David Strand Bio

B757/767 Program Manager
and Technical Pilot
American Airlines

Capt. David Strand is the Boeing 757/767 Program Manager in Flight Operations for American Airlines.  His responsibilities include the day-to-day as well as strategic activities for American's B757 and B767 fleets, which currently includes oversight of a $250 million avionics upgrade to the fleets. David is also responsible for American's NextGen activities, operations planning for CNS aircraft retrofits, and numerous industry representations in U.S. and international operations.

As a 23-year veteran of American Airlines, David has managed numerous programs to obtain operational approvals, including for RVSM, Polar operations, ATC Datacom, RNP SAAAR and the launch of service to India, Russia and China.  His numerous industry representation activities include the RTCA ATMAC RPG, ATA FSIC, over 10 years as chairman of the IATA North Atlantic/North American Regional Coordinating Group and representing IATA to the ICAO North Atlantic Implementation Management Group and Systems Planning Group.  He has been an invited speaker at numerous industry meetings and conferences including for ICAO, IATA, ADF, NBAA and the FAA.  David also received the RTCA Citation for Leadership Award for his chairmanship of the RTCA Concept of Equipage Working Group.

A native of Atlanta, GA, David attended the University of Utah, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology and minors in Mechanical Engineering and Music.  He continued at the University of Utah, completing a Master of Science degree in Meteorology.

David was hired with Delta Air Lines as a Meteorologist and later continued as an Aircraft Dispatcher.  While there, he also worked on the development and implementation of Delta's new flight planning. David was then employed with Atlantic Southeast Airlines as a Captain on the EMB-110.  Hired as a pilot with American Airlines in 1986, David has served as a flight crewmember on aircraft including the B767, B757, MD-80 and B727 throughout North and South America, the Pacific and Europe.  His current flight qualification is on the B757 and B767.