Aviation Training & Consulting

Global Aviation Expertise
You Can Rely On

Specialist training, inspection and regulatory consulting delivered by a former UK CAA Flight Operations (Training) Inspector, Director of Global SAR Standards and ICAO instructor with over three decades of international experience.

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17
Years Flying
Helicopters

7
Years UK CAA
Inspector

30+
Years Aviation
Industry

ICAO
Instructor &
Rapporteur

  • Registered in England & Wales

  • Flight Operations Inspector, San Marino Aircraft Registry (SMAR)

  • Flight Operations Inspector, 2-Reg, Guernsey

  • ICAO Instructor & Rapporteur, EUR SAR Task Force

  • EASA Approved Simulator Inspector & ATO Assessor

  • Author / Chair: CAP 999 Working Group, UK CAA

A Career Built on the
Highest Standards

Airtight Aviation Services Ltd (AASL) was founded in 2016 by a former Bristow Helicopters pilot with 17 years of helicopter experience spanning extensive Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, offshore oil and gas support in Aberdeen, Nigeria and Mauritania, military support operations in the Falkland Islands, and demanding overland environments worldwide. AASL provides high-calibre training and consulting services to the international aviation community.

Following an operational career that culminated in the role of SAR Standards Manager, AASL’s director joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority as a Flight Operations (Training) Inspector from 2007 to 2014. During that period he chaired the working group that developed and published CAP 999, and gained approval as an EASA simulator inspector and Approved Training Organisation (ATO) assessor.

A subsequent appointment as Director, Global SAR Operations in Houston, Texas broadened this expertise to encompass strategic oversight of SAR programmes worldwide before returning to the UK to establish AASL. Today the company works for national aviation authorities, registries, training organisations and operators across multiple continents.

1988 – 2005
Pilot — S61N, AS332L, Bell 212, TRI, TRE
SAR Standards Manager
Bristow Helicopters Ltd

2007 – 2014
Flight Operations (Training) Inspector
UK Civil Aviation Authority

2014 – 2016
Director, Global SAR Operations
Houston, Texas, USA

2016 – present
Founder & Director
Airtight Aviation Services Ltd

Services

Aviation Training

Design and delivery of regulatory-compliant training programmes for flight operations, safety management and crew resource management. Tailored to fixed-wing, helicopter and multi-crew environments.

Management System Consulting

Expert consulting on aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) and compliance monitoring frameworks. Covering the transition from prescriptive to Risk-Based Oversight (RBO) and Performance-Based Oversight (PBO), helping organisations build robust, auditable systems that meet modern regulatory expectations.

Flight Operations Inspection

Contracted Flight Operations Inspector services for aircraft registries and national authorities including the San Marino Aircraft Registry (SMAR) and 2-Reg, Guernsey. Operator approvals, audits and oversight.

Regulatory Consulting

Strategic advice to civil aviation authorities, national registries and operators on regulatory frameworks, EASA, ICAO SARPS compliance, operations manuals, and approval processes for ATOs and operators.

Simulator Inspection & ATO Assessment

EASA-approved simulator inspection and qualification services. Assessment of Approved Training Organisations against regulatory requirements, standards auditing and remediation support.

ICAO & International Work

Serving as an ICAO instructor and rapporteur for the SAR workstream reporting to the ICAO EUR SAR Task Force. Standards harmonisation, capacity building and international regulatory engagement.

Credentials

Flight Operations Inspector — 3 CAAs
UK CAA · San Marino Aircraft Registry · 2-Reg Guernsey
UK CAA Flight Operations (Training) Inspector, 2007–2014. Currently contracted Flight Operations Inspector for the San Marino Aircraft Registry (SMAR) and 2-Reg, Guernsey.

EASA
Approved Simulator Inspector
EASA-approved to inspect and qualify flight simulation training devices (FSTDs).

EASA
ATO Assessor
Approved Training Organisation assessor under EASA Part-ORA and Part-FCL frameworks.

ICAO
ICAO Instructor
Certified ICAO instructor delivering training on international standards and recommended practices.

ICAO
Rapporteur — EUR SAR Task Force
Reporting into the ICAO EUR SAR Task Force on the SAR workstream, driving international SAR harmonisation.

Publication
ICAO EUR 049
Guidance Material to CAAs for Search and Rescue Operations and Training Oversight — ICAO European region publication.

Senior Appointment
Director, Global SAR Operations
Strategic oversight of SAR programmes worldwide, based in Houston, Texas, 2014–2016. Responsible for global standards, operations and capability development.

Publication
CAP 999 — UK CAA
Chair of the UK CAA working group that developed and published CAP 999, the code of practice for helicopter operations.

Selected Clients

AASL has delivered training, inspection and consulting services to a diverse portfolio of clients across government authorities, commercial operators and specialist organisations worldwide.

Irish Department of Transport
Irish Aviation Authority
British Antarctic Survey
AQE BV
British International Helicopters
Century Aviation Ghana
CHC Ireland
Eagle European
Frazer Nash Consultants Ltd
Isles of Scilly Skybus Ltd
JAA Training Organisation
Baines Simmons
Systemic Factors Ltd
Web Manuals
HeliOffshore
Jersey Aircraft Registry

Contact AASL

Whether you require training delivery, regulatory inspection services, SAR consulting or advice on compliance and standards, AASL welcomes enquiries from operators, authorities and training organisations worldwide.

Company
Airtight Aviation Services Ltd
Registered
England & Wales