The Committee

After being an avid airshow spectator for many years, Peter’s involvement with the Air Display industry began the 2013, working with the RAF Cosford Air Show and then as the Flight Operations Officer for Air Atlantique, working at Newquay Airport, where he oversaw the participation of their classic jets in a number of displays. Peter has a 1^st Class Honours Degree in Aviation Management from Coventry University, with his final year dissertation conducted as a critical appraisal of the current state of the UK Airshow Industry. Peter continued his involvement in the RAF Cosford Air Show throughout his time at university and was then employed full-time as the Air Show Operations Manager until 2019. His tenure at RAF Cosford included responsibility for the flying and static displays at the award winning RAF100 airshow in 2018. In January 2020 Peter joined the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises. As the Head of Air Operations, he is responsible for the safe, effective, and regulatory compliant delivery of all aviation elements of the Royal International Air Tattoo and other Air Tattoo Events Services activities. Peter is also a keen aviation photographer, travelling around the globe in search of rare aircraft, including a visit to North Korea.

Dr Geoff Coxon is the founder and CEO of theSKYLAB, a charitable organisation that uses aviation as a platform to outreach the Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) involved in aviation and aerospace to the public. A unique aspect of this organisation is that it specifically designs an airshow and its display programme around the promotion of STEM.

Geoff is also an academic and scientist with chemistry based research in the fields of polymer chemistry for fuel cells, drug discovery and currently, mRNA vaccine platform development.

As a committee member of BADA he helps supports the sustainability working group and feedbacks to the committee with experience and recommendations from the event organiser perspective.

Rod Dean has been displaying civil aircraft since 1984 when he retired from the RAF after 21 years service. During his RAF service, where he spent his whole time flying on operational squadrons or training units, he principally flew the Hunter and the Jaguar but with some time on the Hawk, Jet Provost, Meteor, Gnat and Chipmunk.  In 1972 and 73 he was the Strike Command Hunter display pilot at RAF Chivenor when he flew some 50 public displays over the two seasons and was the winner of the first WD & HO Wills Solo Jet Display Trophy at the North Weald International Air Tattoo in 1972.

After leaving the RAF, Rod spent ten years as the Business Manager for a flight simulator training company followed by fifteen years with the Civil Aviation Authority.  When he left the CAA he was the Chief Executive Officer of Air Safety Support International (ASSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of the CAA tasked with overseeing civil aviation regulation in the UK Overseas Territories.  Prior to this appointment he was the Head of the General Aviation Department. 

After leaving ASSI he was the Flight Operations Consultant (and Flying Display Director during the 2010 and 2012 Airshows) for Farnborough International Limited, the organisers of the Farnborough Airshow.  He was also the FDD for the annual Shoreham Airshow, and a number of other displays such as Blackpool, Biggin Hill and the Great Yorkshire Airshow.  Rod was also the Flying Display Coordinator for a number of well know flying displays such as the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. He is qualified as a Tier 3 FDD and Mentor and currently works on the Blackpool and Old Buckenham displays and a number of smaller events.

On the civil display side, Rod has flown a wide variety of World War II and immediate post-war piston fighters such as the Mustang, Corsair, Wildcat, Sea Fury, Bearcat, Hurricane, Harvard, Skyraider and, most favourite of all, the Spitfire.  He has also flown a number of vintage jet aircraft such as the Meteor, Vampire, Venom, T33, F86 Sabre and, not surprisingly, the Hunter. Rod was also a CAA Display Authorisation Evaluator. Following a very successful 2023 display season with multiple seaside displays in the Slingsby T67 and a very well received Harvard tailchase, which Rod led, at the Duxford 2023 finale display he has decided to retire from display flying but he continues to fly recreationally.

Ben is the editor of Aeroplane magazine, and an experienced commentator on the UK and international airshow circuit. He is currently the lead commentator for the Royal International Air Tattoo, the IWM Duxford airshows and many other events around the country, as well as being among those heard behind the microphone at the Shuttleworth Collection, the RAF Cosford Air Show and elsewhere.

Gary is an operational ATCO based on the island of Guernsey.

He has nearly 30 years experience in the ATC environment (working for NATS at West Drayton and Aberdeen before his move to the Channel Islands in 1992).

He has 20 years experience in the world of air display controlling, both at the Guernsey Air Display and, since 1998, RIAT where he is currently the SATCO.

Additionally, Gary is heavily involved in numerous aviation events in Guernsey and Alderney, and also carrys out work on behalf of BADA, researching and collating their annual review of the Air Display Industry.

Paul is an Engine Development Engineer by trade, with over thirty years’ experience developing high-performance powertrain units. After leading the development work for the Ford ST170, and the Audi RS5 V8 and R8 V10 engines between 2000 and 2010, much of his work then revolved around R&D looking at bigger-picture system efficiency improvements, understanding energy flow optimisations and life-cycle analyses to help bring about solutions to give genuine reductions in atmospheric CO2 levels. More recently he has led a couple of innovative projects for “smart cells” in Lithium ion batteries, and for optimising very high power density, high efficiency electric motors.

As an enthusiastic aviator, display pilot and FCC member himself, Paul is very keen to help develop and promote the Air Display Industry and to offer his engineering and data analysis skills to help achieve BADA’s aims and purposes in this area.

My career has been primarily corporate/commercial property related, the majority of which being spent managing the City of London’s varied portfolio including such buildings/sites as – The Old Bailey, Tower Bridge, Hampstead Heath and Barbican Centre, plus various commercial retail and office assets. I was responsible for the administration of the City’s commemorative Blue Plaque Scheme and I’m also a Freeman of the City of London.

I’ve undertaken various aviation management/finance related courses, initially at Cranfield University’s school of engineering (airport infrastructure and safety management). This was followed up at Westminster University with (airport economics/finance) and (airline demand analysis & capacity management).

As a volunteer, I spent 7 years based at IWM Duxford airfield with Plain Sailings Catalina PBY “Killer Cat”, flying in the aircraft during the display season. This was later supplemented by the addition of Lea Aviation’s F7F Tigercat and Pilatus P2 – during the winter months I assisted in the maintenance of all 3 aircraft.

Between 2013 – 2015 I was the assistant EO for the proposed Kenley Airshow near Croydon, south London and now as EO, I am currently negotiating with landowners in the southern counties for the use of their land for, potentially, three new airshow events.

I’m a TIPEC (independent Porsche) Club Member and my hobbies include: historic motorsport, F1, badminton, golf, skiing and photography..

Interested in Aviation from a young age Henry grew up as a frequent airshow attendee and achieved his pilots licence at age 17.
He obtained a 1st Class Degree in Physical Geography and Biology with a final year double dissertation studying the impacts of volcanic eruptions on aviation.

A qualified AFISO with a background across air operations and aviation media, he currently works on the Duxford Airshow Team.

Henry was the UK/European Tour Organiser for the Commemorative Air Force’s highly successful 2025 “Navy to Victory Tour”.
The tour was a transatlantic effort for the VE Day 80th Anniversary that saw R4D “Ready 4 Duty” travel from the USA to participate in events across the UK and Europe.

Henry now works with operators to facilitate and support international aircraft tours to the United Kingdom, including logistics working alongside event organisers, media professionals and merchandise producers.

Across his multiple passions he enjoys storm chasing, freediving and international travel.

Charles’ interest in airshows goes back to his childhood and as a cadet with the RAF Air Cadets was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks with the Red Arrows, achieving a goal early in life with a flight with the team. He supported the RAFGSA’s Glider Display, Team Condor at various shows, before joining the RAF Waddington International Airshow team in 2002, working in various roles, but mainly in the flying display coordination roles until 2015 when the airshow finished. His flying experience started at age 12 and largely stems from the Gliding world and light aircraft flying. He went onto become a Flying Display Director for various events around the UK. He joined the R5 team in 2017 as a Director. Charles is also the Executive of the European Airshow Council, the representative body for the airshow industry and community in Europe. He also brings knowledge of Police operations and Emergency Service and security through his roles within the Police Service.