CAST Executive Team

Matt Roberts

Policy Principal Aerodromes

UK Civil Aviation Authority

Matt has spent over 25 years in the aviation industry, within several disciplines across various aviation companies and airport operators. These aviation disciplines and competencies include executive handling and flight planning, Air Traffic Services disciplines and ATC simulator pseudo pilot operator. His last post prior to becoming the Policy Principal Aerodromes at the CAA, was at East Midlands Airport as the Developments and Safeguarding Projects Manager, where he worked for over 16 years where Matt was responsible for Aerodrome Safeguarding and Airport Design / Developments and CAP 1732 aerodrome survey management. Matt undertook the management of aerodrome works, the nominated responsible person for Aeronautical Data Quality (ADQ), the management of drone operations and protection plans and responsible for dangerous goods and fuel oversight for the aerodrome. Matt was also one of the co-founders and Industry chair for the Combined Aerodrome Safeguarding Team (CAST).

Mike Sparrow

Policy Specialist Aerodromes

UK Civil Aviation Authority 

Mike has been with the Civil Aviation Authority for two years as a Policy Specialist Aerodromes focusing on rule making and AMC/GM for UK Regulation 139/2014, he is the editor of CAP168.  He is the UK Civil Aviation Authority member of the ICAO Airport Operation Working Group (AOWG), Aerodrome Design Working Group (ADWG), Friction Task Force (FTF), Airport Pavement Expert Group (APEG), and the Visual Aids Working Group (VAWG). 

Mike joined the Civil Aviation Authority after 13 years of senior airport management which required involvement all disciplines of aerodrome operations. Prior to an airport management career, he was an AFISO at a busy GA unit and previously spent 11 years with MoD (AIR) as an aircraft corrosion control and surface finisher later moving to United States Airforce Europe, Air Force Logistics Command - Support Group Europe (AFLC SGE) in the surface and air freight terminal. He took several technical courses provided by Gunter AFB Extension University, Alabama, becoming a specialist in air cargo, aircraft load planning, hazardous air cargo, shipment planning, and passenger handling.

Diane Jackson

Aerodrome Safeguarding Officer
Manchester Airports Group (MAG)

Diane started her Safeguarding career at the MOD, where she headed up the team and subsequently led on Safeguarding policy, as MOD’s SME. While at the MOD, Diane was on the UK Birdstrike Avoidance Committee, established the Wind Energy Working Group with BWEA and drafted the MOD’s stance on wind energy in the first Energy White Paper. She has been with MAG for the last few years, Safeguarding Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands. Diane is passionate about improving the tools available to Safeguarders and strengthening the legislation that underpins the vital work that we do. She would love to help train up future Safeguarders and create recognised professional qualifications for a formal aerodrome safeguarding career path.

Amanda Purdye

Aerodrome Safeguarding Officer
Gatwick Airport

Amanda managed a Local Planning Authority Admin/Tech Team for 10 years. She was one of the first people in the UK to gain Technical Membership (now known as Associate Membership) of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). In 2004 she joined the BAA Aerodrome Safeguarding Team who safeguarded the 7 BAA airports. When BAA was broken up in 2009 she became Safeguarder for Gatwick Airport. In 2014 Amanda and Simon formed a safeguarding group, as none existed at the time. The first meeting was held in November 2014 and it has grown ever since. Latterly, the group became part of the AOA. Amanda very much enjoys safeguarding work and feels very strongly with regard progressing the safeguarding cause, hence her involvement with CAST.

Matt Wilkins

CAA Accountable Aerodrome Manager
Old Buckenham Airfield

Matt has been the CAA Accountable Aerodrome Manager for over a decade; he’s also the aerodrome’s Authorised Person. A real estate investor, developer and manager for 25 years, he’s been involved variously with Canary Wharf new build residential, Uber Prime development in Mayfair and sizeable regeneration projects. He currently owns a Managing Agency in London Docklands.
In addition to a multitude of roles at Old Buckenham he’s also Chairman of the British Air Display Association, one of the UK’s 50 Flying Display Directors, a member of the Flying Control Committee at IWM Duxford and a CAA Radio Operators Certificate of Competence Examiner, winning two safety awards in that capacity as part of the 2021 LAA Rally AG Team. He remains the only Event Organiser of an Airshow to also hold an FDD Accreditation. He’s the newly appointed Deputy Chairman of the Airfield Operators Group which represents 72 Licensed and Unlicensed GA Aerodromes.

Caroline Moore

Airfield Advisory Team Consultant
UK Civil Aviation Authority

Caroline joined the Civil Aviation Authority in 2020 as an Airfield Advisory Consultant after 15 years working for transport consultancies. Primarily, Caroline spent ten years working on road design and advising local planning authorities with prioritisation methods for road improvements using accident analysis and existing road design. In the last five years, Caroline has designed the movement of traffic within the airport environment and been part of a team to run economic analysis associated with Heathrow’s third runway. As an Airfield Advisory Consultant, Caroline enjoys the variety the role provides through supporting general aviation airfields on issues ranging from safeguarding, operations, safety, viability and much more.