David Courtney is originally from Tullamore and joined the Defence Forces as a cadet in 1980. He was commissioned as an officer in 1982 and qualified as a pilot 1983. From 1980 to 2001 he served in Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and Irish Coast Guard. During that time he was part of helicopter rescue crews /  SAR crews, that completed over 300 emergency flight missions, all around our coasts and islands, along our inland lakes and waterways and in our mountain ranges gaining a unique perspective of our Wild Atlantic Way. He now works as a Captain in Ryanair.