ASTM International Committee on Unmanned Aircraft Systems Appoints Ted Wierzbanowski as Chairman
This press release took some time to filter through, we reported this earlier this year.
ASTM International Committee F38 on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has elected Ted Wierzbanowski, director of UAS airspace integration at AeroVironment Inc. in Monrovia, Calif., as its new chairman. The committee, with a membership of more than 130, develops standards and guidance materials for UAS, covering topics such as airworthiness, flight operations and operator qualifications.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently engaged ASTM to develop the technical standards required for the operation of small UAS in the National Airspace System. These standards will address multiple aspects of small UAS operations and will be required for their broad employment. As chairman of F38, Wierzbanowski will lead the committee as it focuses on the development and approval of these small UAS standards.
Wierzbanowski also serves as chairman of Subcommittee F38.02 on Flight Operations and is a member of Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft. He joined ASTM International in 2010.
A retired U.S. Air Force colonel and experimental test pilot, Wierzbanowski has been involved in advanced aircraft development since the early 1980s, when he was the first Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) test pilot/project manager for the X-29 aircraft program. After leaving the X-29 program, he moved on to the National Aerospace Plane X-30 aircraft program, where he served in many senior level positions over a period of 7 years.
After retiring from the Air Force in 1994, Wierzbanowski joined AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), where he has managed many advanced technology electric vehicle, distributed energy and UAS programs for the company. As director of UAS airspace integration, he is responsible for AeroVironment’s interaction with the FAA and other government agencies on UAS issues. He was the industry co-chairman of the FAA’s Small UAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee and currently serves on the newly chartered FAA UAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee that is supporting FAA efforts on all sizes of UAS.
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and Test Pilot School as well as the Defense Systems Management College, Wierzbanowski also holds a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California. In addition to ASTM International, he is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Vice President of the UAV National Industry Team (UNITE).
Release #9194
May 17, 2012
