ROBERT MAYER HAMILTON BA LLB MSc

 

 

Bob Hamilton is a US Army Aviator whose operational aviation career took him to some of the world’s most challenging aviation environments, including the US, Vietnam, Australia, New Guinea, West Irian and the Antarctic.

In 1971, he began a lengthy career with the Australian Department of Civil Aviation and its various successors where he occupied positions as diverse as Air Traffic Controller, Air Safety Inspector, Senior Aviation Security Officer and Operations Coordinator Marine Pollution.

In the late 1980’s, Bob was seconded to the University of Tasmania, where, as an Associate Professor, he established and ran the University’s Centre for Air Traffic Services.

Following redundancy in the 1990’s, Bob retrained as a Barrister and Solicitor and entered private practice before eventually returning to government as a Senior Legal Services Officer with the Commonwealth Department of Human Services, a position in which he practised Administrative Law as a Centrelink advocate.

Retiring at the age of 74, Bob now does sessional teaching for Bob Tait’s Aviation Theory School in the fields of Air Law and Human Factors and PPL.

A Vietnam veteran, Bob has held various civilian aircraft and air traffic control licences throughout his careers and holds a BA from the University of Queensland, an LLB from the University of Tasmania and an MSc from Cranfield in the UK, where his thesis resulted in modification of the aircraft separation standards on the North Atlantic Organised Air Track System. Resulting from his Vietnam service, he also holds the Air Medal for Valor, the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal.

Bob has written various aviation related papers and articles and is presently working on a book covering human factors related to individuals and organisations that operate specifically in the air transport industry. His focus is on the unique decision making needed in the operational aviation environment and how to identify, recruit and train the people most capable of making good safety related decisions.