People Category: AIAA AVIATION Forum 2023

Dr. Pat Anderson created the technology that enables the Urban Air Mobility future. He is Director of the Eagle Flight Research Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University specializing in: new vehicle concepts, advanced flight controls, and novel certification strategies. He led the world’s first piston gas/electric hybrid aircraft program and was recognized as Researcher of the Year. Dr. Anderson holds an airline transport pilot rating, is a flight Instructor, and is also rated as an airframe and power plant mechanic.

Anthony (Tony) Mumford received his honors degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Kingston University, UK in 1989; after which, his career began with British Aerospace (now BAE SYSTEMS) as a member of the Flight Mechanics team supporting the UK’s Harrier II program. Most of Tony’s career has been spent working on a number of Part 25 Transport Category Aircraft certification programs for both Bombardier and the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, specializing on both development and certification flight tests in support of flight characteristics and aircraft performance. At the beginning of 2021, Tony joined Overair to work on their eVTOL Butterfly quad-tiltrotor design. As a member of the certification team, Tony is responsible for establishing both the means and method of compliance to the Subpart B Flight regulations, as found in the recent draft powered-lift special class airworthiness criteria. Tony is currently the technical chair for the ASTM working group establishing a standard specification for VTOL aircraft performance and a member of the ASTM working group establishing an aircraft handling characteristics standard specification for aircraft equipped with indirect/fly-by-wire flight control systems. In addition, Tony chair’s the Handling Qualities Means of Compliance Advisory Committee within the eVTOL Flight Test Council. Tony’s wish is to book-end his aerospace career in the world of VTOL!

Warren Zelaya is a native of Chicago, IL.  Immediately after graduating high school, he joined the United States Navy as an Avionics Technician and achieved Air Warfare specialization.  After being selected for a commissioning program, he attended and graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a B.S. in mathematics and computer science.  After receiving his degree, he continued to serve in the Navy as a Nuclear Qualified Surface Warfare Officer, serving two tours on nuclear powered aircraft carriers and tours working as an anti-air officer.  Upon leaving the service, he joined General Atomics Aeronautical.  He is currently an Engineering Manager for the MQ-9A and the certifiable platform SkyGuardian, while also leading the design system safety division. In his leisure time, he loves to travel with his family, biking, and autocross racing. 

Dan Sloat is Founder & President of the Advanced Air Mobility Institute, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to educate and advocate for the broadest public benefit through the advanced air mobility ecosystem globally. He is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) Traffic Management expert with direct operational experience orchestrating the safe and efficient navigation of over 13,000 drones. He is an FAA Part 107 UAS pilot and a Part 61 private pilot.

As a United States Air Force Captain, he earned a Humanitarian Service Medal for his efforts to aid Syrian refugees under threat from the Islamic State. He served as Air Liaison Officer to the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base for the launch of Operation Inherent Resolve. After his service commitment, Dan earned a Masters in Economics, a Masters in Business Administration, and a Juris Doctor. As President of his law school class, he founded the Aviation Law Society and earned the Civil Liberties Award for his writings on the implications of UAS on American Constitutional Law. He serves as Technical Advisor to Volatus Infrastructure, one of the world’s leading vertiport companies. In his free time, Dan enjoys sailing in the Boston Harbor with his girlfriend Stephanie and their puppy, Deacon.

Manal Habib is the CEO and founder of MightyFly. A graduate from both MIT and Stanford, Habib has developed a strong technical background in aerospace engineering. She previously specialized in flight controls and developed the first robust commercial flight controller. Manal is also a private pilot and in the process of building her own airplane. Her passion for aerospace, vision for a better world, and determination make her a motivated and unstoppable entrepreneur and leader.

Carie Mullins is the Director of Analytics for BryceTech with over 25 years’ experience analyzing and forecasting space markets, advanced technologies, and systems for NASA, the military, and commercial space industry. She has analyzed industry trends and systems to create customized forecast models projecting demand for launch, satellite, and hyper/supersonic point-to-point travel. Carie has also analyzed commercial markets for on-orbit servicing and manufacturing, advanced communications and navigation, LEO platforms, and lunar rovers. She has studied and analyzed technologies for in-space propulsion, autonomous systems and robotics, advanced technologies for life support systems, in-situ resource utilization, and advanced manufacturing. She is a technology forecasting expert, having led a retrospective analysis of technology forecasting to determine the most accurate forecasting methods and timeframes. Carie received her B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Tom Viars is the Director of New Product Development at Florida Turbine Technologies, a Kratos Company. He has over 15 years of experience in the turbine engine industry including roles in engine conceptual design and performance, vehicle integration, team and program management, and marketing and business development. Tom has a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

Mr. Robert A. “Robbie” Cowart, is the founder and CEO of RAC Consulting, LLC and former program director for supersonic technology development at Gulfstream. Cowart has over 30 years of aircraft design, development and manufacturing experience, including 15 years dedicated to sonic boom research. He has been involved in numerous industry committees working closely with NASA, FAA and ICAO CAEP for international consensus on sonic boom noise. In addition, he served on the U.S. National Research Council’s 2010-2012 committee assessing NASA’s flight research, affirming decisions leading to the X-59 research aircraft development. Cowart has participated in several collaborative sonic boom test deployments and their respective research publications.

Ryan Snell serves as Director and head of the Airframe team at Boom Supersonic, where he leads the structural design, integrity and certification of Overture – the world’s next supersonic commercial aircraft. Joining Boom Supersonic during its early years, Ryan built-from-scratch and led a world-class team of engineers through the successful development of Boom’s XB-1 demonstrator aircraft – the first independently developed supersonic airplane in history. Prior to Boom, Ryan spent a number of years at Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works division as the Airframe Lead of the Advanced Prototyping Center. Here, he played a key part in multiple special programs and advanced technology development efforts that helped bridge crucial national security capability gaps. Ryan’s passion lies in disruptive product development and he continues to be motivated by Boom’s mission to make the world dramatically more accessible.