Flight Standards Officer (Air Displays)

Date: 16 Sept 2025

Location: Gatwick, GB

Company: Civil Aviation Authority

Salary: £61,000 to £65,000

Contract Type: Full Time Permanent

Location: Gatwick / Hybrid

Visa Restrictions: This position does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

Security Level: CTC

For many appointments within the CAA, these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance. To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be undertaken. For this role this will need to be 3 years. For more information on CTC and SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We are the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

The Role

This is an exciting role, as Flight Standards Officer within the Air Display Team of the General Aviation Unit, part of the Safety & Airspace Regulation Group. This rare opportunity offers you the chance to truly help shape and influence the GA operational landscape as well as the aviation industry in general. It is an exciting opportunity to serve the public while also establishing yourself as renowned authority within the general aviation industry. Your decisions in this role have the potential to impact thousands of lives across the UK.

You will provide the Air Display Lead (ADL) with support in the development and implementation of risk-based oversight (regulatory and non-regulatory), safety promotion, inspection, assurance tasks and stakeholder engagement associated with the delivery of the Air Display Regulation Team (ADRT) Strategy.

As a Flight Standards Officer, your role will include:  

• Conducting on-site audits and assessments of a wide array of GA customers and ensure their compliance with relevant operational regulations, such as ANO, SERA & EU Regulation as retained and amended in UK law.
• You will assist in the delivery of the Air Display Regulation Programme; contribute to regulatory change and embed guidance and processes as part of the CAA’s air display regulatory environment.
• Oversight of UK Display Flying Activity will form an important part of your role as you’ll ensure the agreed safety and performance standards are met.
• The role will involve working with both internal and external partners as you will liaise widely, providing support and expertise on GA and UK Display Flying matters.
• You will consult with the UK GA Community on changes to legislation and regulatory requirements to ensure their views are represented. It is therefore essential to be able to communicate verbally and in writing to a high standard.

More Specifically you will:

• Prepare and issue Permissions, Exemptions, Approvals and Variations in area of allocated responsibilities.
• Conduct Assurance visits in area of allocated responsibilities to establish that stakeholders are compliant with legislation and CAA CAPs.
• Provide expert input into the regulation of the UK General Aviation Industry to support the GA Unit policy of developing proportionate and performance-based oversight to encourage a vibrant GA industry within the UK.
• Develop policy and regulatory responses to investigations and contextual developments and act as a point of liaison and communication between internal stakeholders and the GAU for these purposes.
• Engage with external stakeholders and provide support and expertise to the GA unit, and other stakeholders, on GA and Flying Display matters.
• Identify and develop amendments to CAPs and guidance material to keep up to date with technical and legislative changes.
• Consult with the UK flying display community on changes to legislation and regulatory requirements to ensure that their views are represented
• Manage workload within priorities set by the GA Air Display Lead through the Air Display Regulation Team Strategy.
• Recognise when to refer matters for high level agreement and coherence with over-arching GA Unit and SARG strategies & policies.
• Seek advice from other departments internally, including legal department, but will be responsible for carrying processes forward.
• Seek to advance both the CAA and UK position.

About You: 

You will be self-motivated, possesses strong communication skills and an demonstrate excellent knowledge of aviation operations. It is essential that you have a thorough knowledge of display flying management and delivery gained through appropriate Flying Display Director (FDD) experience, or as an Airshow Event Organiser, or through authority and industry regulatory experience, along with an understanding of UK Air Display Regulation.

Essential Criteria

• Must have a thorough knowledge of display flying management and delivery gained through appropriate Flying Display Director (FDD) experience, or as an Airshow Event Organiser, or through authority and industry regulatory experience.
• Must understand UK Air Display Regulation.
• Confident to make risk-based, proportionate and consistent decisions.
• Confidentially communicate at all levels, which may include senior stakeholders both within and outside of the CAA.
• Confidently deliver training
• Able to collaborate, seek guidance and consult but have strength to push forward processes
• Demonstrate, understand and analyse complex technical data, along with ensuring a high level of accuracy in all work.
• Provide timely and effective responses to internal and external stakeholder demands. 

Desirable Criteria

• Have or have held a Private or Professional Pilot Licence, or military equivalent, or have relevant, current substantive authority and industry regulatory experience.
• Able to utilise project management disciplines to ensure assigned work is managed to agreed criteria of cost, time and quality.

What we can offer you: This is a unique opportunity to be intimately involved in the UK air display industry and input to the delivery of UK regulatory oversight in this field. As the flying display season progresses and your experience grows, there will be the opportunity to spend larger parts of your working day carrying our audit and oversight related activity amongst the wider air display community. You will have an outstanding opportunity to share your opinions on how we might better enable a safe aviation environment for all airspace users

Relocation & Property: The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years’ time. Our move is driven by strategic, operational and environmental considerations. We will move to a new local home, up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House, to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers. We are collaborating with colleagues and visitors to understand what is required in our new office, before we start our property search, but we do not expect to move before 2028.

Inclusive Recruitment: We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.

Working With Us: We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance.

We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!

Our Values: Do The Right Thing, Never Stop Learning, Build Collaborative Relationships, Respect Everyone – For more information please Click Here

Closing Date: 30 September 2025

Interview Date: WC 10 Oct 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.