Fri, Aug 06, 2010
Former "National Flight Instructor Of The Year" To Lead
Melbourne, FL Program
Michael Gaffney, just named the new director of F.I.T. Aviation
LLC, brings to his new post almost 30 years of experience in
aviation management, education and executive consulting. A Master
Flight Instructor and Master Ground Instructor, he has been interim
director of F.I.T. Aviation since April 1, and prior to that he was
director of aviation training. He has been with the university
since February 2009.
Michael Gaffney
In his new position, Gaffney oversees flight training and
operations at Florida Institute of Technology's Emil Buehler Center
for Aviation Training and Research at Melbourne International
Airport. He is also an adjunct professor in the Florida Tech
College of Aeronautics.
"With his extensive experience and numerous accomplishments,
Mike is the ideal person to lead F.I.T. Aviation. We are very
confident of his success in this new role," said Winston Scott,
dean of the College of Aeronautics.
Before coming to Florida Tech Gaffney was principal consultant
and chief technology architect at Flightlogics. Prior to that he
was president of Skyline Aeronautics, where he was responsible for
operating one of the largest FAA-approved flight schools in the
Midwest and general aviation piston aircraft maintenance facility
in the St. Louis region. He also held many executive and consulting
positions with such international software firms as Texas
Instruments Software, Oracle and Compuware Corp. He began his
aviation career in 1981 at Sikorsky Helicopter of United
Technologies, moving from there to McDonnell Douglas Corp. as a
section manager and systems analyst for the corporate artificial
intelligence center.
Gaffney earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace management from
Parks College of St. Louis University in 1981 and an M.B.A. degree
from the university of Bridgeport in Connecticut in 1987. He is
currently a doctoral candidate in human centered design at Florida
Tech. He is an FAA-certified Airline Transport Pilot and certified
single and multi-engine ground and flight instructor. He was named
the 2007 FAA/Industry National Flight Instructor of The Year. He
also received the 2007 Excellence in Pilot Training award from the
National Air Transportation Association.
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