Longtime Textron Aviation executive Brad Thress was named president and CEO of FlightSafety International, succeeding David Davenport who left the company he had been a part of since 1996.
Thress did not remain idle for long, following the announcement of his retirement from Textron earlier this month. He spent 27 years with the airframer, holding leadership roles in several areas including engineering and customer service, with his last title there senior v-p of parts, programs, and flight operations. He also served as Cessna’s senior v-p of business jets.
“I am honored to join FlightSafety International and look forward to leading this exceptional company,” Thress said. “FlightSafety is known for enhancing aviation safety around the world by providing the highest quality training programs and products, thanks to its outstanding teammates.”
The flight training provider operates training facilities in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and the UK, with its instructors offering more than 1.4 million hours of instruction a year to pilots, technicians, and other aviation professionals.