Jon joined the Royal Navy as direct entry aircrew in April 1979. Following flying training he was awarded his "Wings” in January 1981. 2 frontline ASW tours flying the Sea King
followed (including the Falklands campaign) and he became an instructor. Selected for Career Officer in 1987, he spent 2 years in HMS AMBUSCADE as a ship’s officer. After another Sea King tour, he moved to the Far East as a Wasp helicopter instructor with the Royal Malaysian Navy. On his return in 1994 he was appointed for 2 years as Air Operations Officer of HMS INVINCIBLE. Jon left the RN in 1996 and flew on the Penzance-Scillies service. Re-joining the RN in February 2002 Jon taught on the Merlin Mk1 helicopter until being appointed as executive office and senior pilot of 829 Naval Air Squadron. He became the Station Maintenance Test Pilot in 2009. A position he held until 2012 when he joined the Military Air Accident Investigation Branch as an investigator. Jon left in 2017 to work in Norway. Returning to the UK in 2020 Jon re-joined as Full Time Reserve Service with the Defence Accident Investigation Branch and is currently the SO1 Maritime.