Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society
FRAeS is the Society’s highest grade, awarded for a sustained contribution to aerospace. The Royal Aeronautical Society was founded in 1866.
About the practice
Led by someone who has been responsible for the operation.
FOPS Group is a specialized aviation safety group. We help you put a practical, scalable Safety Management System and documented policies, processes and procedures, throughout your flight operation, without an airline’s headcount.
Our vision
To provide small under resourced operators, a platform to aviation industry leading standards.
We imagine an industry where every operator, benefits from industry best practices, without being cost prohibitive. We want small operators to join the FOPS Group, to have a forum to collaborate, that is backed by the regulator.
Our mission is to provide smaller operators, at zero cost, an annual safety standdown conference that addresses Safety matters affecting our industry. We want partners that appreciate updates that are instant, audits that are easy, and flight operations departments with the time to run smoother than ever.
Founder & CEO
Simon Gibbons BSc (Hons), FRAeS
Simon spent two decades inside scheduled airlines before founding FOPS. The practice is aimed at the FAA’s priority for this segment: improving safety in America’s largest aviation community, where operator confidence and a prepared workforce matter as much as the rulebook.
As an airline Chief Operating Officer, he sat on the executive team and was approved by the regulator responsible for the Air Operator Certificate (AOC). Simon oversaw Safety and Compliance, Flight Operations, Network Operations, Ground and Ramp, and Engineering/ Maintenance. Simon is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and previously served on the board for an Aviation Skills Council.
Before that he was the regulator-approved Director of Flight Operations - accountable for regulatory affairs, the operation manual suite, flight crew, crew standards, operational control. He is an approved Flight Instructor, Check Airmen, and Captain on several regional jets. Simon completed a BSc in Physics at the University of Exeter. He currently flies the Bombardier Global 8000 on worldwide corporate missions.
Credentials
Recognized by the profession, not only by a résumé.
NBAA Certified Aviation manager
Simon is enrolled in the NBAA Certified Aviation Manager program, the National Business Aviation Association’s professional standard for leadership, people, operations, maintenance, and the business of a flight department.
Physics, University of Exeter
BSc with Honours, and the Dean’s Award in 2004 and 2005. A quantitative background applied to performance, risk, and systems.
Licences and types
Airline transport pilot certificates from the FAA, CASA, and the UK CAA. Type ratings include the Global 7500/8000, Embraer 170/190, ERJ 135/145, Dash 8-Q400, and ATR 72.
Learn to run a flight operations department
Safety First, without the slogan.
Most small operators know how to fly the aircraft. Fewer have a clear system for running the department that sits behind the flights.
FOPS Group works with operators to build that capability. You learn how operational control works, how to keep the manuals current and consistent, how to manage crew qualification and training, and how to stay aligned with FAA and industry standards without treating compliance as a separate project.
The manuals and procedures are the starting point. The real outcome is an operator who understands how the pieces fit together and can run the operation with confidence as it grows.
You focus on the decisions and the flying. The structure and the documentation stay current in the background.
