Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) www.sassofia.com is pleased to announce that David Hope is our
Instructor of the Year for 2024!
Since 2008, Sofema has been delivering high-level regulatory training. It is a privilege to support the aviation industry by offering cost-effective courses to professionals worldwide led by experienced and knowledgeable trainers.
Get to know our Instructor, David Hope – an aviation professional with over 40 years of experience.
David Hope is a seasoned aircraft aviation professional. His career spans numerous essential roles, including Senior Avionics Engineer, Airbus Fleet Technical Services Manager, and Director of Technical Services and Base Maintenance. David’s expertise encompasses the development of operational frameworks for aircraft maintenance, fleet engineering management, and technical project management. Notably, David managed the technical development of the Airbus A380 cabin entertainment system and achieved significant improvements in dispatch reliability for Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A330 fleet. Currently, he imparts his vast knowledge as a SAS instructor, supporting the next generation of aviation professionals.
David Hope has delivered numerous training courses on behalf of Sofema, Including:
- EASA Part 21 Subpart J Regulatory Framework – Essentials to delegates from CAE Parc Aviation
- EASA Part M Maintenance Planning Fundamentals Training to team members from Aeroplex
- Delegates from JAT Tehnika Aircraft Maintenance completed two courses related to Safety Management Systems and Aircraft Accident Investigation
We asked David a few questions about his working experience with Sofema
1) What inspired you to become an aviation training instructor?
“There are several reasons. In my prior career in the Aviation industry, I have always enjoyed training and mentoring teams and presenting complex technical subjects to varied audiences. Secondly, I enjoy interacting face-to-face with industry professionals and discussing ways to improve what we do in airlines, MROs and other aviation organisations. Lastly, I felt it was the right time, being at the top end of my corporate aviation career, to share all the knowledge and experience I have gained over more than 40 years so that younger professionals rising through the industry can benefit from it.”
2) What has been the most rewarding part of your role as an aviation instructor at Sofema Aviation Services?
“It is being able to present a technical or regulatory course which is deep and complex in nature over several days, being able to hold the delegates’ attention and enthusiasm throughout the lectures and come away with a sense that I have delivered training which really means something to them and will help them with their work and careers.”
3) Can you share an example of how your extensive real-world experience in aviation engineering and management has helped you deliver a more impactful and engaging learning experience for your trainees?
“I can think of quite a few occasions when my experience in the industry has enabled me to better illustrate the concepts I am instructing.
During an accident investigation course, while discussing the tragic accident of Air France Flight 447, an Airbus aircraft which crashed due to a loss of airspeed information in a thunderstorm cloud, I recalled that during my time at Cathay Pacific, we experienced the same failure mode, on the same type of aircraft, resulting in a serious in-flight upset which could have been a lot worse. I explained how we investigated the problem with the airspeed probe manufacturer and quickly implemented a modification program to prevent such failures from happening again. Sadly, Air France had not been aware of the issue and had not implemented such a fix before the crash. A clear lesson about the need for reacting at an early stage to emerging reliability issues with critical aircraft components.
More recently, with a class, I discussed the importance of the need for failure recovery barriers – in the form of flight crew skills and procedures. I cited the occasion when my wife and son were on board an A320 aircraft which experienced failure of an engine control sensor, resulting in loss of thrust, failure warnings, and an aborted takeoff. As the engineering director of that airline, I was responsible for investigating that defect and putting in place a technical program to prevent similar failures in the future. I explained to the audience how such an event, with such personal considerations at stake, really focuses the mind on the importance of having a well-trained flight crew who make the right decisions quickly.
These sorts of personal experience stories enable the listener to relate more closely to the need for constant vigilance regarding technical failures affecting aviation safety and having a strong process in place for managing the related risks.”
4) What qualities or skills do you believe are essential for someone pursuing a career as an aviation trainer?
“I would say firstly, having spent a good number of years in the industry in a variety of roles that provided exposure to different aspects of managing specialised teams and dealing with operational challenges. This provides a solid base of experience and knowledge from which to talk confidently and to provide real-life examples of the quality and risk situations addressed in the courses. Secondly, you must be a people person and enjoy interacting with the class! A sense of humour is also important to provide levity when lecturing on the more dense or serious subjects.”
5) What do you believe sets Sofema Aviation Services’ training programs apart in preparing aviation professionals for regulatory and operational challenges?
“The sheer range of the off-the-shelf courses available can be customised to suit individual clients’ training needs. There is also the flexibility of webinar/online-based learning, an option that can often be more convenient and cost-effective for clients. There is a great depth of industry background information included in the course material, which provides valuable insight into why individual aviation regulations exist and how they are applied in practice. Not just enough knowledge to ‘tick the regulatory box’. Additionally, the high quality of instruction by very experienced professionals with backgrounds in aviation operations, compliance, and maintenance.
Lastly, this is all backed up by a highly efficient customer-focused approach, in which Sofema goes a long way to understand the needs of clients and assist them with selecting the right course material.”
Congratulations to David Hope on being named the SAS Instructor of the Year for 2024!
Our entire team celebrates this achievement and wishes David continued success and many more milestones in his educational journey with Sofema.
If you want to know more about our services, visit our websites, Sofema Aviation Services & Sofema Online, or email us at team@sassofia.com.
Tags:
Training courses, Aviation Trainer, Aviation Industry, SAS Team, Base Maintenance, Airbus, Instructor of the Year, managing risks, David Hope, Director of Technical Services, aviation professional, next generation, aviation training instructor, MROs, well-trained flight crew
