FLIGHT PATH QUICK FACTS
Nick Mayhew
CAE USA Defense & Security Arlington, Texas
CURRENT JOB
I’m the international business development lead for Europe and NATO for CAE USA
Defense & Security in Arlington, Texas. I cover all domains (air, land, sea, space, and cyber) and advise on any rotary training opportunities globally.
FIRST AVIATION JOB
I joined the UK Royal Navy (RN) as a pilot in 1977 at age 18, and after training on the Chipmunk, Bulldog, Gazelle, and Sea King Mk.2, I was appointed to 824
Naval Air Squadron “A Flight” in 1980 (a flight of two Sea King Mk.2 antisubmarine aircraft).
We embarked on various Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and
deployed around the globe supporting and protecting the RN fleet.
FAVORITE HELICOPTER
My favorite must be the Sea King. I flew this aircraft
throughout my 28-year career with the Royal Navy, and it
always served me well. Fun to fly by day or night, reliable and versatile, the Sea King helped me “keep it in the green.”
How did you decide to pursue a career in helicopter aviation? I’ve been fascinated by helicopters since I was 4 years old. My mother would drive me to school and cut through this very narrow road capable of only single-lane traffic. At the time, I decided I would widen the lane when I was older and able. I had the idea that I would transport the bricks and material by helicopter and land on the back of “lorries.” My path to joining the navy as an aviator was born.
How did you reach your current position? When I left the navy in 2005, we moved my family to Florida, where my American wife, Kathy, had lived. I worked as the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA, predecessor to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, or EASA) chief flying instructor for Helicopter Adventures Inc. When Bristow Helicopters purchased the flight school in 2007, I was pro- moted to general manager (GM) for the Bristow Academy, Titusville, Florida, campus. I remained at the academy until 2016,
when I was recruited to Arlington, Texas, by L-3 Communications, which offered me a position I couldn’t refuse, to set up and run the company’s simulation training center. I worked as the center’s GM and as a senior program manager with L-3 Link Simulation & Training, which became L3Harris, until CAE acquired the business in 2021, and I was moved to business development.
What are your career goals? My career goals are to support my family and safely reach retirement. Safety is the opera- tive word! I’ve always had a passion for pro- moting aviation safety. I’ve been involved
52 ROTOR SEPTEMBER 2023
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