David Learmount is the operations and safety editor of Flight International magazine and an expert on aviation issues.

His first step into aviation was to get himself a private pilot's licence. Shortly after that he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force, in which he was a pilot and qualified flying instructor. He served on LXX Squadron flying Lockheed C-130H Hercules based in Cyprus and the UK.

David Learmount joined Flight International in 1979 and was air transport editor and features editor for 15 years before taking up his present role.

In 1997 and 2005 David was awarded the UK Royal Aeronautical Society's Award for the best international Air Transport feature, and has also been presented with the Flight Safety Foundation's Brownlow award for flight safety reporting.

David is a regular broadcaster on aviation and air travel subjects for television and radio stations throughout the world. He led the news reporting of 9/11 that won Sky News its first ever BAFTA award for news coverage in 2001.

He is frequent speaker at safety, accident investigation, aviation insurance and aviation law conferences and seminars.