David Powell Joins FlightSafety as Executive Director Helicopter Business Development
LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, New York (October 29, 2012) – FlightSafety International is pleased to announce that David Powell has joined the company as Executive Director, Helicopter Business Development.
“We are pleased to welcome Dave to the FlightSafety team. He brings more than 25 years of helicopter industry experience, a successful military career, and commitment to excellence in Customer service,” said Steve Gross, Vice President, Sales. “Dave’s in-depth understanding of Customer needs, industry trends, and current and future requirements of helicopter operators around the world, will help FlightSafety to grow this important segment of our business.”
His main responsibilities are to grow FlightSafety’s helicopter training through the identification and development of new business opportunities around the world. This includes planning and establishing new locations and optimizing the company’s current helicopter training programs and fleet of simulators according to the needs of FlightSafety’s Customers and the helicopter manufacturers it serves and supports.
Dave joined FlightSafety after completing a successful 25 year career with Sikorsky Aircraft serving most recently as Vice President Sales for the Americas. His previous executive assignments at Sikorsky included Vice President Sales for Asia based in Singapore and Malaysia, senior positions in aircraft program management, and Director of helicopter sales and strategic business development in Europe.
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Engineering. After graduation he continued his professional development earning his “Navy Wings of Gold” at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. Dave’s assignments included flying the Navy’s H-53 Super Stallion helicopter with the Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) in Norfolk, Virginia. He was also an engineering test pilot assigned to Sikorsky Aircraft flying the Sikorsky BLACK HAWK®, SEAHAWK®, C/MH-53E and S-76 D aircraft. Dave retired from the Navy after 20 years of active duty and naval reserve service with the rank of Navy Commander.
FlightSafety International is the world’s premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides more than a million hours of training each year to pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals from 154 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates the world’s largest fleet of advanced full flight simulators at Learning Centers and training locations in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
