
Judy Tarver
Forty years in pilot selection and recruitment. Twenty years preparing pilots for the interview that decides a career.

- Flight Plan to the Flight Deck: Strategies for a Pilot Career
- Expert Witness: Wrongful Death
Judy Tarver
Founder / President / Lead Coach
Judy helps coach pilots as they transition in their airline career paths. She has been successfully conducting interview preparation services for 20 years.
For over 40 years Judy has worked as an aviation consultant, writer and speaker specializing in the field of pilot selection and recruitment. Her career started with American Airlines where she was responsible for facilitating the hiring of over 7,100 airline pilots. From AA, she was employed for six years as the President of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Air Line Pilots Assn. (Universal Pilot Application Service). Since that time, she has consulted with several major air carriers along with government and industry aviation associations. She has been on two FAA Aviation Rule Making committees on pilot selection and has presented before organizations such as the NTSB, FAA, DOD and DOJ.
Author of Expert Witness: Wrongful Death and Flight Plan to the Flight Deck: Strategies for a Pilot Career, and several magazine articles that have appeared in Aviation for Women, Flight Training, Air Line Pilot and Airline Pilot Careers.
Career highlights
- 01Facilitated the hiring of over 7,100 airline pilots at American Airlines
- 02NTSB panelist on Pilot Selection and the Pilot Shortage
- 03Member of two FAA Aviation Rule Making Committees on pilot selection
- 04Sole U.S. expert in pilot selection on the ARC International Licensing Harmonization Working Group
- 05Six years as President of Universal Pilot Application Service, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Air Line Pilots Association
- 06Former National Chairman, Aviation Exploring (a division of the Boy Scouts of America)
- 07Has presented before the NTSB, FAA, DOD and DOJ
Pilot Counseling Services is now part of Spitfire Elite. Judy continues to coach pilots under the Spitfire banner, and the Tarver Tactics are part of the Spitfire curriculum. To contact Judy directly, email admin@spitfireelite.com or info@spitfireelite.com.
Explore programs at Spitfire ElitePilot Counseling Services acquired by Spitfire Elite
In a significant milestone for the aviation industry, Pilot Counseling Services (PCS), a trusted name in pilot career counseling, has been acquired by Spitfire Elite, a leading provider of aviation career development solutions. This strategic acquisition marks the sunsetting of industry influencer Judy Tarver’s illustrious career and the seamless transfer of trust and leadership to Spitfire Elite.
With this acquisition, Spitfire Elite will carry forward the legacy of Pilot Counseling Services, ensuring aspiring pilot candidates continue to receive the best guidance and support as they pursue their dreams in aviation. In the immediate term, Judy Tarver and her team will continue to support pilots under the Spitfire banner, even incorporating the company’s Tarver Tactics into the Spitfire curriculum, blending Tarver’s deep industry experience and Spitfire’s industry-leading pilot hiring support.
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“We are honored to be entrusted with the legacy of Pilot Counseling Services. Judy Tarver’s contributions to the aviation industry are immeasurable, and we are committed to upholding the high standards she set.”Bill Sims, Co-Owner, Spitfire Elite

