Eric Crump | Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Aerospace Center for Excellence

Eric Crump always wanted to fly airplanes. From as early as anyone remembers, he was looking up at airplanes flying overheard and hounding his family members to take him to the airport to watch airplanes come and go. When Eric was 13 years old, he received an intro flight reward for making straight A’s, which only further sparked his desire to learn to fly and become a pilot. He soloed on his 16th birthday and completed his Private Pilot Certificate just after his high school graduation.
Fast-forwarding to the present, Eric is still just in love with aviation as he was as a young boy. After a rewarding career as a professional pilot in Atlanta, Georgia, and an equally rewarding career as the Aviation Content Manager and Chief Instructor for Gleim Publications in Gainesville, Florida, Eric took over as the first Aerospace Program Director at Polk State College where he spent ten years happily helping the next generation pursue their dreams of a career in professional aviation through four, in-demand degree programs.

In June of 2022, Eric accepted the position of Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Aerospace Center for Excellence, the parent company for the world-renowned SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo. His team works to build, enhance, and execute all the educational programming that ACE offers. Because aviation had such a huge impact on him as a young man, Eric is passionate about passing the experience and opportunity of aviation on to future generations – a mission he sees as critical to the long-term success of the aerospace industry.

Eric serves as Chair of the Central Florida Aerospace Education Consortium, as a member of the Florida College System Aerospace Consortium, and as a member of the Aviation Committee of the Central Florida Development Council. He is also a charter member of and team lead on the FAA Airmen Certification Standards Working Group.