51-year-old Lee Davison has finally achieved his aviation dream after landing a permanent helicopter pilot role with UK charter operator Multiflight.

Hailing from Northallerton in North Yorkshire, Davison started flying in his twenties at Doncaster Aero Club and passed his CPL exams in 2008. He worked in a family building business as a plasterer until he trained to fly, before transferring to ground crew for two companies over a period of four years. The second company he was employed by went bankrupt and he had to move back home to York in 1994 to find work.
“I started a part-time job with the North Yorkshire Ambulance Service in the emergency control centre,” he explains. “I thought this would just be for a short while to fill a gap until I could get flying again but things developed and I was offered training to become a paramedic in 1998. My 25-year ambulance career covered frontline ambulance work, working as a solo operator as a fast response car paramedic and 10 years on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as a clinical supervisor/aircrew paramedic.

“When I was working on the air ambulance as a clinician I was based at Leeds Bradford airport. This is how I got to meet Mark Griffiths, Multiflight's chief helicopter pilot. I studied to pass my exams and flight test for my Commercial Licence in 2007/8 and then took my CV to show Mark in the hope of getting some pilot work.”

Lee started flying part-time for Multiflight in 2008. This continued on an ad-hoc basis until he joined the company on a permanent basis last year. 

“Mark has been inspirational for me in the last 10 years in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a professional pilot,” he continues. “I knew that the helicopter pilot role was limited if I didn't have my Instrument Rating so with the support of Multiflight I started my IR training at Kemble Airfield in the Cotswolds with Starspeed Training from October 2018 to completion in January 2019.

“I can safely say that it has been the hardest course I have ever done but very rewarding and a great achievement.”
On his way he has helped many people, not least 23-year-old Charlotte Leighton, who says Lee saved her life at the age of 10 when she was involved in a road accident and the paramedics on board a Yorkshire air ambulance treated her at the scene. The air ambulance flew Charlotte to hospital after the accident and doctors there were able to save her life and successfully treat her for severe facial injuries.

Commenting on Lee's new full-time role at Multiflight, Mark Griffiths says: “We are delighted to welcome Lee to the charter team as a full-time pilot. He has worked with Multiflight for a number of years now and it's been a real privilege to see and support his dedication to becoming full-time.”

Multiflight's services include fixed wing and helicopter charter, executive handling, private VIP terminal, aircraft sales, aircraft parts, engineering, hangarage, aircraft management, advanced helicopter flight training and a café.