Captain Ransom is an experienced international airline and general aviation pilot logging more than 16,000 hours, including 14,000 hours of command time and 400 ocean crossings. In his aviation career, he has worked in management for several major airlines. His positions have included Chief Pilot, Chief Pilot-Technical, Instructor, Accident Investigator, Check Airman, Production Test Pilot Manager and Aircraft Acquisition Manager. He served several years as a member of the ATA Flight Systems Integration Committee, and has worked on numerous other industry technical committees. He is recognized as an industry expert on MD-11 aircraft, aircraft oxygen systems and smoke/fire/fume mitigation strategies. This experience has led to several speaking engagements at Boeing, SAE and FAA events. Most recently, Captain Ransom played a lead role in an operator’s Safety Task Force created to make inflight-fires survivable events. Currently Director, Safety Standards with Safety Operating Systems, an aviation-consulting firm located in Washington, D.C., he also has appeared as an aviation expert on CNN and other networks.
Captain Ransom began his airline career in 1970 as a Purdue University student working with Purdue Airlines, a supplemental FAR 121 carrier operating DC-9-30s. Hired by Air Florida in 1973, he assumed the Chief Pilot position in 1974. While at Air Florida Capt. Ransom was check airman and simulator/aircraft instructor on L-188 Electra, B-727-100, DC-9-15 and DC-10-30 aircraft. Capt. Ransom also served as chairman of both the Safety and Professional Standards committees for the Air Florida Pilots’ Association.
In 1987 Captain Ransom was recruited by UPS during its start-up to establish the B-757 fleet. In addition to developing aircraft manuals, performing training, managing check airmen and acquiring simulators, he played a key role in establishing the airline’s overall flight operations. Later, he performed similar responsibilities as Boeing B-767 and MD-11 aircraft were added to the airline. As UPS’s Chief Pilot–Technical Captain Ransom supervised all airline technical activities including all company aircraft acceptance and flight testing, including the certification of a completely new aircraft type, the B-727 Quiet Freighter.
While serving as Aircraft Acquisition Manager, Captain Ransom was responsible for evaluating new technologies, developing performance specifications, airline operation metrics and making final recommendations for aircraft purchases. His job involved developing business relationships with representatives from Boeing, Airbus, McDonnell Douglas and numerous vendors. Captain Ransom is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.