Advisory Council Vice Chair

Christopher Sweeney

International Airline Pilot

Council Member since 2021

Chris comes from a family of military, commercial, and government aviation professionals and is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University’s Professional Aviation Program. Chris previously taught aviation at Louisiana Tech University and Northwestern State University. He is a CFIIMEI and Airline Transport Pilot.

Chris retired from a career in government service after 26 years as a Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) of the FBI. After many years focusing on intelligence, fugitive, organized crime and drug enforcement investigations as well as flight instruction and flight operations in the field, SSA Sweeney joined the Special Flight Operations Unit (SFOU) of the Critical Incident Response Group.

As the senior pilot of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Critical Incident Response Group’s Special Flight Operations Unit, he served as the Chief of Training, Standardization President, Cabin Safety Program Manager, and Check Airman.

Chris was a Captain and Instructor in the Longview Aviation Q400 regional turbo prop as well as the Gulfstream 550 and Gulfstream V fleets and has more than 10,000 hours of flight time including extensive international experience.

For more than 15 years at the SFOU, Chris was responsible for the safe response and transport and protection of government cabinet members and heads of agencies, as well as all specialty response teams including the Science Response, Technical Hazards Response, Hostage Rescue, Counter IED, Explosives Units as well as Criminal, Cyber, and Intelligence missions. SSA Sweeney was also responsible for the international forward transfer of detained subjects of federal investigations.

Chris was instrumental in evolving Bureau aviation to ISBAO stage 3 standards with exceptional distinction in training and cabin safety and Bombardier’s Safety Standdown was instrumental in facilitating the industry leading resources to raise the safety management, training, and professionalism of the organization.
 

Chris is now a pilot for a large global airline flying the Boeing 777 to international destinations all around the world.

Chris is a longstanding champion of Safety Standdown, facilitating pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians, analysts, and managers participating in Standdown and Standdown talks in person and online.

Chris also serves as an active Louisiana Tech University Aviation Industry Advisory Board member.

Chris hopes to introduce the emerging leaders of the aviation industry to Safety Standdown and its incredible professionalism, safety, and educational resources early in their careers.