Winner of the Engineering Professional of the Year – Lachlan Kilby of Javelin Aerospace. Photo courtesy of Javelin Aerospace.

Sunshine Coast, Australia — Javelin Aerospace Group is proud to announce that its founder and director, Lachlan Kilby, has been named Engineering Professional of the Year at the Australian Aviation Awards 2025, recognising his outstanding contribution to the advancement of Australia’s aerospace industry.

The award celebrates Lachlan’s leadership in delivering high-complexity, compliance-driven engineering solutions for Australian operators across firefighting, EMS, charter, and defence-adjacent aviation.

Javelin Aerospace Group is an Australian-owned CASR Part 21 design organisation specialising in the integration of special mission equipment and complex system upgrades. Since establishing Javelin in December 2022, Lachlan has led the company from a 2-person start-up into one of Australia’s fastest-growing aerospace design organisations, now employing 11+ staff. In just two years, the business has successfully delivered over 320 design projects across more than 90 aircraft types, supporting high-impact clients such as Lifeflight, CQRescue, Starflight, Queensland Police, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Alliance Airlines, Jet Aviation, McDermott Aviation, Omni Executive, ShieldAI, Microflite and many more.

“When it comes to engineers, we tend to value attitude over experience. Experience has its place of course, but wouldn’t you rather work with people who see the solution rather than the problem? And I think that glass-half-full mentality really embodies what Javelin is all about.” – Lachlan Kilby

A defining part of Javelin’s success is its commitment to solving problems in ways that lift the whole industry. Lachlan believes true engineering leadership means carrying responsibility beyond the business itself — ensuring every improvement strengthens the aviation ecosystem. Guided by this philosophy, Javelin has embraced modern infrastructure and digital-first processes that give operators faster and more efficient regulator-ready outcomes.

Today, Javelin’s valued clients benefit from:

• Modern infrastructure — online portals and live data-sharing gateways for seamless access to designs and documentation.
• Responsive engineering support — with experienced aerospace engineers on call, Javelin provides proactive and practical guidance through Australia’s complex regulatory framework. We pride ourselves on regulator-ready designs that minimise downstream delays and costs.
• Next-generation quality — Advanced tools and AS9100-compliant 8D problem-solving to deliver clear, reliable engineering and documentation. This approach eliminates ambiguity, prevents repeat issues, and shortens lead times, reducing costs for clients across operations, maintenance, and certification.
• Up-front quoting — fast, transparent cost estimates supported by clear certification pathways, helping operators and fleet owners assess project viability early, minimise aircraft downtime, and avoid compliance headaches late in the process.

The real-world impact of this approach is best illustrated by Javelin’s work with LifeFlight. When an unexpected Airworthiness Directive threatened to sideline their EMS fleet, Javelin’s responsive engineering support ensured continuity of critical operations and delivered a practical, regulator-approved solution that saved Lifeflight both time and cost.

“Javelin’s support proved critical in sustaining the availability of LifeFlight’s extensive fleet. They quickly understood the operational challenge we were facing and delivered a high-quality repair solution accepted by CASA as an alternative means of compliance. Importantly, they secured approval to extend critical inspection intervals, aligning checks with existing heavy maintenance and therefore eliminating the need for additional licensed engineers. This outcome reduced costs, saved significant time, and ensured our vital EMS services could continue without interruption. Javelin’s expertise, responsiveness, and commitment to safe, effective solutions made a genuine difference to our operations, and we are deeply appreciative of their work.” – Trent Skarott, Head of Engineering and Maintenance at Lifeflight

Looking ahead, Lachlan sees Javelin’s future as a balance of people and progress. By mentoring future engineers, fostering a workplace where talent thrives, and embracing innovations that keep aircraft safe and ready for the missions that matter, Javelin is proving that a lean Australian company, grounded in its people and guided by purpose, can shape the future of aviation.

If you are an innovative company looking to change the aviation landscape for the better – we want to work with you! Please visit www.javelinaerospace.com.au or send us an email with your inquiry to [email protected].