About Us
David Swan - Director of Operations and Oversight
David has over 30 years of experience in Military and Civil aviation. He has worked primarily as an operational helicopter pilot for Military, Commercial, Private and SAR/HEMS/NVIS Operators. He has extensive experience as a nominated person (NP) for flight operations in helicopter AOC’s.
Expertise and Capability
- NP for flight operations with CHC in Ireland, providing 24/7 SAR & HEMS across four bases with the S 92 on contract to the Irish Coast Guard.
- NP for flight operations with SAI, providing 24/7 CAT/HEMS under NVIS with the H215 on contract to EULEX in Kosovo.
- NP for flight operations with IHL providing CAT and contract support for Irish Lights.
- NP for flight operations with Starair Ireland providing CAT(VIP) services.
- Contract management for services under Government and EU agency contracts.
- Preparation and evaluation of tender proposals.
- Qualified aviation auditor and has conducted independent operations audits for Airlines, Helicopter AOC’s and Offshore Oil and Gas operators.
- Project management of AOC, SPA – HEMS/NVIS and ATO applications from inception to approval with Competent Authorities.
- He has delivered training courses for Competent Authorities and Airline staff at the JAATO (Amsterdam) in the following areas: Aircrew and Operations regulations for airline staff and International Search and Rescue.
Career Background and Experience
David holds an ATPL (H) and has held type ratings on a variety of helicopters including H215, AS 365 Dauphin, Agusta 109 E and Bell 430, during his military and civil aviation career. David holds an MA(Hons) in International Relations from DCU.
He has extensive operational and management experience with SAR, CAT and HEMS service providers.
He has extensive operations management experience of providing services under contract to government departments in compliance with applicable aviation regulations.
Additionally, he has provided consultancy, training and project management services in the aviation environment.
Brian Brophy - Director of Training and Consultancy
Brian has more than 30 years’ experience in the aviation industry, both Military and Civil/Commercial. He has flown Aeroplanes and Helicopters during a piloting career of 20 years, where he specialised in Search and Rescue Helicopter Operations and subsequently set up a number of businesses that provide training and consultancy services to the Aviation, Healthcare and Financial Industries.
Expertise and Capability
- As an experienced Search and Rescue Helicopter Commander, Brian has an in-depth knowledge of the challenges that must be managed by organisations providing and co-ordinating SAR services.
- As an expert in the area of Aviation Regulations, Brian has provided consultancy and training services across the industry to a variety of aviation related clients, including Ryanair, Air Greenland and City Jet in addition to National Aviation Authorities such as The Irish Aviation Authority and the CAA’s of Israel, Poland, Germany (LBA), Slovenia, Serbia, Malta, Switzerland, Moldova, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Portugal and Austria.
- Brian has conducted research in the field of Safety Management Systems and Risk Management and has provided consultancy and training in this area to clients across the globe.
- He is a qualified aviation auditor and has provided independent auditing services to many high profile airlines and helicopter operators. He has developed a wealth of aviation systems knowledge from this experience.
Career Background and Experience
Brian holds an ATPL (H) and CPL (A). He served for 13 years as an Officer in the Irish Air Corps, where he qualified as a pilot of both aeroplanes and helicopters, in addition to becoming an instructor in both aircraft categories. He finished his military career as a Search and Rescue Commander on the SA365 Dauphin helicopter. On retiring from the Air Corps in 2002, Brian joined a commercial helicopter company and flew on contract as a Search and Rescue pilot for the Irish Coast Guard, becoming the Chief Pilot of its Dublin Airport base, flying the Sikorsky S61N helicopter. Brian has actively been involved in aviation consultancy, auditing and training for the last 11 years.
Rowan Greenwood - Director of Standards and Regulation
Rowan has over three decades experience in commercial helicopter operations as a pilot, instructor, examiner, inspector, manager, flight safety officer and UK CAA regulator. He specialises in civil search and rescue where he was a SAR commander, TRI/TRE, SAR Training Manager, SAR Standards Manager and Director, Global SAR Operations for Bristow Group Inc.
Expertise and Capability
- As a CAA Flight Operations Inspector Rowan exercised legal and safety oversight of the UK helicopter industry conducting audits and inspections on offshore, SAR, HEMS, police and charter operators.
- As a CAA Training Inspector he conducted initial and revalidation tests on TRIs and TREs on all helicopter types in the UK and overseas, initial instrument rating tests (IRTs), TRI/TRE/IRI courses and ATO approvals. As an EASA approved simulator inspector he conducted initial and recurrent simulator evaluations across the world on many civil and military helicopter types.
- Rowan chaired the internal CAA working group that developed the civil regulations for helicopter search and rescue in the UK (CAP 999) and chaired the external steering committee to transition the civilianisation of military SAR under the civil UK SAR contract.
- As the Director, Global SAR Operations for Bristow Group Inc. in Texas Rowan was the business process owner for all SAR operations, training and standards across the UK, US, Nigeria, Australia, Norway, Trinidad and all new business.
- Rowan has worked as an associate consultant with Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Baines Simmons Ltd and AQE BV working with clients such as Cargolux, Cranfield University, CAE, Raytheon, The Empire Test Pilots’ School, Cobham Aviation Services, the Irish Department for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Irish Aviation Authority.
Career Background and Experience
Rowan holds an EASA ATPL(H) and has flown the SK92, A139, SK61, AS332, B212, AS355, B206, EC120 and R22 in Europe, Africa, North and South America and has been a TRI, TRE, IRI, IRE.