Adrian Smith

Adrian joined the RAF in 1986, and after training flew Chinook helicopters before becoming a Qualified Helicopter Instructor (QHI) on the Gazelle. He later spent three years as a QHI in the German Air Force, flying the Bell UH1 “Huey” before returning to the Chinook to instruct new pilots converting to type.

Operational experience includes the first Gulf War, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo. He left the RAF in 2003 as the Commanding Officer of the Chinook training unit.

Upon leaving the RAF, Adrian converted to fixed-wing flying, and has been involved with training since 2005, initially as a Theoretical Knowledge Instructor and then a Line-Training Captain. He has flown Boeing 737, 757, 767 and 787, with a total flying experience of around 13,500 hours.

He is married, with two adult children, and enjoys hill-walking with his border collie, skiing and car mechanics.