17 November 2014
At its meeting on Friday 14 November, the Board of the LAA conducted its annual election of officers. The Board has elected Brian Davies to be its Chairman for the coming year, following Roger Hopkinson’s decision to not seek re-election and to stand down from the Board during 2015.
The Board reflected on the significant changes it had seen under Hopkinson’s leadership; the Popular Flying Association becoming a modern and effective organisation under its new banner of the Light Aircraft Association and emerging as a significant force for sports and recreational aviation in the UK. At the same time Roger was a founder member and Facilitator of the General Aviation Alliance, established to ensure sports and recreational aviation associations in unison engage effectively with UK Government and the CAA. He is also a founder member and President of the European Federation of Light, Experimental and Vintage Aircraft, a Pan European Federation of organisations like LAA established to both work together and specifically to engage on European Regulatory aspects. He serves on a number of committees including being Chairman of the General and Business Aviation Strategic Forum which plays a vital strategic oversight role with Government and CAA in the current GA regulatory change programme. He is also vice-chairman of The Royal Aero Club of the UK.
Hopkinson will take up the position of Vice-President of the Association, providing a platform to continue his external work and to enable the Association to continue to benefit from his expertise and energy.
Davies’ career in aviation began with an apprenticeship with BEA and saw him rise to be Chief Engineer of Aircraft Maintenance at BA. He was then Director of Engineering with British Caledonian Airways and Operations Director of Air Europe before becoming CEO of Kenya Airways which he moved from a state owned company to public listing. Now retired he was the external examiner at City University London for their Masters degree courses in Air Transport Management, Air Safety Management and Aircraft Maintenance Management for the last five years. He built and flies a Europa and has been a director of the LAA since 2012.
The Board also elected James Tannock and John Brady to be vice-chairmen and James Tannock to be company secretary.
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