Jan is also a Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife who took her passion for making a change in the lives of babies in limited clinically resourced areas by developing a new hands-on training (HOT) technique at the bedside during real live emergencies for neonatal resuscitation – this took years of successes and failures culminating in publishing research as part of her completed Ph.D. Jan is passionately committed to maternal and neonatal health and so in an effort for make an impact one baby at a time -she co-founded Midwife Vision Global, a not-for-profit initiative that has transformed care for mothers and newborns in Tanzania. Her humanitarian work includes building infrastructure, leading education programs, and improving frontline conditions—recognized by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health for reducing neonatal and maternal deaths.

In 2019, Jan was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (AM) for her outstanding service to aviation and community health.

Whether leading global teams, managing a complex helicopter business, or delivering babies in remote clinics, Jan brings her signature mix of courage, compassion, and vision. Her leadership continues to shape the future of vertical flight, women’s health, and international humanitarian collaboration.

Notable Roles & Achievements

• CEO, Becker Helicopters Pilot Academy & Swashplate Aviation
• Chair, Midwife Vision Global (Australia & Tanzania)
• Board Member: Vertical Aviation International VAI Washington DC, USA
• Former Chair /Board Member:
• Cherish Gynecological Cancer Foundation (Former Chair) 
• The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation
• Executive Producer, Silent Tears of the Midwives documentary through One Breath Films Pty Ltd https://www.youtube.com/@drjanbecker2660
• Published Researcher in maternal and neonatal health journals
• Becker, J., Becker, C., Abeysekera, R., Moir, J., Gray, M., Shimwela, M., Oprescu, F. Silent tears of the midwives: ‘I want every mother who gives birth to have her neonate alive’. A narrative inquiry in Tanzania. Children 2023, 10(4), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10040705
• Becker, J., Becker, C., Oprescu, F., Wu, C.-J., Moir, J., Shimwela, M. & Gray, M. (2022). Silent voices of the midwives: Factors that influence midwives’ achievement of successful neonatal resuscitation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A narrative inquiry. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22, Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-04339-7
• Becker, J., Wu, C.-J., Becker, C., Moir, J., Grey, M. Shimwela, M. & Oprescu F. (2021). Air, air, air: A champion midwife programme in Tanzania using HOT neonatal resuscitation—lessons learned. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 116(5), 375–380. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trab154

Philanthropy Jan Becker nomination for Order of Australia

With over 40 years’ experience in the aviation industry, I have worked across multiple sectors, gaining hands-on experience in operations, training, regulatory engagement, development and maintenance of strong teams and business leadership.

My career began in 1985 as a helicopter pilot, flying in New Zealand, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Gaining experience in diverse operations such as high-altitude sling loads, Search and Rescue (SAR), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), disaster relief, fire suppression, mining support, exploration, cattle mustering, air tours, corporate flying, military support and operations and more.

I have logged 16,500+ flight hours across 20 different helicopter types (single and multi-engine) and hold an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL).

Beyond flight operations, I have worked in both the civil sector and military contracts spaces. Primarily in a leadership role responsible for setting up new bases or establishing operations for contracts, troubleshooting failing bases and turning around underperforming or struggling operations.

Industry Leading Author

Mike Becker theory books have been tried and tested in the classroom by hundreds of civil and military students from all over the world. I have published over 45 titles including a Foundation Aviation Course for High School and non-native English speaker students. A Pilot and Advanced Pilot Theory series, Type Technical, Checklists, Pilot Handling Notes, Workbooks and an E-learning system.