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“There were many times during the certification where it looked bleak. Mr. Benbrook was quick and determined to resolve, not just some, but all of the outstanding issues. And he did it in a very professional manner. The real hero of this certification was indeed Mr. Benbrook.”
- KA350 Program Colleague
Aerospace Engineer / Pilot
More than 19 years of exemplary performance in the aviation industry with exposure to a wide variety of manufacturers' designs; military, commercial, production, and experimental. Recognized strengths in self-motivation, detail-oriented analysis, trouble-shooting, and problem-solving. Able to meet tight deadlines in high pressure situations, while implementing proactive procedures to avoid problems before they can surface, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Staff Engineer - Advanced Technology Organization
GE Aerospace / Grand Rapids, MI / September 2025 - PresentSentry Program - Software Integration / Verification Lead
Senior Systems Engineer
Belcan / Grand Rapids, MI / April 2023 - September 2025Interfacing directly with customers to establish project scope, determine requirements, identify problem areas, and assure all design data, criteria, and conditions affecting the design plan are issued to and understood by all members of the project team.
Designing and developing open and closed-loop controller architecture in support of continuing product line and new research and development projects, as well as hardware interfaces via message-based CAN bus communication protocol.
Reviews and monitors all design activities related to layout, constructability, maintainability, operability, and safety by coordinating between disciplines, venders, and the field.
Managing project risks, budgets, and schedules to ensure the highest quality of deliverables, and communicating regular status reports for all primary stakeholders.
Senior Aeronautical Engineer - Experimental Flight Operations
Calspan Corporation / Niagara Falls, NY (Remote) / July 2021 - March 2023Supported the modification and flight testing of a fleet of experimental aircraft, which includes the X-62A VISTA, for variable stability programs, airborne equipment testing, and a variety of other flight research projects for private and government organizations.
Developed original model-based designs for simulating and analyzing flight controls and generation of C source code and implementation on a 1-of-1 experimental jet.
Principal author of technical operating manuals and test reports for customer delivery, as well as departmental tribal knowledge for process capture.
Evaluated drivers, actuators, and flight control surfaces system responses via classical controls theory techniques to demonstrate behavior in the frequency domain.
Lead Embedded Software Development Engineer
GE Aviation (Contract) / Grand Rapids, MI / December 2020 - July 2021 GE Aviation (Full-time) / Grand Rapids, MI / April 2014 - August 2020Generated original embedded airborne production software and requirements with a focus in trajectory integration, aircraft modeling, performance, and predictions.
Ported and re-engineered legacy firmware into modern modular frameworks to support new modes of product line engineering utilizing software design tools as specified by department standards.
Designed, produced, and led teams in execution of verification test plans for automated and manual test procedures for component-level, systems-level, and functional testing of FMS’s using Agile/Scrum methodologies.
Derived requirements for system architecture and integration for first of type aircraft and engines modeling and supported design/code reviews.
Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer
FlightSafety Simulation / Broken Arrow, OK / August 2006 - April 2014Responsible for design, implementation, and verification of aerodynamic based mathematical models for simulation in six degrees of freedom and presenting final products to customers and national aviation agencies.
Obtained extensive aircraft systems knowledge necessary for coordination with engineers and management to integrate standard and non-standard software code.
Provided on-site support of simulator qualification processes with both international and domestic government regulation authorities and training center leadership.
Reviewed aircraft manufacturers' engineering documents, flight test plans and procedures, and regulation requirements.
B Sc Aerospace Engineering
North Carolina State University / Raleigh, NC / July 2006Private Pilot Certificate ASEL
End. - Spin Instr., Tailwheel
Lavion Aero at Ottawa Executive (Z98) / Zeeland, MI / August 2024 Majestic Air at Lowell City (24C) / Lowell, MI / September 2024
USAF TPS / DARPA Ann. Breakthrough in Machine Learning
“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now. In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the X-62A ACE team,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.
X-62A VISTA Supporting US Air Force Skyborg Program
VISTA, now designated X-62A, has provided TPS students the ability to experience various flying conditions including simulation of other aircrafts’ characteristics for decades. “The redesignation reflects the research done on the aircraft over the past almost 30 years, as well as acknowledges the major upgrade program that is ongoing to support future USAF autonomy testing,” said Dr. Chris Cotting, USAF TPS Director of Research.
VISTA (Variable stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft)
Derived from the F-16, the VISTA's acronym comes from Variable stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft. Although coupling the terms "In-flight" and "Simulator" may sound counterintuitive, this is one of the few aircraft in the world that can be configured to simulate any other airplane in the world. Its impressive simulation capabilities thus make it the ultimate pilot training instrument, as it can be programmed to behave as a massive B-52 heavy bomber or a nimble HAL Tejas light fighter.
TrueCourse FMS
Today’s Flight Management Systems must perform a multitude of complex tasks without compromising safety. GE Aviation has created the TrueCourse™ FMS which is structured around a common framework that componentizes all software functions into reusable components. These components are designed for easy update and adaptation by providing each component with reusable certification artifacts, thus reducing the cost of change.
FlightSafety Simulation
FlightSafety uses patented methods, immersive technology, and countless training scenarios so customers know exactly what to do when it is real. FSI designs, manufactures, and integrates the highest quality and most advanced simulation products in the world. They leverage decades of experience and world class engineering and manufacturing capabilities to provide a powerful suite of innovative products. For this reason, organizations worldwide rely on FSI's simulators for their training programs.
Tools
Programming: MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, C/C++, Ada, Fortran, Visual Basic, Linux, Python, Autodesk Fusion 360
Change Management: GitHub, GitLab, Visual Studio Code, Visual SourceSafe, TortoiseSVN, Dimensions, RTC
Requirements Authorship: Rational DOORS, Doxygen, Polarion
Issue Tracking: Jira, Jenkins, Discrepancy Reports
Documentation: Confluence, Windchill, FSIDocViewer, Microsoft Office Suite
Regulatory Expertise
DO-178C – Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification
14 CFR Part 60 – Flight Simulation Training Device Initial and Continuing Qualification and Use
JAR-FSTD A – Aeroplane Flight Simulation Training Devices
FAR/AIM 2025 – Federal Aviation Regulations / Aeronautical Information Manual
Skills
Organization
Problem Solving
Leadership
Resource Allocation
Team Management
Communication
Initiative
“Jim's technical knowledge and commitment to the project led to an on-time and on-budget completion of this task, despite getting pulled away to work on PR's for KC-46, test issues for LM100J and loss of resources due to attrition.”
- Departmental Manager
Demonstration of Strong Leadership Skills
Technical lead for ACM Function Testing on KC-46, providing guidance and insight to the team as well as presenting progress to management.
Lead the inter-departmental engineering effort for a successful Beechcraft King Air 350 simulator qualification.
Implemented Improved Icing Model on all simulators at Hawker Beechcraft Learning Center following Colgan Air Flight 3407 and presented the theory and efficacy to flight training instructors for this increased safety feature.
Experienced in Research & Development Projects
Designed, coded, and authored engineering technical reports for the Theory-based Aircraft Model to enable software independence and give departments a full year’s head start on production.
Generated new stall hysteresis mechanism for pilot tuning and upset recovery training for full realism absent flight test data.
Developed and presented from concept to implementation, the Tracking Task feature for flight control evaluation and scoring algorithm reporting.
Exemplary Execution in High Pressure Situations
Adapted to new, unexpected, increased demands in Test Guide Submission and Simulator Qualification by ramping up time tables and preserving company reputation for excellence in industry leading performance.
KC-46 project execution key to smoothing relations between intercompany engineering teams despite previous contentious customer relations.
Upgraded a Dassault Falcon 900EX to 900LX utilizing partially new flight test data and validated by the French aviation agency, the DGAC.
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