My interest in aviation has been lifelong, stretching back to age 4 according to my parents.  I decided early that I would become a pilot, and by middle school had decided that flight testing was my ultimate goal.  In pursuit of that goal I studied Aerospace Engineering at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, the “Air Capital of the World.”

I began taking flight lessons during college and earned my private pilot certificate over about a year, and continued to maintain currency through graduation.  Many thanks are owed to the college friends who helped finance $100 burrito runs to Ponca City, Oklahoma. 

During college I worked as an intern for a campus research laboratory conducting structural teardown and analysis and for a local aircraft manufacturer managing systems integration for environmental control systems.  I was fortunate to hire directly into a flight test engineer position with a major general aviation manufacturer upon graduation.

I have been fortunate to work multiple certification programs as a flight test engineer, developing my pilot and technical skills along the way.  My company’s flying club is second to none in terms of equipment and instructional staff, allowing me to train and learn from excellent instructors and mentors.  As I worked through the ratings ladder I’ve spent time flying skydivers and flight instructing, both of which I credit for a range of learning experiences with regard to my personal limits, risk management and professionalism.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunities I have had to grow from a new private pilot to flight test pilot, it has been truly a dream come true.  My goals for the future are to develop into a seasoned test pilot, buy an airplane and continue to expand my experience into new categories and classes of aircraft.