FAA Certification, Operations and Maintenance Orientation C1707

David Downey is a consultant and trainer in the aviation and defense sectors for Downey Aviation Services. Mr. Downey previously served as President, North America, at Aerosafe Risk Management. Prior to that role he was a Vice President at Bell Helicopter where he was responsible for Systems Engineering, Engineering Operations, Flight Test Operations, Flight Safety, the Bell Organization Delegation Authorization and the Product Safety Board. Prior to joining Bell, Mr. Downey was a member of the FAA Senior Executive Service where he served as the Manager, FAA Rotorcraft Directorate in Fort Worth, Texas. He provided strategic direction on all aspects of rotorcraft and tilt-rotor policy/certification. In this position he was also responsible for all FAA experimental flight test policy, training and administration. He was a Team Leader on the FAA Safer Skies Commercial Aviation safety program. As Co-Chair of the International Helicopter Safety Team, Mr. Downey achieved a 33% reduction in the number of U. S. fatal helicopter accidents. He has FAA engineering and manufacturing experience with engines, propellers, APUs, UAVs and airplanes. He is an FAA DER. He has also worked closely with the NTSB and international Aviation Authorities such as TCCA, EASA, CAAC and ICAO. Mr. Downey began his career as a U. S. Army Pilot. His aviation experience includes over 4000 hours of fixed and rotary wing accident-free flying on 125 different models. He holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot rating as well as single/multi engine land/seaplane and helicopter commercial pilot, and CFI ground. Mr. Downey is the 2010 Society of Experimental Test Pilots Tony LaVier Flight Safety Award for life time achievement in Flight Safety. A published author and international public speaker on aviation and leadership, Mr. Downey graduated from the University of Tennessee Space Institute with an MS and earned his BS from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also a graduate of the US Navy Test Pilot School.

Fred Stellar served as Director of Certification and FAA's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) lead administrator to issue Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) Supplement Type Certificates (STCs). Prior to joining AHI, Fred was the lead administrator for Bell Helicopter's ODA and manager of the civil certification group. He served to oversee development and certification of TC's and STC's. While a manager in the Federal Aviation Administration Stellar served in the aircraft certification office responsible for oversight and certification of Part 25 airplane modifications in Fort Worth, Texas. Fred also served 4 years managing the FAA International Policy Office in Brussels, Belgium where he worked closely with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Stellar served as a Research Assistant Professor of Aviation Systems with the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) where he taught a broad spectrum of graduate applied engineering courses focused on the aircraft certification processes as well as managing UTSI flight operations and maintenance activities for the University's research aircraft. Before his civil aviation experience, Stellar was a 22-year veteran of the Army where his aviation assignments included experimental test pilot and assistant professor in the engineering department at West Point. Stellar earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. He is a graduate of the US Navy Test Pilot School. He also earned a Master of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the Program Manager course at the Defense Systems Management College. He holds a FAA commercial pilot license with helicopter, single/multi-engine airplane, and instrument ratings. He has more than 3200 accident-free flying hours in over 65 different aircraft.