Airways Aviation appoints new Head of Training

Airways Aviation is appointing Ian Cheese, an internationally experienced airline pilot with extensive training management expertise, as Head of Training, Europe, to continue the strategic development of its high-quality, airline-specific training.

Based in Oxford, Airways Aviation is a world-leader in aviation training and is globally positioned to respond to the demand for outstanding pilot training and airline resourcing, in order to address head-on the airline pilot shortage.

Cheese has over 35 years of simulator and flight training experience and has delivered all elements of flight training from ground school to airline conversion type training. Still an enthusiastic light aircraft owner and instructor, he is able to deliver training from initial PPL through to airline type conversion training and was responsible for introducing the first Multi Pilot Licence courses into the UK.

Immediately prior to joining Airways Aviation, Cheese had been working as a Consultant Training Captain/Head of Training with a number of UK and overseas airlines delivering examinations and type conversion training. Cheese began his career as a Royal Air Force flight engineer and spent 20 years in the service. Upon leaving the military in 1999, he joined the UK regional airline Brymon Airways as a first officer, eventually becoming the Turbo Prop Fleet Manager at British Airways CitiExpress.

Ian Cooper, Airways Aviation CEO, says: “Ian has an enormous amount of aviation experience and understands the industry from the ground up. He has an insider’s knowledge on what airlines require from their pilots and I’m looking forward to seeing him develop our airline training programmes accordingly.”

Cheese says: “Airlines are looking for an ever broader set of skills from pilots so the market is ripe for fresh thinking and innovation in training. Airways Aviation is perfectly positioned to deliver personalised training courses that will provide industry-ready graduate pilots.”

Cheese will start at the company on March 16th and prospective pilots will have the opportunity to hear him speak at Airways Aviation’s next Airline Pilot Careers Open Day on March 18th.