Profile

Cameron Marchant

• Director/Instructor

Like many Australian pilots, Cameron’s career began as a charter pilot in remote Queensland & the Northern Territory, however instead of seeking an airline career he took a Commission as an Officer in the Australian Army & became a reconnaissance helicopter pilot. Based in Darwin with 161 Reconnaissance Squadron, & with several operational deployments behind him (including East Timor in 1999), he ultimately became a military Qualified Flying Instructor – responsible for the training of Army pilots. Following his tenure in Army Aviation, Cameron worked as the Manager of Training & Checking for two regional airlines, operating aircraft such as the Beech 1900, Fairchild Metroliner, Embraer 120 Brasilia & Dash 8.

Cameron was the Chief Pilot of Chartair during the period 2011 to 2016, leading the transition of that Company from a general flying charter operation into low capacity RPT & Approved Single-Engine Turbine (ASETPA, now known as PSEA) operations. He is a Civil Aviation Safety Authority Approved Flight Examiner with approvals for a range of licences & ratings, including the Air Transport Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Flight Instructor Instrument & Low Level Ratings as well as Aerial Mustering. For the past 20 years Cameron has also served as a consultant in the aviation industry, conducting training & assessments for a number of commercial & private organisations.

Since co-founding Flight Standards in 2015, Cameron has helped multiple operators establish Cessna 208 Caravan, Cessna 441 Conquest, King Air 200, Turbo Commander & Beech 1900 operations around Australia. He is also the CASA-approved Head of Operations & Head of Flying Operations for three operators – Kakadu Air Services (Cessna 210, 310, 402 & 208B Caravan, GA8 Airvan & Robinson R44), Northern Territory Air Services (Cessna 206, 210, 310, 402, 404 & 208 Caravan, plus Piper Chieftain) & Southern Airlines (Piper Chieftain, Aero Commander 500 & Beech 1900). Cameron holds Air Transport Pilot Licences for both aeroplanes & helicopters, is a flight instructor in both categories, & has logged more than 22,000 fixed-wing & 2,500 helicopter hours.

At the 2025 Avalon Airshow, Cameron was presented with the 2024 Col Pay Award for a Lifetime of Service to General Aviation, part of the CASA Wings Awards. In 2024 the Honourable Company of Air Pilots awarded him its Master Air Pilot certificate – an elite recognition given to only around 1,300 aviators worldwide since 1929, acknowledging those who have reached the pinnacle of expertise & are truly “masters of their craft”. He has also featured in CASA safety presentations & videos, including Flying in the wet season.

Cameron is not one to seek accolades, but his contributions to our team & the wider industry are invaluable. He is a wonderful mentor to those he works with, & many pilots around the world have achieved their goals, at least in part, thanks to his efforts. His experience in pilot training & development, combined with many years of remote area flying, forms the foundation for his operational philosophy – he believes that discipline in training & the ongoing development of standards is the cornerstone of flight safety.