Speakers

Speaker profile

Dave read Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Glasgow and learned to fly with the University Air Squadron. After graduating he joined the Royal Air Force and flew Harriers in Germany.

Selected as an exchange student at the French Test Pilot School, after returning to the UK he worked on numerous programmes, including the first Harrier low level night attack trials, first Sea Harrier FA2 ship compatibility trials, and Tucano spin trials. Awarded the Air Force Cross by HM Queen Elizabeth for test flying, Dave completed his time in the RAF as Principal Fixed Wing Tutor at the Empire Test Pilots School, before joining Virgin Atlantic and becoming a captain on the Boeing 747 and, later, the Airbus 340.

In 2004 he evaluated the SpaceshipOne flight simulator, became Virgin Galactic’s Chief Test Pilot in 2005, and Chief Pilot in 2011. He has flown to space three times and led the Flight

Operations teams in an historic run of successful spaceflights. He recently retired as VP of Flight & Test Operations and Chief Pilot, but intends to remain active in aerospace.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.