Jim Shirey and Jake Hart have joined Boise, Idaho-based Chelton Flight Systems, the company said last week. Shirey, formerly vice president of marketing for North America with SAGEM Avionics, Inc., comes aboard as vice president for business development while Hart joins up as vice president, autopilot systems. Hart, a former Air Force pilot who worked as an experimental test pilot for Bell Helicopter and as test pilot/director with American Eurocopter, will help introduce the Chelton HeliSAS as the first in the company’s product line of helicopter autopilots and stability augmentation systems. Meanwhile, Shirey brings over 30 years aviation industry experience in aircraft manufacturing, flight test operations, marketing and executive management to Chelton. Both will work in the Chelton Flight Systems’ Dallas/Ft Worth office.
“We are counting on proven forward-thinkers, with industry experience like Jim Shirey to take Chelton Flight Systems revolutionary products to the next level,” said Chelton Flight Systems’ President Gordon Pratt. He added, “The Chelton HeliSAS addresses a long-standing gap in the helicopter autopilot market. Jake Hart is exactly the person we need to introduce this lightweight, low cost, easy-to-install product.” Chelton Flight Systems, part of the Cobham Avionics and Surveillance Division, manufactures the first FAA-certified synthetic vision EFIS, now STC’d on over 740 airplane and helicopter models. Chelton Flight Systems’ parent company is Cobham plc.
