Behind the wings: Federico Bevilacqua, LTC and ATO manager at GlobeAir

Learn why a well-trained crew is the backbone of every aviation company with LTC and ATO manager Federico Bevilacqua

What's the secret behind GlobeAir crew's passion for BizAv

Our #DreamTeam is made of the people who make it thrive. To celebrate the value of our crew, we are presenting one of our LTC commanders and ATO manager Federico Bevilacqua.

Flight Safety's motto resembles something like this: "a trained pilot is the highest safety asset you can have" – this is well known to Federico and his training department at GlobeAir. Thanks to this company's pillar, GlobeAir has managed to build its reputation as one of the safest and most compliant business aviation companies for more than ten years. We have interviewed Federico to learn more about his passion for aviation and all that flying represents. Read the interview and discover the passion behind the people at GlobeAir.

When did your passion for aviation begin?

A real aviator lives and breathes the passion for flying

I don't know when it started – I cannot mention a specific year; I only know that I was a very young kid. I must have been two when my father started to bring me to the local airport of Massa-Cinquale, close to Forte Dei Marmi, where my family has its second house. Even when I got older, my main interest was not going to the seaside; instead, I would ask my grandparents to take me to the airport. I could spend hours spotting random planes on the apron; this is also when I realised I could only become a pilot when I got older enough to begin my studies.

I started studying humanities at the local high school in Florence – considered one of the highest study programs in Italy, although it had nothing to do with any aviation subject. However, I am glad I chose this path to get some general culture as a basis for my personal development. At 16, I started my ppl at the Florence aero club.

It was fun to realise that I received my private pilot's licence (PPL) at 17 years old; even before I could get my driving licence done – Federico.

When I graduated from high school, I travelled to the United States, in California. There I got my CPL according to the FAA framework regulations. I decided to study in North America because I also wanted to get better at English. When I got back after getting my licence, I had to convert all my exams into the EASA requirements. So I spent a year doing that theoretically and practically – flying to Bristol to complete the practical part.

When I finally got my conversion done, I decided to become a flight instructor. At the local aero club, I had a good group of friends and career advisors, and as my former instructor retired, I decided to replace him. Slowly, I learnt to enjoy passing on the passion of flying to excited future pilots. After I got my instructor licence from the UK, I never stopped accompanying aviator newbies to follow their dreams – now it's ten years I am enjoying the role of the instructor.

How did your pilot's career move on?

From the first pilot mission, to the beginning of the #DreamTeam story

After being an instructor in Florence for some time, I had the chance to get in touch with the owner of a King Air 90. I proceeded to do the type rating for this aircraft and then fly it from the USA to Italy. After a year, the owner sent it back to Colombia, and I moved on to fly for a private jet company doing MEDEVAC and VIP luxury flights for about three years.

I remember then I met one of my future #DreamTeam colleagues in Olbia while I was still employed for my former charter company, and that’s when I got my first contact with the GlobeAir crew. It all started with an authentic Italian coffee, and the game was set – shortly after, I found myself applying as a captain at GlobeAir, and I was flying the Mustang just a few months later.

What is your current role at GlobeAir?

At GlobeAir today, I am a line training commander (LTC) and the ATO manager. As a line training commander, I am responsible for flying on the left side and guiding GlobeAir’s new pilots through the specific #DreamTeam procedures and first flights until they are released as first officers. My job also involves organising yearly line checks for every pilot in the company; these checks are required to assess standard operative procedure handling and the pilots’ knowledge of the aircraft at GlobeAir.

On top of that, I am also one of the designated flight operations managers on duty (FOMOD), which means that I am responsible for the daily flight operations on specific days of the week. A FOMOD is a person that takes care of handling phone calls from pilots or dispatch whenever the operations are challenging or require that a person with knowledge give help.

For two years, I am the company’s authorised training organisation (ATO) manager, which means I am keeping the relevant documents and procedures related to our aircraft up to date. Those involve the base training of the Mustang (6 touch-and-goes after type rating).

Which destination can you recommend to our readers?

It depends. As long as we are talking about the beauty of a landscape, I would choose St. Moritz or Sion; but when you speak about food, then the Balearic Islands and Spain, in general, are the places to be.

Why is training so fundamental for pilots?

A well-trained crew is the most advanced safety device. And I think this is absolute reality. You have to consider that we may perform three to four take-offs and landings every day due to our hectic schedule. Those being the most critical moments of the flight, we need to keep our crew trained to ensure smooth and seamless flights for our passengers. We train so much in the simulator (SIM) every year to be ready to tackle every challenge.

The simulator exaggerates the challenges, of course, providing the worst case scenarios (engine’s loss, series of malfunctions, bad weather conditions and so on). We don’t want to give our pilots the habit of flying relaxed, but the simulator’s training is necessary to make the pilots grow and be aware that everything can come. There is also an essential mental component to consider; pilots are trained to stay calm and breathe correctly. There is a lot of work to be done regarding the psychological side of the pilot’s job – which one should not underestimate. Every pilot at GlobeAir trains twice a year for a total of 16 hours in the SIM.

What are the challenges and the rewards of your job?

Challenges: We are here to deliver. Outstanding flight performances and exceptional travel possibilities, both for people who fly for leisure and business. So of course one of the possible challenge is the high amount of legs per day. We are a flexible crew but also sometimes need to fight with slots and other operational limitations. Commercial airlines sometimes have priority over business aviation and this is something we cannot change. We try our best to make it possible for this rule not to affect the flight of our discerning passengers and most of the times are passengers are business aviation savvy and understand it.

The highest reward of my job is to see the passenger in the backseat smiling after landing – Federico.

Rewards: When you land and your passenger is happy! The feeling that our passengers are safe and want to come back for more flights even thinking about recommending GlobeAir to their friends. And of course, some nice dinners in Olbia or Spain ;)

Future of aviation, love for the industry and the #DreamTeam

A last round of questions about the current aviation landscape

What is the future of aviation according to you? Greener. I see a lot of potential in biofuel, but it will take some time until logistics can make it possible.

What do you like about business aviation? Business aviation is highly dynamic. I like that we get directly in contact with our passengers and people – building a bond with them and getting them to trust us. I have this higher responsibility to represent the company I work for and express all the value that GlobeAir offers to the outside world. This makes me proud, and it always triggers exciting conversations with our passengers – knowing that all the people who share with me is kept private and highly respected.

What do you like about the #DreamTeam? It is a real team. We work together towards the same goal: to have a friendly environment without stress. Second, we want to deliver outstanding performances for our customers. When you fly six days with somebody on your side, your first officer becomes more than a colleague; you spend a lot of time with him, and you feel like he is some family for you. I like to see myself as a mentor and a friend for my first officers, and I hope they feel the same bond after the rotation.

About Federico

Federico's bio

Federico is Italian and has joined Globeair in 2017. He is a passionate aviator and his in free time he likes to spend time fishing with his family and hiking with friends. Not only he represents the company and he is on the front line as an LTC but also he takes care of training as GlobeAir's ATO manager and deputy of GlobeAir's MPCT.