Billy Petersen serves as the Acting Chairman of the HIMS program, where his primary responsibilities include leading HIMS education, outreach, and representation efforts at the national level. In this role, he helps advance the program’s mission and supports stakeholders throughout the aviation community. In addition to his national responsibilities, Billy is the HIMS Chairman at JetBlue Airways, where he oversees the JetBlue HIMS program and ensures that participating pilots are properly represented and supported.

Billy was born in Long Island, NY in 1980 and aviation was always an interest of his. However, life took him in a different direction and he ended up going to the State University of New York at Oswego, where he graduated with a degree in Technology Education.

Billy taught technology at the middle school and high school levels before he realized that he wasn’t cut out to be a teacher. Billy went to ATP in Jacksonville for his flight rating before spending a few years flight instructing in Redding, CA, and at Dowling College in New York.

In 2008 Billy got his first part 121 job at American Eagle where he quickly found out that the airline wasn’t enjoying his shenanigans as much as he was. Billy entered into the HIMS program his first year at Eagle and went on to be a peer monitor and eventually Vice-Chair of the American Eagle HIMS program.

In 2015 Billy got hired as an Airbus FO at JetBlue where he is now a Captain on the E-190. Billy has been chairing the JetBlue HIMS program since 2017 and has been Vice-Chair at the National level since 2019.

Billy splits his time evenly between Florida and New York with his fiancée Emma, and his 10-year-old daughter June.

Dr. Quay Snyder serves the FAA/ALPA HIMS Program Manager responsible for the execution of the FAA’s HIMS contract with the Air Line Pilots Association – International.  His responsibilities include planning and executing the educational events including the Basic Education, Advanced topics, and International Outreach seminars.  He is also responsible for the development and analysis of the HIMS database to improve outcomes of the program and serves as a member of the

HIMS Advisory Board in its role to design improvements in the HIMS educational and operational components.

Dr. Quay Snyder serves the FAA/ALPA HIMS Program Manager responsible for the execution of the FAA’s HIMS contract with the Air Line Pilots Association – International.  His responsibilities include planning and executing the educational events including the Basic Education, Advanced topics, and International Outreach seminars.  He is also responsible for the development and analysis of the HIMS database to improve outcomes of the program and serves as a member of the HIMS Advisory Board in its role to design improvements in the HIMS educational and operational components.  He also maintains and content updates for the HIMS website and public education efforts.  The Aviation Medicine Advisory Service staff provides substantial support to all of these efforts and handles the financial and contractual aspects of the HIMS contract.  Dr. Snyder engages in daily liaison with HIMS Aviation Medical Examiners, Independent Medical Sponsors, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists, treatment centers, and drug testing facilities in support of the HIMS program.  He also coordinates input from the national and airline HIMS pilot leadership and FAA physicians involved in the certification of pilots with substance use disorders and administration of the HIMS Program.  His focus is aviation safety and the health of aviation personnel faced with addictive diseases.

Dr. Snyder is President/CEO of Virtual Flight Surgeons, [Aviation Medicine Advisory Service] providing medical certification and aviation safety guidance for pilot and air traffic controller unions as well as business and general aviation pilots.  Dr. Snyder has been the Air Line Pilots Association, International Aeromedical Advisor since 2010, after serving as Associate Aeromedical Advisor since 1994. Since 2015, he has served as the FAA/ALPA HIMS Program Manager and has over 20 years’ experience sponsoring and monitoring substance-addicted pilots.

Dr. Snyder holds board certification in Aerospace Medicine, Addiction Medicine, Family Practice, and Occupational Medicine.  He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Duke University School of Medicine, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.  He served in the USAF, USAF Reserve, and Colorado Air National Guard for 25 years as a flight surgeon, glider instructor pilot, and in leadership roles.

Dr. Snyder is active in many aviation safety committees and organizations, both nationally and internationally. He is an AsMA Fellow and member of several of AsMA’s Constituent and Affiliate organizations.  He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine and the Board of Trustees of the National Aviation Hall of Fame from 2014-2020.  He has chaired the National Business Aviation Associations Safety Committee’s Fitness for Duty Working Group and served on both the medical expert group for the FAA’s Pilot Fitness Aviation Rulemaking Committee and co-chairs AsMA’s Pilot Mental Health Working Group. He is a member of the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Advisory Council and is on the faculty of the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering in the Aviation Safety and Security Program.

Dr. Snyder has been an FAA Certified Flight Instructor (Gold Seal) since 1975 and actively serves as a Designated Pilot Examiner since 1998 and FAA Safety Team representative since 2003. He received the Soaring Society of America’s World Distance Award for 40,000 km (Earth’s circumference) of solo cross- country flight in his ASK-24B glider.  He is also active in triathlons qualifying for the 2016 and 2020 Ironman Hawaii World Championships and in 2020, qualified for the International Triathlon Union’s World Championships representing Team USA in every triathlon distance from sprint to a long course as an age group amateur.