Welcome to the team, Chris
27 Jan 21
New JoinersTechnical and Strategic Services OBU
27 Jan 21
New JoinersTechnical and Strategic Services OBU
We are delighted to welcome Chris Pye to Inzpire's ever-growing family.
Chris joins our technical services team as a principal engineering specialist, having served for over 32 years as an RAF Engineer Officer in the Aerosystems branch.
Following his graduation from the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham with a degree in Aeromechanical Systems Engineering, Chris enjoyed tours as a junior officer at RAF Brize Norton, RAF Brüggen and HQ Logistics Command at RAF Wyton, as well as operational deployments to RAF Akrotiri and Mount Pleasant Complex in the Falkland Islands. With VC10, Hercules C130K and Tornado GR1 experience under his belt, Chris returned from the South Atlantic on promotion to squadron leader and an Integrated Logistics Support role within the Nimrod MRA4 Integrated Project Team at the MOD’s Defence Procurement Agency at Abbey Wood in Bristol. Following 2 further appointments, he served as the Senior Engineering Officer on 14 Squadron (Tornado GR1 and GR4) at RAF Lossiemouth before a second tour at RAF Wyton and a role within the Tornado Integrated Project Team to manage Tornado F3 weapons capability projects.
During that tour, Chris was selected for promotion to wing commander and to attend the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Defence Academy. On graduating from there, he joined HQ 1 Group at RAF High Wycombe to provide engineering and logistics direction and support to the Tornado and Jaguar forces. Selected for command of the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering (Cranwell), he led the delivery of initial specialist training of RAF and overseas Engineer Officers before completing an operational tour in Afghanistan as Chief of Staff Support, 904 Expeditionary Air Wing. On his return to the UK, he led a tri-Service project to transform the management and delivery of Non-Destructive Examination before returning to RAF High Wycombe as the Career Manager for the RAF’s Engineer and Logistics Branches’ wing commanders. Following a planned short stint in the Carrier-Enabled Power Projection Programme Office in MOD Main Building, he returned to MOD Abbey Wood as head of the Systems Integration branch within Defence Equipment & Support’s Fast Air Support Team. There, he was responsible for integrating Typhoon avionics and weapons capabilities, as well as the systems’ qualification & certification and in-service support.
During that tour, Chris was selected for promotion to group captain and as the Tornado Project Team Leader and Type Airworthiness Authority, in which he was responsible for the in-service support of the Tornado GR4, the management of its capability upgrade projects and its Type Airworthiness. In his last appointment before retiring from the RAF, he served with the MOD’s Saudi Armed Forces Projects Team in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he provided the Royal Saudi Air Force with programme and safety assurance, and operational and technical advice in support of the operation and maintenance of its Typhoon aircraft.
Chris lives with his wife Jo in Worcestershire and once again enjoys running to stay fit. He also enjoys films and music and has a particularly keen interest in classic cars and motorcycles.
Welcome to the Inzpire family, Chris!
28.03.24
GECO
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