Certavation was founded in December 2021 by Annette James and Julie Randall, combining complementary aviation and technical experience with a shared commitment to practical and friendly aerodrome support. Julie brought exceptional strengths in compliance and certification, and her knowledge, attention to detail and structured approach helped shape the foundation on which the company was built. Julie has since moved on to pursue her dream of working on major projects, although she remains a close personal friend and valued subject matter expert!

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Since then, Certavation has taken a slightly different direction, developing into a training, inspection and technical support business with a strong focus on practical outcomes for aerodrome operators.

Annette brings a blend of technical, training and remote-area experience. Before moving into aerodrome operations and compliance, she worked for ten years as a land surveyor in the UK and holds a Diploma in Engineering, as well as a fixed-wing Commercial Pilot Licence. She also spent seven years with Fugro in their Airborne and Spatial divisions, working across geophysical survey, photogrammetry and LiDAR projects, often in remote environments.

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Prior to establishing Certavation’s training and technical support focus, Annette worked in day-to-day aerodrome operations as an Airport Manager, Aerodrome Reporting Officer and aviation refueller at a FIFO aerodrome, operating both truck and fixed-facility refuelling systems during her airport operations experience. This operational background remains central to the way Certavation delivers its training and support, with a strong emphasis on practical, usable outcomes that make sense in the real aerodrome environment while maintaining safety and compliance.

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Annette has been delivering accredited Aerodrome Reporting Officer training for ten years and is CASA-approved to train and assess for the Aeronautical Radio Operator Certificate and General English Language Proficiency requirements. She has trained hundreds of ARO students across regional, remote and major airport environments, delivered fuel safety awareness, OLS workshops, and has been asked to assist with and facilitate several aerodrome emergency exercises.

 

Today, Annette’s work focuses on inspections, technical support, operational documentation and, predominantly, training for Aerodrome Reporting Officers and Works Safety Officers.

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The company continues to grow from strength to strength, with training now extending beyond Australia for the first time - an exciting next step for a small business built on a passion for the industry and a genuine commitment to empowering others in their chosen roles.