David is an Australian test pilot with over 20 years of flight test experience in both military and civil aviation. A 2001 graduate of the Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS), he began his career as a fixed-wing pilot in the Australian Army, flying the Pilatus Porter and Nomad, before transferring to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), where he served as an operational and test pilot for 14 years. His RAN experience includes flying the Seahawk, Sea King, AS350, and Sea Sprite, with responsibilities spanning First of Class Flight Trials, mission system evaluations, and performance and handling qualities testing. He served as project test pilot for the Sea Sprite acquisition program and as the Navy’s Chief of Flight Test prior to retiring in 2008.

In the civil sector, David worked as a lecturer, researcher, and flight instructor before returning to flight testing. His civil roles have included Chief Test Pilot for the GA10 certification at GippsAero, test pilot and flight dynamics engineer for the AMSL Aero eVTOL program, and human factors test lead for RAAF air-to-air refuelling interface redesign. He has also delivered short courses in flight testing for New Zealand’s aerospace industry, including airborne flight labs attended by CAA NZ and RNZAF personnel.

David holds test and analyst delegations with both the Australian and New Zealand Civil Aviation Authorities. He earned a Master of Science in Flight Dynamics from Cranfield University and a PhD in Mathematics from Swinburne University.