Chris Chop is the President of Aviation Safety Partners and an IBAC-accredited IS-BAO auditor with over 35 years of military, airline, and corporate aviation experience. He has logged more than 10,500 flight hours conducting worldwide operations as an instructor and pilot in command.

Chris began his aviation career in the U.S. Navy, serving 21 years as an MH-53E pilot in command and mission commander, logging 2,200 hours as a T-34C flight instructor, and managing the Navy's Crew Resource Management program. He also served as a specialized DoD airlift evaluator, inspecting commercial airlines and charter operators, early experience that laid the groundwork for his career in safety auditing. Alongside his reserve service, he spent two decades with United Airlines, flying the Boeing 737, 757, 767, and Airbus A320 in domestic and international service.

In corporate aviation, Chris has extensive experience in the cockpit of both business jets and multiengine turbine helicopters, as well as in flight department leadership. As Safety Manager and Pilot in Command at a large energy corporate flight department, he flew both jets and twin-engine helicopters while guiding safety initiatives in a three-time IS-BAO Stage III department with a zero-incident record. He later served for six years as Chief Pilot of a dual-location corporate flight department operating large and medium business jets alongside large corporate helicopters, where he led 18 pilots, directed a $32M annual budget, and oversaw an SMS program through four IS-BAO Stage III recertifications. Since founding Aviation Safety Partners in 2013, he has conducted IS-BAO, operational, and safety culture audits worldwide across Part 91, 91K, and 135 operations.