Expert Details
Airplanes, Helicopters, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Risk Management
ID: 731582
Texas, USA
Relevant Manufacturing Experience:
• Chaired the Bell Helicopter Product Safety Board – ensuring complete life cycle safety and oversight of Bell product safety. Insured complete investigation of safety issues and corrective action initiation and completion. Result: over 2% reduction in corporation insurance premiums.
• Responsible for Aviation Safety at six sites including production, experimental, demonstration, Bell Training Academy and customer delivery. Started “Near Miss” tracking metric. Result: active oversight in the past year reduced incidents from 168 to 110, a 35% reduction; all while flight operations were increasing.
• Reduced Total Recordable Injury Rate from over 2.8 to 1.0 in 24 months by active oversight of every incident and supervisory accountability.
• Executive regulatory oversight of Civil Certification to include the [FAA] Organization Delegation Authorization; the [TCCA] Design Organization Authorization, to include Type Certificates held in Canada and US and after-market modifications; three FAA part 145 Repair Stations. Result: five ACSEP and 3 ODA audits with no Safety/major findings.
• Developed Accident Emergency Plans for six sites and instituted site audit program.
• Rewrite of all Engineering Operations policy converting from paper to electronic format resulting in 450+ documents reduced to less than 250 (45% reduction).
• Reduced capital cost of Bell Training Academy relocation by $5M. Relevant Regulatory Experience: FAA – Manager Rotorcraft Directorate
• Responsible for rotorcraft/ tilt-rotor policy/ certification and FAA oversight of 250 companies in a five state area for Production and Manufacturing.
• Responsible for all FAA Experimental Flight Test policy, training and administration. Result: no fatal accidents. Successfully sought funds to establish, in conjunction with NASA, a web portal to identify and mitigate risks: thus providing industry Senior Management insight and effective strategies to accomplish flight testing in a cost-effective and accident/ incident free manner.
• Collaborated with industry to lower the number of fatal accidents from a five-year average of 30 to 14 per/ year. This was accomplished by culture change and industry outreach. FAA – Assistant Manager Engine & Propeller Directorate
• Team Leader for FAA Safer Skies Global Safety Initiative: 76% reduction in fatal accidents
• Responsible for engine, propeller and APU policy/ certification and FAA oversight of 325 companies in a 12 state area, Canada, and Europe for Production and Manufacturing.
• Revamped Directorate business plan to establish deliverables, milestones and accountability.
• Instituted FAA-Industry partnerships to reduce program times and costs.
• Led Safer Skies cross-functional team to research, analyze and report to FAA Administrator and Secretary of Transportation on leading fatal accident causes.
Relevant Aviation Experience:
FAA - Experimental Test Pilot
United States Army Pilot
• Planned, executed, and reported on all Army aviation engineering flight tests. Duties as Chief Engineering Test Pilot and Chief, Flight Test.
• Exchange test pilot with United Kingdom. Performed duties as liaison for US government with host nation. Duties as Senior Test Pilot.
• Extensive international experience in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Norway, Italy), India and Far East (Korea).
He provided unique insight to a major airplane company and their JV partner on a novel approach to certification. He provided insight and factual conclusions to a major DoD component that will facilitate the appropriate distribution of fiscal and personnel resources. He provided to an un-informed client insight into the processes behind supply chain qualification and engineering acceptance of third-party data.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1995 | Degree: MS | Subject: Aerospace Technology | Institution: University of Tennessee Space Institute |
Year: 1981 | Degree: BSs | Subject: Aerospace Technology | Institution: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University |
Year: 1986 | Degree: Graduate | Subject: Flight Mechanics | Institution: US Navy Test Pilot School |
Year: 1991 | Degree: Graduate | Subject: Defense Studies | Institution: US Army Command & General Staff College |
Year: 1998 | Degree: Graduate | Subject: Aquisition | Institution: US Defense Acquisition Univeristy |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
---|---|---|---|
Years: 2012 to 2013 | Employer: Downey Aviation Services | Title: President | Department: |
Responsibilities:President of a consultancy and training company in the aviation and defense sector. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2008 to 2012 | Employer: Bell Helicopter - Textron | Title: VP, Systems Engineer, Flight Ops/ Safety & Civil Certification | Department: Engineering |
Responsibilities:His responsibilities included Systems Engineering, Engineering Operations, Civil Certification, Flight Safety, Flight Operations, Accident Investigation and Chairman, Product Safety Board. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2001 to 2008 | Employer: US Federal Aviation Administation | Title: Rotorcraft Directorate Manager | Department: Engineering/ Manufacturing |
Responsibilities:He provided strategic direction on all aspects of rotorcraft and tilt-rotor policy/ certification as well as oversight to the Directorates’ eight subordinate offices. In this position he was also responsible for all FAA experimental flight test policy, training and administration. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1998 to 2001 | Employer: US Federal Aviation Administation | Title: Engine & Propellers Asst. Directorate Manager | Department: Engineering/Manufacturing |
Responsibilities:He was responsible for engine, propeller and APU policy/ certification and FAA oversight of 325 companies in a 12 state area (Eastern US), Canada, and Europe for Production and Manufacturing. |
Government Experience
Years | Agency | Role | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Years: 1995 to 2008 | Agency: Federal Aviation Administration | Role: Executive/ Test Pilot | Description: He spent 13 years with the FAA involved with engines, propellers, airplanes & rotorcraft. He has international regulatory experience. |
Years: 1974 to 1995 | Agency: US Army | Role: Experimental Test Pilot | Description: He has 20+ years for progressive increasing responsibilities as a pilot, instructor, leader and experimental test pilot. |
International Experience
Years | Country / Region | Summary |
---|---|---|
Years: 2010 to 2011 | Country / Region: India | Summary: He provided and led a technical assistance team under contract with US Trade & Dev Agency for assistance to India DGCA. |
Years: 2011 to 2011 | Country / Region: China | Summary: He facilitated the successful introduction of Bell helicopter models to the China Market. |
Years: 1998 to 2012 | Country / Region: Europe | Summary: He participated in numerous EASA and JAA aircraft programs successfully facilitating product flow between the two authorities. |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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Society of Experimental Test Pilots American Helicopter Society Helicopter Association International Army Aviation Association of America |
Licenses / Certifications |
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FAA Designated Engineering Representative, FAA Pilot License (Certificate) Single Engine Land, Multi-Engine Land, Single Engine Seaplane, Multiengine Seaplane, Rotorcraft, Commercial Pilot, Airline Transport Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor (Ground) |
Professional Appointments |
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Board Member - Society of Automotive Engineering Aerospace Council. |
Awards / Recognition |
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Society of Experimental Test Pilot 's Tony LaVier Flight Safety Award winner |
Publications and Patents Summary |
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He has 10 published papers. |
Additional Experience
Expert Witness Experience |
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He has provided expert reports for US Federal Court. He been deposed for Federal Court and is scheduled for testimony. |
Training / Seminars |
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He has provided both leadership and technical courses for industry conferences, symposiums and been a commencement speaker. |
Vendor Selection |
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He has participated on vendor/supplier selection panels, testing site selections and on-site visits for down select of vendors. |
Marketing Experience |
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He has 38 years of progressive rotorcraft and aerospace experience. He has regulatory experience in transport and normal category airplanes, rotorcraft as well as engines, propellers and APUs. Also experience with European, Canadian, and China Aviation Authorities. |
Other Relevant Experience |
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He is a graduate of the US Navy Test Pilot School. He is qualified in both airplanes and helicopters. He has holds numerous FAA pilot and instructor ratings. He has also served as an Exchange Test Pilot with the UK RAF. |
Fields of Expertise
aerospace engineering, aircraft accident, aircraft safety, airplane, airplane engine, auxiliary power unit, helicopter, military aircraft, military doctrine, military, aircraft icing, accident causation, air transportation, helicopter rotor blade, aircraft black box, primary flight display, aerospace, electronic instrumentation, aerospace military specification, aircraft flight instrumentation, aircraft design, aircraft maintenance, aircraft repair, flight simulation, aircraft wing, flight testing, helicopter aerodynamics, aerodynamic characteristics, helicopter design, engineering management, rotor blade, airframe, maintenance, warfare, rotary-wing aircraft, preventive maintenance, military helicopter, helicopter engine, aircraft engine, aircraft, aerodynamics, accident investigation