, where his main function is to consider and offer opinion on issues affecting European commercial aviation. Recently, he has trained over 500 delegates on EASA Flight Time Limitations scheme and compiled 3 technical books and several courses, both National and International.

He values CHIRP as a vital tool in maintaining safe flying operations and considers his place on the Cabin Crew Advisory Board as one of the highlights of his career.

Dale Hyde-Douglas

Cabin Safety Manager

Dale has been working in the aviation industry since 2003, most of which has been spent at Jet2. Dale has worked as Cabin Crew, progressing through to being Senior Cabin Crew and Cabin Safety Trainer, he also spent time at British Airways as Customer Service Manager and has operated on a variety of long and short haul Boeing and Airbus Aircraft.

Dale is currently the Cabin Safety Manager at Jet2, working within the Safety & Compliance team at head office in Leeds. In this current role, Dale manages safety reporting to monitor trends to be able to create a risk picture for the business, which ultimately helps ensure a safer operation and environment for the crew and passengers. Dale ensures safety investigations are also conducted in accordance with the companies “Just Culture” and advises the business as subject matter expert where required.

Shaun Fitzpatrick

Cabin Crew Manager, Titan Airways

Having worked as a specialist Tour Operator and retail travel consultant Shaun began his flying career in 1993, as a cabin crew member for Airtours International based at LGW, operating a mix of short and long-haul flying on various aircraft types such as the MD83, A320, B767 and B757. 

Airtours provided Shaun with an excellent grounding prior to moving on to his current airline, Titan Airways, based at Stansted. Shaun joined Titan Airways in March 1997 as a direct entry SCCM.  At this time the airline was small-scale and the fleet consisted of Shorts 360, ATR 42 and Bae 146.  As you can imagine this was a huge change for Shaun, having worked on larger jet aircraft with multiple crew. However, Titan provided a diverse and varied type of flying often at short notice; this equipped me with many skills, my ability to think on my feet, show flexibility, demonstrate adaptability and to expect the unexpected!!!

During his time at Titan, Shaun has been fortunate to hold various positions such as Cabin Crew Trainer, Cabin Crew Safety Training Manager, Deputy Cabin Crew Manager and his current post holder position, Head of Cabin Crew. 

Along with the changes in his various positions, came growth, not only in crew numbers, but with the diversity of the fleet.  However, Titan remains very much a “family” airline where all employees are known and valued.  

During Shaun’s flying career he has weathered many “ups and downs”; 9/11, the financial crisis, the ash cloud and more recently the COVID pandemic, which has had a devastating effect on our industry. Despite these challenges Shaun is extremely grateful to remain part of this exciting and rewarding industry.     

In addition to my role at Titan Airways, I have been a member of the Cabin Safety Liaison Group (CSLG) since January 1998.

Richard Eynon

Cabin Safety Partner, British Airways

After graduating with a bsc Biomedical Science degree from the University of Wales, Cardiff, Richard followed his ambition to become cabin crew and joined Emirates Airline in 2006. At Emirates, Richard was based in Dubai for nearly five years.  The ambition was to fly for a maximum of three years, but the industry addiction led to Richard staying longer and joining British Airways. Some fifteen years later, doesn’t time fly? 

Richard has experience of operating on the B777, B787, B747, A330, A340, A380 and A320 types.  During his time at British Airways, Richard was an SCCM, cabin crew trainer, recruiter and completed two secondments with one leading to a permanent role in the Cabin Safety Team.  Richard has been in the Cabin Safety team since 2016 and completed a NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety and the CAA Cabin Inspector Theory course.  In the British Airways Cabin Safety team, Richard still holds an attestation and is licensed on the B777, B787 and A320 types and works with a team of Operational Safety Evaluators looking after the compliance oversight of SCCM line evaluations and cabin sops. 

n addition to compliance oversight, Richard also has experience investigating (actual and potential) incidents, completes risk assessments and is a member of the Cabin Safety Liaison Group (CSLG) – a group of Cabin Safety professionals from all UK operators.

Meghan Doyle

Inflight Safety, Security, Regulatory and Compliance Manager, Ryanair

Meghan started her aviation career in 2009 with Ryanair. Starting as a junior cabin crew and working her way up to Senior Cabin Crew, Meghan successfully progressed to Safety and Emergency Procedures Instructor in 2014. She then moved into the Inflight Safety Office as a Safety Administrator in 2017 and is currently the Inflight Safety and Security Manager. As part of this role, Meghan is responsible for safety reporting for cabin crew, completing inflight safety investigations, trend analysis and participates in safety risk assessments.

She also ensures that safety policies and just culture is promoted within the Inflight department. Meghan still holds an attestation and operates onboard regularly.

Captain David Cox

Head of Training, Titan Airways

David is a current A320 Captain, Type Rating Examiner (TRE) and Head of Training at Titan Airways.  He began his flying career in the Royal Air Force in 1983.  David served for 16 years flying primarily the C130 Hercules, he also completed a tour as a Qualified Flying Instructor teaching at basic flying training for ab-initio RAF pilots. 

This led to some time as a RAF Central Flying School staff instructor where he taught qualified military pilots from around the world to become flying instructors.  David’s final tour was as an instructor pilot and examiner back on the C130 Hercules.  He left the RAF in 1999 and joined Air2000 flying the A320.  As well as flying the line, David joined the Training Department as a Technical Training Pilot, CRM Instructor and latterly a Type Rating Instructor.  In 2009 he joined bacityflyer and flew the Embraer190 based at London City Airport moving into pilot management first as Pilot Manager and latterly as Head of Training.  David moved to his present position at Titan Airways in 2017 and back to the A320.

David lives in Hampshire with his wife Karen (a teacher) and their two children.  David’s son is in his final year at university and his daughter is in her A level year at sixth form college.  In his precious spare time, he enjoys sailing and his family obsession is skiing from which they are suffering a virus enforced two-year sabbatical!

Amanda Clark

Cabin Safety Specialist, Eastern Airways

Kirsty Arnold

Principal – Operational Safety, Virgin Atlantic

Joined Virgin Atlantic in 2016 and is currently Principal – Operational Safety; I am cabin safety lead for new aircraft entering service and retrofits – most recently the A350 and A330-900 projects. 

Leads investigations into significant safety incidents/accidents within cabin crew and flight operations.

Prior to joining Virgin Atlantic I joined CHIRP in 1996 and was part of its development into the current status following expansion from Flight Crew to include Cabin Crew, Engineers, atcos, General Aviation, etc., and eventually Maritime.  Responsible for the CHIRP Cabin Crew programme from its inception until 2012. Was also the Secretariat for ICASS (International Confidential Aviation Security Systems) Group whilst at CHIRP.  Previously an In-flight Customer Experience Safety and Quality Partner at British Airways and flew as cabin crew on B747 and B777 aircraft. 

I am a member of the Royal Aeronautical Flight Operations Group and the Cabin Safety Specialist Group.  I am also a member of IOSH (Institution of Occupational Health and Safety).

Captain Chris Hanson

ATAB Chairman - Independent

Chris has been flying professionally since 1985 and has worked in a management role in British Airways since 2004.  In the Royal Air Force, he flew, and trained pilots, on the Hawk and Tornado F3.  In British Airways he has gained type ratings on the Boeing 737, 757, 767,777 and 787, he also has instructor ratings and examiner authorisation on the B737, 777 and 787.

Chris’s main focus has always been the training of pilots; as a Flight Training Manager he was responsible for the management of training on the B777/787 and B737 fleets.  His management experience covered the fields of Quality, Technical and Training at both Heathrow and Gatwick and he has worked inter-departmentally within British Airways, across the airline industry as a whole, and with national and international regulatory bodies, including speaking at international training conferences.

Chris now works as a Training Standards Captain on the B777/787 fleet in British Airways, which he enjoys immensely.

Rob Buckley

Drone and UAS Advisory Board Chair

Rob was elected in 2011 as secretary of the UK Large Model Association (LMA), and since 2015 has worked with the UK DfT, CAA and the other UK model flying associations to steer and define the national implementation of model flying regulation under the EASA unmanned aircraft rules. He also sits on several CAA working groups representing the interests of model aircraft flyers. In 2016, he was a founder member of the European Model Flying Union and is an executive board member. He started flying model aircraft in 1982, and has built and flown everything from free flight gliders to turbine powered aircraft but never really got on with helicopters. 

Since 2021 he has been Chief Engineer of the LMA, defining the design requirements and flightworthiness assessment processes for large model aircraft up to 150kg and their pilots.

He trained as an aeronautical engineer, and since 1996 has worked on the design, airworthiness and certification of balloons, airships, light aircraft, airliners and both large and small unmanned aircraft platforms as a chartered mechanical engineer. He additionally brings experience of the identification and mitigation of human factors and human error in large aircraft maintenance. He gained a fixed wing PPL in 2018 and now has a share in a permit to fly vintage aircraft.

During his career in Airbus, he was Civil Certification Manager for the Zephyr unmanned high altitude HAPS platform and Head of Operations & Chief Pilot of the Filton Unmanned Demonstrator aircraft organisation.