Summary
He is an aviation fuel system design engineer with 38 years Aerospace Experience, 23 US Patents, Fuel System Architect, Military Aircraft, Military Commercial Derivative Aircraft (MCDA) and Commercial Aircraft, FAA Certification, Propulsion Systems, Fuel System, Aerial Refueling: Tanker and Receiver, Fire Protection, Explosion Proof Design, Qualification Testing, Inventor, Accident Investigator, Litigation Support, Company, DoD, FAA and Industry Technical Resource
Academic Background
LeTourneau College, Longview, Texas
• B.S. Mechanical Engineering Technology
• A.S. Aviation Technology
Licenses and Certifications
FAA Consultant Designated Engineering Representative (DER)
• Powerplant, 1989
• Systems and Equipment, 1994
FAA Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic, July 1979
FAA Private Pilot License, May 1979
Professional Experience
RTI Group, LLC, Annapolis, MD, 2012 - Present
Aviation Fuel System Design Engineer
The Boeing Company, 1986 – 2018
The Boeing Company: Technical Fellow, 1986 – 2018
Position: Fuel Systems, Aerial Refueling, Mechanical Systems and Fire Protection Senior Principal Engineer. FAA Certification of STC Projects including Aerial Refueling. Retired November 2018
Boeing Oklahoma City - Mission Assurance, 2014 – 2018
Fuel System Architect for the new USAF KC 46 Tanker. Developed the FAA certification process of aerial refueling including contact and fuel flow from tanker to receiver aircraft in flight. Continue to serve on Boeing Organization Delegation Authorization (ODA) Staff Powerplant, Systems and Equipment areas.
Boeing Wichita - Maintenance and Modification Center, 1986 – 2014
Responsibilities include supporting all Boeing-Wichita Military engineering programs. Aircraft included are C/KC-135 (all models), B-52, 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767. Special projects are inflight refueling on KC-135, tanker and receiver, KC-767 Tankers with boom, three hoses and receptacle, 707 tankers with wing tip pods and centerline store. FAA certification of Air Force One (747-2G4B) aerial refueling system installation and qualification. Served on ODA Staff in Powerplant, Systems and Equipment areas. Support numerous customer service activities including fleet support, safety and accident investigation.
Career Highlights at Boeing, June 1986 – November 2018
Member of The Boeing Company Technical Fellowship
• Technical Fellow – January 2016, top one percent of Boeing engineering across the total Boeing enterprise.
• Associate Technical Fellow – April 1998, top three percent of Boeing engineering, enterprise wide.
• Special Invention Award – September 2006
• Outstanding Leadership Award – March 2007
Only non Manager to receive this recognition
• Special Invention Award – October 2010
• Special Invention Award Nomination April 2012
Leadership and Management
• Consultant to various projects across The Boeing Company in identification, understanding, resolution and implementation of design and customer service challenges
• Enterprise Wide Explosion Proof Qualification resource
• Consultant to various projects across The Boeing Company for Military Commercial Derivative Aircraft (MCDA) FAA Certification
• Technical Advisor to the ARSAG Board of Directors
• Boeing Wichita senior accident investigator
• Team lead or project captain for mechanical systems customer driven engineering assignments
• Managed budget and schedule for engineering assignments
• Recognized by the USAF as an “Honest Broker” when supporting the customer
• Respected as “The Final Word" by the USAF Air Mobility Command (AMC) Headquarters
• Requested speaker at numerous symposiums
• FAA MCO Certificate of Appreciation at the 767-2C STC Final Type Board meeting 30 August 2018
Aerial Refueling
• VC-25A (Air Force One) Aerial Refueling System Installation and FAA Certification
• KC-767 Tanker
o Led the aerial refueling system installation design team to FAA certification
o Created system design and hardware from concept, design, installation, test, qualification and FAA Certification of the installation
o Team lead for patent application and patent issue of new key components
• USAF KC 46 Tanker
o Fuel System Architect
o Developed the master plan for full FAA Certification of an Aerial Refueling System Onload and Offload System Installation
o Received FAA Military Certification Office concurrence July 2011
o Received FAA STC September 2018
Component Design and Qualification
• Fuel Boost Pumps
o 115 VAC, Three Phase, Fuel Lubricated, Carbon Journal Bearing, Explosion Proof, 1000 Hour Dry Run Qualified
o Hydraulic Motor, Hydraulic Lubricated, Tapered Roller Bearing, 300 GPM Pump, Intrinsically Safe, SFAR 88 and 14CFR 25.981, FAA Certified
• Actuator
o Fully Submerged, Dry Run Qualified Electric Motor Actuator, Intrinsically Safe, SFAR 88 and 14CFR 25.981, FAA Certifiable
• Remote Mounted, Float Switch
• Scavenge Pump Dry Run Qualified, Intrinsically Safe, SFAR 88 and 14CFR 25.981, FAA Certifiable
• Explosion Proof Requirements Definition
o Explosive Atmosphere
o Explosion Containment
o Qualification Testing
o FAA Certification
o Developed requirements course for The Boeing Company
Boeing Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) Unit Member (UM) and/or Authorized Representative (AR)
• Powerplant
o Fuel & Oil System
o Induction/Exhaust
o Thrust Reversers
o Fire Protection
o Indicating Systems
o Lightning/HIRF Protection
o Control System – Mechanical
o Safety Analysis
o Service Documents
o Test Plans and Reports
o Compliance Inspections
• Systems and Equipment
o Hydraulic
o Pneumatics
o Wheels, Tires, Brakes
o Air Data/Pitot Static
Mishap and Safety Investigation
• KC-135 and B-52
• Boeing Representative to USAF Safety Investigation Board
• Supported in person out briefings at the four-star level
Fleet Support, Field Service, Customer Support
• Military Aircraft
o KC-135 Tanker
o RC-135 Reconnaissance
o B-52 Bomber
o E-3 AWACS
o E-6 TACAMO
• Military Commercial Derivative Aircraft
o C-18 (707)
o C-22 (727)
o VC-25A (747)
o E-4B (747)
o C-32 (757)
o C-40 (737)
o KC-767A (767)
o KC-46A (767)
Cessna Aircraft Company, Wichita, Kansas, 1980 - 1986
Position: Fuel Systems Design Engineer
Fuel systems engineer dealing with engine feed systems, single point refueling and defueling, capacitance type gauging system, and fuel flow controls.
FAA Certification of Model 650, Citation III, Fuel System
• Full Scale Iron Bird
o Test Procedures and Reports, including conformity inspections
o Configuration Management
o FAA Interface with documents and verbal interchange
o Engine Feed
The engine feed system was a overflow engine feed (hopper) tank
Two driven scavenge ejector pumps
Primary engine feed ejector pump
Secondary Electric fuel boost pumps
The operation is quite simple.
• The DC electric boost pump sends fuel to the engine for starting.
• Motive flow is returned to the engine feed tank to drive the jet pump.
• The output of the engine feed jet pump is enough to feed the engine and drive the two scavenge ejector pumps.
• These two scavenge ejector pumps constantly feed at a rate greater than engine consumption and return motive flow.
• When the output pressure reaches a set point, the secondary electric pump shuts down and remains ready to operate in the event of a pressure decay below a set limit.
• The primary ejector pump and secondary electric pump are parallel in the system. Each is capable of feeding the engine and providing motive flow for the scavenge ejector pumps.
• This process keeps the engine feed tank full and running over with fuel until it is the only fuel remaining.
Vent System
• The vent system is a simple climb vent tube in the forward, inboard portion of the wet wing fuel tank.
• The vent valve is a simple vent float valve in the outboard, aft portion of the wet wing fuel tank.
Single Point Refuel and Defuel
• Onboard single point refueling system with each fuel tank containing its own shutoff valves.
• These valves could be fooled into simulating a full fuel tank to “pre-check” the fuel shutoff capability prior to a full fuel tank.
• This system is a pure hydro-mechanical (non electric) system that permits refueling or defueling any tank without aircraft or external power.
Fuel Quantity Indicating System
o Flight Test Aircraft
Unusable Fuel Flight Test.
Incorporated a specialized engine feed system that permitted a single engine flameout and restart from an alternate fuel source.
The purpose was to contain the unusable fuel and drain the unusable fuel upon return to base to measure the unusable fuel.
o Reduced Unusable Fuel from 288 to 56 pounds
Net increase of 3.5 percent of usable fuel
This was accomplished by incorporating an engine feed tank that received scavenged fuel from the fuel tank and replenished the engine feed tank at a rate greater than engine consumption.
This required creation of a special functional test procedure for the factory to verify that each production aircraft would function as its intended design.
o Eliminated Fuel System Icing Inhibitor (FSII)
Originally the Citation III was FAA certified for mandatory fuel system operation with FSII
FSII was used as an Alternate Means of Compliance (AMOC) to 14CFR 25.951(c) icing test, reference Advisory Circular AC 25-29 20-29B - Use of Aircraft Fuel Anti-icing Additives.
The aircraft operators requested operation without FSII
This required a change of the engine feed system
The new requirement is now 14CFR 25.951(c)
Each fuel system for a turbine engine must be capable of sustained operation throughout its flow and pressure range with fuel initially saturated with water at 80° F and having 0.75cc of free water per gallon added and cooled to the most critical condition for icing likely to be encountered in operation.
This requires a redesign to the engine feed system to now accommodate the excess water in the fuel. This included:
• Component redesign
• Engine feed bay architecture changes
• Fuel inlet screen changes
• Component Qualification Icing Test
• System Level FAA Certification Icing Test
o Flame Arrestor Design and FAA Certification Testing
Developing and FAA certifying a flame arrestor in a fuel vent manifold.
Unique processes were utilized to get the flame front to the flame arrestor and untried instrumentation verified the flame was suppressed as the flame front progressed through the flame arrestor.
• Citation 500 and 550 Sustaining Engineering
o Powerplant and Mechanical Systems
Post Retirement Contract Engineering December 2018 and On
Textron Aviation – Wichita KS
• ODA-100129-CE Fuel System and Fire Protection
• Model 700 Longitude Engine Fire Protection Finding of Compliance
Worldwide Aircraft – Springfield MO
• Saab 340 Aux Fuel Tank STC
Associations and Affiliations
FAA Consultant DER
• Powerplant – November 1989
• Systems and Equipment, Mechanical and Electrical – June 1994
Licensed Private Pilot – May 1979
• Secretary, Boeing Employees Flying Club, January 2005 – December 2006, January 2009 – December 2010
Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic – July 1979
Designed patentable no moving parts air water separator – Personal Project
Technical Advisor to the board of directors of the Aerial Refueling Advisory Group (ARSAG)
System Design Panel co-chair ARSAG
Served on the city of Bel Aire KS as a council member
Served on the Bel Aire KS Planning Commission as Vice Chair and Chairman
Full Member of ISASI (International Society of Air Safety Investigators)
FAA DER Approval Functions
This is a list of his current delegated functions.
Chart B - Powerplant
Part 23 & Part 25
A1: Airplane Turbine Engine//Engine Installation (Part 23 only)
A2: Airplane Turbine Engine//Fuel & Oil
A5: Airplane Turbine Engine//Fire Protection
B1: Airplane Piston Engine// Engine Installation (Part 23 only)
B2: Airplane Piston Engine//Fuel & Oil
B5: Airplane Piston Engine// Fire Protection
F1: Special (Special)// Engine Installation (Part 23 only)
F2: Special (Special)//Fuel &Oil
F5: Special (Special)/ /Fire Protection
Chart C1 - Mech. Equip.
Part 23 & Part 25
B1: Hydraulic//Detail Design and Installation
B2: Hydraulic//Equipment Qualification Tests
B7: Hydraulic//Service Documents
F1: Pneumatics//Detail Design and Installation (Part 23 only)
F2: Pneumatics//Equipment Qualification Tests (Part 23 only)
F7: Pneumatics//Service Documents (Part 23 only)
G1: Wheels, Tires and Brakes//Detail Design and Installation
G2: Wheels, Tires and Brakes//Equipment Qualification Tests
G7: Wheels, Tires and Brakes//Service Documents
K1: Fire Protection//Detail Design and Installation
K2: Fire Protection//Equipment Qualification Tests
K5: Fire Protection//Flammability
K7: Fire Protection//Service Documents
N1: Special (Special)//Detail Design and Installation
N2: Special (Special)//Equipment Qualification Tests
N7: Special (Special)//Service Documents
Chart C2 - Elect. Equip.
Part 23 & Part 25
G1: Air Data / Pitot Static//Detail Design and Installation
G2: Air Data / Pitot Static//Equipment Qualification Tests
G4: Air Data / Pitot Static//Service Documents
L1: Special (Special)//Detail Design and Installation
L2: Special (Special)//Equipment Qualification Tests
L4: Special (Special)//Service Documents