Piper Aircraft president and CEO Simon Caldecott is retiring on 2 April after nearly 10 years at the helm of the company, and 47 years in the aviation industry.

Following his appointment as president and CEO in 2011, Caldecott set a new course for Piper Aircraft with a vision to stabilise, improve and grow the business with a specific intent to expand the M-Class product line and revitalise the trainer market. During his tenure, the company designed and introduced the newest M-Class flagship product, the M600. His leadership and guidance were instrumental in paving the way for the launch of Garmin's emergency autoland technology, known as HALO on the new M600 SLS.

“It has been an honour and privilege leading Piper Aircraft through a transformative journey, from a legacy aircraft manufacturer to the first general aviation manufacturer to certify an autoland equipped general aviation aircraft,” Caldecott comments. “We strengthened the leadership team with new talent, made major facility improvements to make a safer workplace and strengthened relations with the community as well as with major suppliers. I am enormously proud of the dedicated team at Piper and our global independent dealership network. With everything in place, the company's future prospects are extremely encouraging, and I look forward to a smooth transition.”

Piper Aircraft has been working with the company's board of directors for several months on a succession plan and will be announcing the new leadership structure soon.