Dave joined the Royal Air Force as a Navigator in 1973. After training, he flew the F4 Phantom on squadrons in the UK and West Germany. He was one of the first aircrew to fly the F2 and F3 Air Defence Variant of the Tornado on its acceptance into service and served for many years as an instructor on the Operational Conversion Units of both the Phantom and the Tornado. He commanded the Tornado Fighter Squadron in the Falkland Islands and has worked extensively with the Armed Forces of most NATO nations. He published his first book "Phantom In Focus" through Fonthill Media in 2012 and has since published 2 more factual books and 3 novels, all aviation related stories.