LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, NY – FlightSafety International announces that Gil Schnabel has been named Manager of the company's Learning Center in West Palm Beach, FL.
"Gil is a proven leader who goes above and beyond to ensure our customers receive the highest quality of training available," says Greg McGowan, Vice President Operations, FlightSafety International. "His experience, industry expertise, and commitment to excellence in customer service make him the ideal choice to lead our West Palm Beach Learning Center. We thank Rick Bedard for serving as acting Manager of the Center during the past few months in addition to his responsibilities as Director, Training Operations."
Schnabel joined FlightSafety in 2001 at the Dallas/Fort Worth Learning Center as an instructor and served as Director of Training and then Assistant Manager prior to being promoted to Manager of the Detroit Metro/Toledo Learning Center in 2007.
During his career with the United States Air Force, Schnabel flew more than 75 combat missions in Southeast Asia, was a test pilot for the USAF Strategic Air Command, and served as Chief of Current Operations, Director of Training and as Assistant Operations Officer at bases on the Island of Guam, Michigan, and Oklahoma.
He then joined NATO as a Crisis Management Staff Officer in Casteau, Belgium. While in Belgium, Schnabel served as Executive Chairman of Allied Powers Europe Flying Association, the largest multi-national flight training and recreational flying association in Europe. Schnabel returned to the United States in 1993 to serve as College Director of the Technical Trades Institute in Colorado Springs, CO. He also worked as a contract flight instructor at the United States Air Force Academy prior to joining the faculty of Oklahoma State University as an adjunct professor.
Schnabel holds a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Miami, a Master of Science Degree in Occupational Education, as well as a Doctorate in Aviation and Space Education from Oklahoma State University.
The West Palm Beach Learning Center offers safety-centered training programs for fixed wing business aircraft and helicopters. Pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, and other aviation professionals train at the Center on a fleet of FlightSafety built full flight simulators for aircraft manufactured by Piaggio and Sikorsky.
