David Evans is a Senior Check & Training Captain and Motivational Speaker.
With over 25,000 flying hours and 35 years flying for Qantas, including successfully overseeing one of the most significant near disasters in aviation history, Captain Evans has turned his hand to leadership of a different kind.
Through his motivational talks, which cover the lessons learned from the QF32, as well as a variety of other topics, he shares the knowledge gained over the course of his career.
From flight-specific statistics to leadership, decision-making and coping with the aftershocks of a startling event, his presentations have helped hundreds to reframe their perception of both air travel and their own everyday lives.
Get In Touch
Speaking Engagements
From the British Medical Journal to McDonald’s, Captain Evans is able to channel his expertise into a memorable and relevant presentation for any audience. Drawing on his personal experiences as well as the various principles he has learnt over the course of his career, he covers matters of leadership, crisis management and teamwork, alongside Standard Operating Procedures, the fundamentals of flight and other topics more specific to aviation.
He has presented internationally for groups of all sizes and sectors. In both formal, casual and corporate settings. From effective communication and decision making to effectively navigating the aftershocks of a startling event, everyone and anyone will walk away having learnt something new of value, feeling inspired, enlightened and empowered.
Recipient Of
The Polaris Award (2011) | International Federation of Airline Pilots Association (IFALPA)
The Hugh Gordon Memorial Award (2011) | Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators (GAPAN)
The Captain John Ashton Memorial Award (2019) | The Honourable Company of Air Pilots
Saving Kuwaiti Connie
A story that will be of particular intrigue to anyone with an interest in the history of air travel, classic aircrafts and amateur archaeology. From scorpions and storms to salvaging a 770lb tail fin from the sands of a Kuwaiti desert, what seemed at first to be a straight-forward retrieval mission turned into an international tale of twists and turns. Read all about the 2018 expedition to bring home key components of a historically significant Qantas Super Constellation, including Captain Evans’s personal log, below.
Fear of Flying
In addition to his motivational talks, Captain Evans also works to educate and assist those who struggle with a fear of flying, whether it be a minor anxiety or a debilitating phobia. With experience in both aviation and public speech, as well as a thorough knowledge of human factors and statistics in equal measure, he is uniquely placed to assuage fears, educate and offer solutions and coping techniques. Captain Evans offers this program in association with a collection of fellow pilots, psychologists and Flight Experience™.
Averting Disaster on QF32
On November 4th, 2010 Captain Evans was Supervising Check Captain on board infamous flight QF32. The A380 experienced an uncontained engine failure soon after take-off which led to a series of subsequent additional issues, in what is now considered one of the most serious in-flight crises of all time. What followed was a coordinated effort by the experienced crew, who navigated a perfect storm of obstacles to ensure an emergency landing of the aircraft and the safe disembarkation of all on board.