Geoff Whitehurst

Geoff Whitehurst joined the College of Aviation in 1998, initially as a Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) Instructor and later the Chief Ground Instructor for our International Pilot Training Program (IPTC), instructing international students sponsored by British Airways, Emirates, and Aer Lingus. He is a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and earned his Master and Doctorate degrees in Evaluation, Measurement and Research from Western Michigan University, where his dissertation research focused on using single-case research designs to study pilots’ performance degradation when transitioning for digital to analog cockpit flight instrumentation. He began his flying career as a navigator with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1976, flying in aircraft such as the F4 Phantom, before moving to the United States to train ab-initio pilots. He has trained pilots for Flight Safety International, Qatar Aeronautical College, as well as, helicopter pilots for Bristow Academy. His passion for teaching aviation earned him a nomination for WMU’s prestigious Distinguished Teacher’s Service Award.

His research interests include the use of experiential education in flight training and he is currently a researcher for the FAA PEGASAS Center of Excellence working with the FAA to improve weather related training practices. He has presented internationally at the Royal Aeronautical Society and international conferences, and has published several papers in peer reviewed journals. His teaching assignments include Introduction to Aviation, Aerodynamics and Performance, Aviation Safety, Aviation Meteorology and Global Navigation and Flight Planning. He enjoys passing on the knowledge he has gained from his years of experience and is committed to helping recruit and retain our future aviation professionals.