LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, New York (December 12, 2008) – FlightSafety International is pleased to announce that Eric P. Hinson will join the company as Executive Vice President on January 5, 2009.
“We are pleased and proud to have Eric become a member of the FlightSafety family and serve on our senior leadership team,” said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO, FlightSafety International. “Eric’s broad industry knowledge, demonstrated leadership skills and strategic vision will help FlightSafety continue to grow and prosper.”
“It is an honor and privilege to join this well respected industry leading company. I look forward to working alongside FlightSafety Teammates around the world who are committed to enhancing aviation safety and are dedicated to provide outstanding customer service, high quality training programs and products,” said Eric Hinson.
Hinson has an extensive background in aviation. Currently, he is President and CEO of Piaggio America, the U.S. subsidiary of the Italian business aircraft manufacturer and serves on the Board of Directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Prior to Piaggio, Hinson worked for Honeywell Aerospace in Paris, France, as Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa, where he led all of Honeywell’s aerospace activity in the region; and later as Vice President Sales and Customer Marketing for the Air Transport and Regional Group. Before joining Honeywell, he spent five years with Gulfstream Aerospace as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development.
Eric started his aviation career in the U.S. Navy. After earning his wings in 1985, Hinson spent his first tour as a selectively retained graduate for advanced jet training in the T/A-4J Skyhawk. After fleet tours in the A7E Corsair and F/A-18 Hornet, Hinson was assigned to the Navy’s Operational Test Squadron, VX-5, where he completed his Navy career as the Strike Fighter Branch Head responsible for all operational test programs for the F/A-18.
Hinson is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and earned an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. He is an active pilot with an ATP rating and 3,600 total flight hours. FlightSafety International is the world’s premier aviation training organization. Over 75,000 pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals train at FlightSafety facilities each year. The company designs and manufactures full flight simulators for civil and military aircraft programs and operates the world's largest fleet of advanced full flight simulators at 40 training locations.
