Helicopter Expert Witnesses

This expert has extensive experience in photography and videography. He earned his BA in psychology, sociology, and communications from San Diego State University. He is a certified instructor of forensic photography and a licensed real estate broker. He began his career with the San Diego Police Department, serving as a level III reserve officer and a crisis intervention counselor, as well as a photographer. This expert then started his own company, Jacobson & Associates, a property management, brokerage and syndication company. He owned and operated this business for 19 years before transitioning to full time work as a photographer for An Amazing World Photography. This expert currently serves as the president, lead photographer and videographer, and instructor of a forensic photography and videography company in California.

This expert earned his BS in civil engineering at Ohio State University and his MBA at the University of Dallas. He is a professional engineer and has worked in roles such as plant manager of Rowe Machinery, senior program director at Raytheon, the director of the Asia-Pacific maritime program and senior director of air force and commercial programs for L-3Harris, as well as vice president of integrated aviation solutions at BAE Systems. He is currently the principal at an aerospace and defense consulting company in Texas.

This highly-qualified aircraft valuations expert has 40 years of experience in the aviation industry. He earned his BA in aviation management from Southern Illinois University and holds certifications as a senior aircraft appraiser, an airframe and power plant mechanic, an FAA authorized inspector, and aircraft buyer's agent. He is active in his field as a member of the EAA. This expert began his career in aviation as a member of the aircraft maintenance crew in the United States Air Force. He then served as an aircraft mechanic at Crystal Lake Airport, avionics installation and package engineer at Hartzog Aviation before starting his tenure with American Airlines. He worked for American Airlines for 32 years in a variety of roles, including line maintenance mechanic, senior instructor in aircraft maintenance, aircraft maintenance production supervisor, and the aircraft maintenance production and shift manager. Currently, he is the president and owner of an aircraft maintenance and appraisal corporation based in Illinois.

This expert has 40 years of experience in mechanical engineering, specializing in engineering simulation, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics. After earning her BS in math and physics from Heidelberg College, she earned her BS in engineering physics and MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo. She also obtained her PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Virginia before beginning a highly successful career in mechanical engineering research and engineering software. She is active in her field as a member of numerous professional organizations and as the author of over 80 journal articles, technical reports, web articles, and seminar presentations. Some of her former positions include serving as the president of Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., as the vice president of product development for Compuflo, Inc., and as a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Virginia. In these roles, she conducted extensive research and directed technical simulation software development for 3 companies. Currently, this expert is a senior architect for a technology company.

This expert has extensive experience in naval security and the international and domestic defense industry. He earned his BS in mechanical engineering from the US Naval Academy. During his 37-year career with the Navy, he served as a senior naval officer, as a director of warfare requirements, and as a military commander for the Iceland Defense Force. This expert then went on to serve as the corporate direction of naval aviation programs at Lockheed Martin and as the director of business development at Raytheon. Currently, this expert serves as the president of an independent defense industry consultancy in Virginia.

This highly-qualified expert has over 35 years of experience in aviation, as well as a practicing attorney. In addition to being a licensed attorney, he has a private pilot's license and a commercial pilot's license. He earned his BAS in biomedical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD from Pennsylvania State University. He has worked for several law firms throughout his career and, during his time with the DOJ as both an assistant United States attorney and a special assistant United States attorney, this expert worked on numerous aviation-related prosecutions involving airlines and the FAA. He has about 5,000 hours of experience in all types of weather and is familiar with the practices, procedures, operations, issues, and challenges facing pilots. For the last 27 years, he has owned, maintained, and operated systems-based cabin-class piston and turbo-prop aircraft, including a 1977 Piper Turbo Arrow III (PA-28-201RT), a 1969 Beechcraft (Raytheon) Duke (BE60), and, most recently, a 1979 Piper Cheyenne I (PAY1). Currently, this expert is the managing partner of the Philadelphia office for a law firm in Pennsylvania.

This aviation and aerospace expert is one of the leaders in his industry and has extensive experience in flight test, materials and properties laboratories, unmanned aerial systems, engineering operations, Safety Management Systems and quality. This expert started his career as a United State Army pilot and then advanced to several senior positions with the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA). As Manager Rotorcraft Directorate with the FAA, he was responsible for all FAA Experimental Test Flight policy, training, and administration for over 250 companies. He collaborated with industry to lower the number of fatal accidents from 30 to 14 per year over a five-year average. This expert received the Tony LaVier Award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots for Lifetime Achievement in Flight Safety. He is a member of numerous prestigious organizations in the aviation field. He has authored 9 publications in the field and is a frequently invited guest speaker at major aviation events. This expert was the 2014 commencement speaker at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he also earned his BS in Aeronautical Technology. He received his MS in Aerospace Management at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Currently, he is the President of an independent aviation consulting firm and President of an international safety and risk management company serving the aviation industry.

This highly qualified aeronautics expert earned his masters and PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. He is a fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and an associate fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has authored more than 100 publications in the aeronautics space and is currently a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at a top midwest university.

This highly qualified expert currently serves as as a Senior Flight Surgeon for the United States Air Force Reserve Medical Corps as well as Adjunct Professor for an aviation university where he teaches Aviation Physiology. He also provides medical examination services to pilots and aviation companies. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Aeromedical Advisory Council. He is an active pilot and was deployed for Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Joint Forge.

This expert earned his PhD in mechanical engineering/aeronautical sciences from the University of California Berkeley and has authored numerous publications in the mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering space. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and has held numerous professorships relating to multiple facets of engineering. He is the former co-director of the DOT program for motor vehicle trauma at the UCLA schools of engineering and medicine. Currently, this expert is a senior forensic consultant focusing on biomechanics and biomedical engineering.

This expert has several awards such as the USPA Gold, Diamond, and Double Diamond parachutist / skydiver badges, qualifying him as an expert in these two fields of extreme sports. He is highly knowledgeable of the safety regulations of each sport, as he serves as safety adviser and examiner for several committees. He also has several publications and held seminars on skydiving & flying safety issues.

This expert has been involved in aviation for more than 40 years. She spent time as a flight attendant for both American Airlines and Capitol Air, and has been involved in business aviation flying both full time & contract/freelance. She flew full time as a business aviation flight attendant for Coca Cola, DuPont, and others. This expert also runs her own training company, an extensive program designed to train corporate flight attendants in industry protocol and standard operational procedures. She is committed to cabin safety whether Parts 91/135/121.

This highly-qualified expert has 25 years of experience as an engineer specializing in accident reconstruction, roadside safety, maintenance of traffic, and the analysis of mechanical systems and product failures. He has a strong background in the design, development, and implementation of roadside safety hardware including guardrails, bridge rails, and crash cushions. This expert earned both his BS and MS in mechanical engineering, as well as his PhD in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska before completing a certification program in biomedical engineering at the University of Florida. He is a licensed professional engineer in three states and is a certified counter balanced forklift operator. He is active in his field as a member of several organizations, including the American Society for Testing and Materials and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is also involved in research in his field, as an author of several publications and a speaker at multiple conferences throughout his career. He currently holds 33 patents related to guardrail systems, vehicle storage systems, and shipping container handling systems. This expert formerly served as a consulting engineer for Interstate Steel Corporation, a research associate engineer for Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, principal of BEC Consulting, and director of engineering for BEC Industries. Currently, this expert is the president and CEO of a forensic engineering firm in Florida.

This expert's career in the aviation industry spans 37 years and has included work in turbine power plant, aircraft overhaul and component repair and overhaul. He has performed risk assessment for the insurance industry and both corporate and business aircraft owners have utilized his talents. He has received many awards from the Federal Aviation Administration while maintaining a staff position with the Transportation Safety Institute. He is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Professional Aeronautics. Additionally he is a current member in good standing with the NAAA and holds the title of Senior Certified Aircraft Appraiser (NSCA) endorsed by the USPAP. He is certified by the National Aircraft Appraisers Association for aircraft appraisals. Currently, this expert is the President of one of the world's top aviation appraisal consulting firms.

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This highly qualified expert has served as a senior operations executive for regional and international airports. He is an Accredited Airport Executive by the American Association of Airport Executives, as well as a Certified Airport Security Coordinator, a Certified Private Pilot, and certified by the FAA in Airport Planning & Capacity. He earned his B.S. in Aeronautical Studies and Airport Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and his Master of Public Administration in Organizational Management from Golden Gate University, and then proceeded to hold positions with Sky Harbor International Airport, Tampa International Airport, and Gainesville Regional Airport. More recently, the expert was the Director of Operations for Birmingham International Airport, the Deputy Airport Director for Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and the Vice President of Operations at Doha and Hamad International Airports in Qatar. He is now an airport operations consultant specializing in operational concepts and new Terminal Readiness for airports/airlines and aviation planning/design firms.

This 40+ year veteran of the aviation industry has extensive experience as an airline pilot and additional background in safety inspection, flight instruction, airport management, and accident investigation. He earned his B.S. in Aviation Technology and Business Management from Metropolitan State College and holds several certificates from the FAA, including the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, the Flight Instructor Certificate, the Flight Engineer Certificate, the Ground Instructor Certificate, and the Control Tower Operator Certificate. The expert spent 16 years as a Line Pilot, Federal Flight Deck Officer, and Pilot Instructor for United Airlines. He has also held operations roles with SurfAir, and FlightOne. He is now an aviation consultant.

This expert started his aviation career in 1990 while serving in the US Marine Corps as a jet engine mechanic on the CH-53 helicopter. Upon reporting to his duty station, he was selected to fill a security detachment, answered the call of duty and served in the Gulf war. He has since immersed himself into the world of Light Sport Aviation. He is one of very few Rotax engine experts on the continent, this coupled with his talents to problem solve and trouble shoot make him a sought after LSA guru.

This expert has been a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; the Boston Bar Association, where he was chair of the Aviation Litigation Committee; and the Massachusetts Bar Association. He has taught in trial practice courses at Harvard Law School on many occasions and has published multiple articles in local and national legal journals. This expert has 40+ years of experience. He has appeared in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in administrative tribunals and arbitrations, in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, California, Colorado and Michigan. Substantively, he has represented plaintiffs and defendants in business litigation (breach of contract, non-competes, trade secrets), professional malpractice, personal injury, real estate and construction, and white collar criminal defense. He has been certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has lectured on litigation issues in continuing legal education courses. He has been retained numerous times as an expert witness in legal malpractice cases. In one case, for instance, growing out of a medical malpractice case, his testimony was key in obtaining a $7,000,000.00 verdict.

This highly qualified expert is trained for every type fo accident reconstruction with the except of aircraft. This expert can assist in profduct defect causation and has extensive court experiencve. Additionally, he is a member of multiple soceities. He has over 35 years of expwereince in motorsports and is hte author of 400 technical articles and 3 books.