Leading Airline Executive Ed Davidson Joins Skyborne
Skyborne Airline Academy Vero Beach is announcing the appointment of Ed Davidson as managing director of its flight training operations in the United States.
From Vero Beach in Florida, Davidson’s role will involve supervising the execution of FAA Part 141 approved training, Skyborne’s airline pathway programs with leading U.S. airlines, plus private, instrument, commercial and Instructor courses. He will also work alongside Lee Woodward, CEO of Skyborne, to expand the academy’s network of airline partners.
Davidson brings more than 40 years’ experience having held leadership positions in flight operations at Northwest Airlines, Emirates Airline, Porter Airlines, Island Air and National Airlines. He joins Skyborne with significant experience in commercial pilot training. A former airline pilot himself, Davidson was also an operational Airbus line captain and aircrew program designee at Northwest Airlines for nine years.
Woodward says: “With his invaluable knowledge and experience of airline operations from a dual pilot and management perspective, Ed is well positioned to help grow our Vero Beach training programs and airline partnerships. We are very proud to welcome him to the Skyborne team.”
Davidson says: “Having worked with Lee during my time as senior vice president of Flight Operations at Emirates, I know I am joining an excellent team at Skyborne, driven by a culture of professionalism and a structured approach to airline training and selection.
“We are at a critical moment in the industry for recruitment and Skyborne is making great strides to supply airlines with pilots trained to the highest standard. I’m really looking forward to being part of this journey.”
Most recently, Davidson’s career focused on aviation management consulting, with roles including managing partner of Aerospace Partners, LLC. and operational consultant with Seabury Aviation Consulting and Alton Aviation Consultancy. In addition to his airline experience, Davidson served as a U.S. Navy pilot in Vietnam flying the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk followed by service in the Navy Reserve flying the LTV A-7E Corsair and recruiting for the US Naval Academy. He retired at the rank of commander.
