Los Angeles-headquartered flight automation company SkyRyse has appointed Will Fulton as vice president of product and marketing. Fulton will lead the strategy, execution and growth of SkyRyse's FlightOS product, which makes flying safer and more accessible. He joins from Airbus Helicopters where he served as head of marketing for North America.

SkyRyse's mission is to transform aviation safety for all pilots and bring interoperability across aircraft platforms. FlightOS replaces the complex controls in a typical cockpit with touchscreens and a joystick, alongside fly-by-wire hardware and software that automates most actions. The technology removes many of the complexities of flying and safely manages the aircraft through emergencies and almost all weather conditions.

"We are on the cusp of generational transformation in transportation. SkyRyse's technology is unlocking safer and more accessible flight, and Will's unique background as a military helicopter pilot, an aerospace engineer and a leading aviation marketer will be instrumental to SkyRyse's next phase of growth," says founder and CEO Dr Mark Groden. "Will's leadership will help drive the FlightOS product roadmap and deliver a drastic leap in aviation safety to more aircraft through its advanced automation and revolutionary user-friendly design."

A West Point graduate with a degree in mechanical aerospace engineering, Fulton served in the US Army for seven years as an Apache Longbow helicopter pilot. He subsequently joined Bell Helicopters as an R&D project engineer while also receiving his MBA from Texas Christian University.

"SkyRyse's world-class team has figured out how to make flying both safer and simpler," says Fulton. "The significance of that technological leap cannot be overstated. I'm excited to work alongside the incredible innovators at SkyRyse to make safe, joyful flying a daily experience for aircraft operators."

SkyRyse has tripled its headcount over the past year, which included hiring its first chief financial officer and appointing a new chief operating officer earlier this summer. To date, the company has secured partnerships with numerous of the world's largest fixed wing and rotorcraft original equipment manufacturers, which collectively produce over half of the world's new general aviation aircraft. Most recently, it partnered with air medical transport company Air Methods to retrofit more than 400 single engine helicopters and fixed wing aircraft in its fleet with FlightOS.