Meet our Founder
Mark E. Cioffi, PhD, Lt. Col. USAF (retired)
Mark is the President and founder of FAST with over 42 years of aviation experience. He began his career flying helicopters after flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL, as a USAF 2Lt. His first assignment was flying HH-3E Jolly Green rescue missions at Keflavik NAS, Iceland, followed by VIP support with the Presidential Wing at Andrews AFB in the CH-3E and UH-1N. Transitioning to fixed-wing aircraft at Vance AFB, he flew the C-141B Starlifter until retiring as a Lt. Colonel after 21 years of service.
After retirement, Mark managed MV-22 Osprey curriculum development at New River MCAS before joining Delta Air Lines. At Delta, he flew the 737NG-700/800/900. He was also Program Lead in his push for Delta to integrate advanced non-motion simulation into pilot training, expanding access and efficiency over traditional full-motion systems. This efficiency saved Delta millions in training costs. He retired from Delta after 21 years.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cioffi has focused on training, simulation, human factors, and error reduction. His vision in creating FAST is to make flight training a successful path for those who choose to serve in uniform.
"Accessibility to training is a key factor to success in aviation. When pilots can practice the tasks they have to perform, they gain confidence and knowledge, which are perhaps the two most important factors in learning to fly. FAST provides accessibility to a realistic T-6 that allows familiarization at your own pace on your own time. Flight school is very competitive, and the more realistic practice you can accomplish the better you will be the day you show up for flight school. It’s that simple.”
Mark E. Cioffi, PhD
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