NASA Research Pilot & Owner of Vertical Views Photography
Education
• B.S. Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University
• B.S. Electronic Systems Technologies, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
• M.S. Systems Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School
• PhD Candidate, Systems Engineering, Colorado State University (Expected graduation date of May 2021)
• DAWIA Level III SPRDE, Level III PM and Level I T&E certified
Received The Following Special Honors
• Nine (9) Air Medals Strike Flight
• Joint Service Commendation Medal
• Two (2) Navy Commendation Medals
• Two (2) Navy Achievement Medals
• Iraqi Campaign and Afghanistan Campaign Medals
• Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals
• Astronaut Scholarship (NC State University, 1998-1999)
Experience
• Enlisted Marine Corps avionics technician supervisor with VMAQ-2 (1990-1995)
• Commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1999
• Winged a Naval Aviator in January 2002 and designated an F/A-18 Hornet Pilot in June 2003
• Flew combat missions in the F/A-18A+ strike-fighter jet off the USS Harry S. Truman
(VMFA-115, 2004-2005) and from Al Asad Air Base, Iraq (VMFA-533, 2006) in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Reported to NAS Patuxent River, MD in 2006 where he served as the V-22 Osprey Interoperability
and Key Performance Parameter Integrated product Team Lead
• Instructor Pilot for the UC-35C/D business jets at Joint Base Andrews, MD (2009-2012).
• Deployed to the Middle East several times supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom in the UC-35D
• Head Instructor Pilot at the Flight Instructor Training Unit at NAS Corpus Christi, TX and trained over
70 instructor pilots during his tenure (2012-2014)
• Retired from the Marine Corps in 2014
• Part-time contractor Simulator Instructor for the T-45C Advanced and T-6B Primary Training
Programs (2014-2017)
• Full-time Senior Aerospace Engineer for the US Army’s Research and Development Engineering Command
• Flown more than 3,600 flight hours in 22 different aircraft, 695.0 combat flight hours, 175 combat missions,
and 165 carrier-arrested landings.
• Owner of Vertical Views Photography®, a professional aerial photography business.
• Business success through networking and marketing through Small Business Associations and
philanthropy.
• Advised the startup of two new LLCs.
NASA Experience
• Research Pilot/Airworthiness and Maintenance Manager (A&MM) at NASA Wallops Flight Facility
(Goddard Space Flight Center, May-Dec 2017).
• Managed the Wallops Flight Facility contract responsible for maintenance and logistics support for their
seven Research Aircraft, which encompassed 30 maintenance personnel and contractor Research Pilots.
• T-38N Instructor and Functional Check Flight Pilot at the Aircraft Operations Division (AOD) at Ellington
Field, TX supporting the Space Flight Readiness Program flying the T-38(N) and Gulfstream III
Research Aircraft (2018-Present).
• Gulfstream III Aircraft/Mission Commander. Performs research flights globally mapping glaciers, fault lines,
permafrost layers, and more (2018-Present).
• Gulfstream III Project Pilot where he coordinates, staffs, and flies Gulfstream missions all over the world.
He is a T-38 Instructor Pilot and Gulfstream III Aircraft/Mission Commander supporting the Airborne
Science Program and training Astronauts.
