PRACTICAL AERO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus, Department of Aeronautics, U.S. Air Force Academy
Job Titles:
- CEO, XP Consulting Services
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Operations for Practical Aeronautics
Dr. Brian A. Tom is Vice President for Operations for Practical Aeronautics. He is a 1991 graduate of the University of California at San Diego, earned Master's degrees from The George Washington University and the Air Force Institute of Technology, a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is a graduate of the US Air Force Test Pilot School.
A retired Air Force Colonel, Brian has flown more than 2600 hours as a Navigator (Combat Systems Officer) in over 30 aircraft types, serving primarily as a Weapons System Officer as well as Instructor, Evaluator, and Test Navigator on bombers. He has taught at the Air Force Academy, served as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School at the Air Force Institute of Technology, and most recently was the Chief of Safety for the Air Force Test Center. He currently works in flight test in Southern California and regularly flies his own aircraft, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Practice Mechanical Engineering Department, Texas a & M University
Job Titles:
- PAI 's Vice President for Business Development
- Vice President for Business Development
Dr John Wissler is PAI's Vice President for Business Development. A retired USAF Colonel, his 30-year Air Force career included being the Deputy Director of Engineering at Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, MA and Director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Air Vehicles Directorate and Chief of AFRL's Battlespace Environments Division. He taught fluid mechanics and thermodynamics analysis and design at the US Air Force Academy and directed the Academy's Aeronautics Laboratory. John also served as a flight test engineer at Kirtland AFB, NM. After the Air Force, he worked at Aurora Flight Sciences for almost 11 years winning and managing ground-breaking aviation and autonomy programs, retiring in 2022 as Aurora's Director of Business Development.
John has a PhD in Aeronautics from Caltech, an MS in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, a Master's of Strategic Studies from the Army War College, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of Sigma Xi, the Air Force Association, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He has earned numerous awards for leadership, including Company Grade Officer of the Year in 1993 for Kirtland AFB, and especially enjoys mentoring and teaching.
He is an FAA-licensed private pilot who is working on his instrument rating, flying out of Hanscom Field outside Boston.
Job Titles:
- Curator for Aerodynamics, National Air and Space Museum ( NASM ) and Professor, University of Maryland
Dr. Keith M. Boyer retired from the Air Force as a Colonel in 2012 after serving as Associate Dean for Students at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He started his Air Force career in 1979 as an enlisted electronic warfare (EW) maintainer on B-52 aircraft and EW instructor. His varied aircraft and engine experience includes hands-on flight line and back shop maintenance, test and analysis, sustainment and depot maintenance, systems engineering, logistics and supply chain management, multinational requirements management, and advisory roles in Iraq and to the USAF Propulsion Product Group Manager.
Keith taught for ten years in the Air Force Academy's Department of Aeronautics, and served in numerous positions including Director of Propulsion and Deputy Department Head. He was awarded Outstanding First Year Instructor, Outstanding Academy Educator and the Heiser Award as Outstanding Senior Faculty Educator selected by the graduating class of 2007. For seven years, he was adjunct faculty to the Air Force Test Pilot School, where he twice was selected by the students for the Flight Test Instructor of the Quarter award.
From 1996-2009, Keith developed and taught a variety of jet engine short courses to over 1,000 attendees in support of their professional development. He is co-author of two textbooks with Dr. Jack Mattingly - Elements of Propulsion, Second Edition, and Aircraft Engine Design, Third Edition (with PAI Associates Bill Heiser & Brenda Haven). Both texts are winners of the AIAA Summerfield Book Award. He earned his BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida (1987), MS in Aeronautical Engineering from the AFIT (1992), and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech (2001). Keith is a Fellow of the ASME (2021).
Job Titles:
- Professor / Mechanical Engineering
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Oklahoma State University
Job Titles:
- Aeronautical Engineering Consultant
Job Titles:
- Founder, Scientific Monitoring, Inc
Job Titles:
- Chief Engineer, Strategic Systems, BAE Systems, Inc
Job Titles:
- Principal, Engineering Systems, Inc., Manager of Colorado Operations
Job Titles:
- Founder and President of Bluberry, LLC
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Experimental Aircraft Association 's Speakers Bureau
Dr. Wayne F. Hallgren is a 1975 graduate of West Point, retired Air Force Colonel, and Founder of Practical Aeronautics. He co-founded Hallgren Associates in 2002 - now merged with Practical Aeronautics, he's continuing his passion for teaching and learning.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Aeronautics
Job Titles:
- Aviation and Mission Engineering Consultant
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics
Craig Seymour is a 1977 Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, and a Past President of Practical Aeronautics. A former Instructor Pilot and Fighter Squadron Commander, Craig helped pioneer the use of night vision goggles in single seat fighters under combat conditions. He is a Command Pilot with more than 3000 hours in trainer and fighter aircraft and holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating. Craig earned his SM from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, taught aeronautics and thermodynamics at the United States Air Force Academy, and was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He retired from the Air Force in 1998 after serving as the Professor of Aerospace Studies at the University of Hawaii.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- United Airlines Flight Test Captain
Steve Brandt is a 1990 Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, a Graduate of the United States Navy Test Pilot School, and a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. A former Instructor Pilot for the DoD, Steve has experience in flying 30+ aircraft types, instructor pilot experience in 6 different aircraft and over 2800 flight hours, primarily in single seat fighters. Additionally, Steve holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating and a Boeing 747 type rating, having flight tested the Airborne Laser 747 aircraft. Steve earned his MS in Engineering Physics from the University of Texas, and taught aeronautics and flight test at the United States Air Force Academy. Steve concluded his Air Force career as a flight and academic instructor at the United States Navy Test Pilot School, and also taught there as the chief instructor of the aircraft performance branch where he was selected as Instructor of the Year in 2014. Steve transitioned out of the government to begin his own business, BARIT Services, LLC, providing technical and flight support in the UAS research and development arena. He currently is a Co-Owner of Astrium, Inc., a drone research and development company and flies for United Airlines as a flight test Captain. Steve is a senior member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and resides in Colorado Springs, CO.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Finance
- Director of Operations and Finance for Practical Aeronautics
Mrs. Jennifer Ellsworth is the Director of Operations and Finance for Practical Aeronautics. She previously served as the Operations Manager. Jenn graduated from the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs with a degree in Organizational Communication. Her previous experience in Human Resources was largely centered on Recruiting and Workforce Development supporting one of the largest Fortune 500 Retail companies, the Healthcare Industry, and small business Continuing Education classes with Aerospace government and industry professionals. She has also assisted in facilitating Talent Assessments for Fire Personnel in Northern Colorado.
Job Titles:
- Materials and Supplies Director