Lt Col David S. English
Lt Col English is the Director of Safety for Civil Air
Patrol Southeast Region. A 24-year
veteran of the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserve, he became
interested in serving Civil Air Patrol after retiring from a 22-year career as
a pilot with United Parcel Service. He
was Safety Officer and a Mission Pilot with GA072, Brunswick Senior Squadron,
based at Saint Simons Island, GA. Most recently,
Lt Col English served as Assistant Standardization/Evaluation officer for
Georgia Wing.
During his Air Force career, Lt Col English actively
promoted a positive and proactive safety culture including writing articles for
Strategic Air Command’s Combat Crew safety magazine. He and his crew were recognized twice as Crews
of Merit by SAC Safety Screen. In 1997,
he accepted the position of Deputy Chief of Flying Safety at HQ 10thAir Force, Air Force Reserve Command, at NAS JRB Ft. Worth, TX. He attended the Air Combat Command Safety
Management Course, Air Force Chief of Safety course, and was trained as a
Department of Transportation-Certified Risk Management Facilitator. He became Chief of Flying Safety and Deputy
Chief of Safety at 10th Air Force and was instrumental in creating
the Risk Management program for Schedulers and Operations Officers. His risk management background was essential
in creating a program to allow Reserve A-10 pilots to fly all-weather
operational and training missions after a series of attitude indicator failures
threatened mission readiness. His
efforts demonstrated that high-tempo, high-risk missions can be performed
safely and effectively by incorporating risk management principles in the
planning and execution process.
Lt Col English has over 15,000 hours in T-37s, T-38s, B-52s,
B-1s, EMB 120 Brasilia regional airliners, Douglas DC-8 freighters, and the
freighter versions of the Boeing 727, 757, and 767 aircraft. He has flown as pilot-in-command of the
Beechcraft King Air 300-series, and the Pilatus PC-12 in private passenger
operations. He is a qualified CAP SAR/DR
Mission Pilot and Form 5 Check Pilot in the Cessna 172 and 182/G1000. He served as Air Operations Branch Director
during the Southeast Region deployment to Puerto Rico following Hurricane
Maria. He has received numerous awards
and decorations, including the CAP Exceptional Service Medal, the Air Force
Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Force Air Medal. He is currently an Aviation Lecturer at
Middle Georgia State University’s Eastman Flight Campus, teaching Meteorology,
Regulations and Safety. He enjoys flying
his SOCATA Rallye 220, travel and boating with his wife, Alysia (also a CAP
member).