Paul 'BJ' Ransbury

Paul BJ Ransbury has been flying professionally for 30 years. In 2005, he proudly accepted the position of President of Aviation Performance Solutions, LLC (APS), and is fully dedicated to the APS vision of helping pilots bring everyone home safely.
Mr. Ransbury’s professional flight experience spans a wide spectrum from general aviation advanced flight instruction and hard-charging unlimited category airshow aerobatic displays to scheduled airlines and military fighter operations.
Throughout his career as a professional pilot and business entrepreneur, Mr. Ransbury has been keenly interested in the development of programs that bring high-performance aviation into the hands of the general public and to aviators of all skill levels. Driven by a responsibility to improve safety of flight to save lives in the aviation industry, he has been developing innovative training techniques and advanced flight training courses for individual pilots, corporate flight departments, government agencies, and aircraft manufacturers for two decades. In additional to being involved in a number of international efforts on evolving LOC-I mitigation in aviation, he is:
- The Lead of the NBAA Safety Committee’s Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) Working Group,
- The Recipient of the Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism Award recognizing individual aviation professionals who have demonstrated their outstanding professionalism and leadership in support of aviation safety in the business aviation industry.
- A regular speaker on Upset Prevention and Recovery Training at the Bombardier Safety Standdown, where he and the APS team proudly provide integrated Loss of Control In-flight training solutions for the Bombardier Leading Edge program, and
- A technical aviation article editor for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s JAAER (Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education and Research) Program
Mr. Ransbury’s primary focus has been to assess the continually changing need for advanced flight training in aviation worldwide. As one of only 30 Master Certified Flight Instructors worldwide holding an aerobatic accreditation, his on-going analysis of program effectiveness in relation to market demands keeps APS on the leading edge of providing training solutions to a wide variety of operators. His friendly demeanor, combined with in-depth expertise in edge-of-the-envelope aerodynamics and recovery techniques, uniquely bridges the gap between advanced training curricula and a prospective company’s corporate training objectives. Mr. Ransbury addresses an organization’s flight training needs through a one-on-one, hands-on approach to customized course development. Under his direct supervision in locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, thousands of professional pilots have been successfully trained in standardized UPRT training techniques and mitigation strategies.
Paul BJ Ransbury, a U.S. Citizen since 2012, graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1988 with a B.Sc. in Honors Mathematics and Physics. After 12 years serving as a military officer and fighter pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces flying the F/A-18 Hornet, he was a scheduled airline pilot flying the Airbus A320 for three years. His high-performance civilian aviation career continued as a professional airshow pilot and was hallmarked with his airshow team being featured in an IMAX 3D feature film distributed around the world. Now entering his 21st year holding consecutive senior management positions within several international advanced flight training organizations, Mr. Ransbury remains centered on improving safety of flight in the aviation industry globally. Read more on APS’ incredible life-saving story under Ransbury’s leadership …
Mr. Ransbury is a loving husband and proud father of four wonderfully children between the ages of five and thirteen years old. In addition to being an active church member and a husband who enjoys days full of family activities, he is also currently pursuing the completion of his MBA.
Recent Articles by Ransbury
- Simulator Upset Training with Extended Envelopes
- Airman Certification Standards and Upset Recovery Training
- Helicopter Upset Training in Fixed Wing Airplanes
- Using Business Jets for Upset Recovery Training
- Technology in Airline Jet Upset Training
- What Really Matters in an Upset Training Provider?
- The Global Standard for Professional Jet Pilot UPRT
- Guidelines for Effective Upset Recovery Training
Notable Speaking Engagements by Ransbury
- Jan 2019: Aviation International News: When It All Goes Sideways (Loss of Control Training Value)
- BASS 2018: Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) Solved: Global Standard
- Sep 2017: Aviation International News: Engine Fire Forces Water Landing
- BASS 2017: Business Aviation Overcomes LOC-I Co-presented by Capt. John Cox and Paul BJ Ransbury
- International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) Webinar 2017: Surviving Loss of Control In-flight (Watch)
- NBAA Flight Plan Podcast 2017 (Listen): Taking a Closer Look at Preventing Loss of Control In-flight Accidents
- Bombardier Safety Standdown 2016 – Extreme Fear
- Business Aviation Safety Summit BASS 2016 – CAST Airplane State Awareness
- Embraer Executive Jets Safety Standdown 2016 – Jet Upset Training: You and Your Airplane
- Overcoming Loss of Control In-flight 2016 (Video Course)
- National Business Aviation Association NBAA 2015 – Single Pilot Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I)
- Bombardier Safety Standdown 2015 – General Session: Hazardous Mental Attitudes Leading to LOC-I
Instructor Qualifications
- Master Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)-Aerobatic
- Gold Seal Flight Instructor
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) / Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) / Instrument Instructor Airplane (CFII) / Advanced Ground Instructor (AGI)
- Former Part 141 Chief Flight Instructor at APS (5 Years)
- Former Class 1 Aerobatic Instructor (Transport Canada)
- Military
- Fighter Weapons Instructor Course Graduate (FWIC)
- Bombardier Flying Instruction Techniques Course Graduate Military
Military Fighter Pilot Experience
- 12 Yrs. Canadian Armed Forces: F-18 Hornet Fighter Pilot Fighter
- Electronic Warfare and Advanced Radar Graduate
- 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron
- 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron
- 410 and 419 Tactical Fighter (Training) Squadrons
Education
- Royal Military College of Canada (BSc Honors Mathematics & Physics Degree)
- Pursuing Master of Business Association (MBA) – Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Professional Pilot Experience and Certifications
- Airline Transport Pilots License
- Single/Multi-Engine Instrument (US & Canada)
- Airlines: Airbus A320
- Tailwheel/Complex/High-Performance Certified
- 6000+ Hours Aerobatic Experience (3500+ hours in the Extra 300L)
Air Show Qualifications
- International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) Certified Air Show Performer – Solo/Formation Aerobatics (Former Level 1/Surface Certified)
Memberships
- International Committee for Aviation Training in Extended Envelopes (ICATEE)
- Upset Prevention and Recovery Training Association (UPRTA)
- National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
- TBM Owners and Pilots Association (TBMOPA)
- Malibu Mirage Owners and Pilots Association (MMOPA)
- Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
- The International Association of Coaching (IAC)
- National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI)
- International Council of Air Shows (ICAS)
- Council on Unusual Attitude Training Education (CUATE)