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Francesco "Frank" Gozzo is a distinguished FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and seasoned aviation professional based in Morrisville, North Carolina. With a career deeply rooted in the Raleigh-Durham area, Gozzo founded FlightGest Academy in 1999, transforming it into a premier training institution known for its focus on safety and professional excellence. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and is a Gold Seal Flight Instructor (CFI/CFII/MEI) with thousands of hours of flight experience. As a lead representative for the FAASTeam, he plays a pivotal role in pilot safety education and regulatory compliance across the mid-Atlantic region.
Before transitioning fully into aviation leadership, Gozzo excelled as a high-level business executive and engineer. His technical background includes the design and testing of critical government systems, such as the Space Shuttle, Air Force One, and GPS technologies. This rigorous engineering perspective informs his safety mindset; while maintaining a clean personal safety record, he has dedicated years to analyzing general aviation accidents to develop "lessons-learned" training modules. He specializes in human factors research, specifically regarding pilot workload and automation. Today, Gozzo is highly regarded for his fair and thorough examination style, ensuring the next generation of pilots meets the highest standards of safety.