FAA Offers WINGS Training Program to Reduce Private Aviation Errors

With a distinguished career in special operations with the United States Department of Defense, Leroy Stotelmyer also is a philanthropist who recently gave $25,000 to a racial equality and social justice organization. Frequently called on to provide expert advice, Leroy Stotelmyer served as a safety consultant and advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The government body that regulates all civil aviation, the FAA operates a pilot proficiency program called WINGS. The purpose of WINGS is to address and correct the main factors that lead to accidents in the general aviation community. After selecting your category and class of aircraft in your online “Airman Profile,” pilots indicate the areas in which they want to increase their flight proficiency. Each skill is connected to certain learning activities and flight maneuvers, which are typically done under the guidance of a certified flight instructor.

Designed as an on-going, multi-level training program, WINGS encompasses more than hands-on flight instruction. The online training component features online courses, seminars, and other events. In addition, many third party aviation training activities, such as those offered by the Aircraft Owners Pilots Association and others, are eligible for WINGS credit. Email questions about the WINGS Program to faasafety@faa.gov. 

About the AOPA Foundation

Leroy Stotelmyer attended Embry Riddle for his bachelor of science in aerospace engineering and earned a system engineering master's degree from Duke University. He works as special operations in the United States Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. Leroy Stotelmyer is a member of the Aircraft Owners Pilots Association (AOPA).

AOPA Foundation is the charity extension of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The foundation aims to support growth opportunities for all its members and the overall aviation society. To achieve its mission, the AOPA foundation facilitates the You Can Fly program, which seeks to make flying more obtainable and inexpensive. The program is a compilation of functional, rigid, and engaging activities formulated through real-life experiences to aid pilots in their aviation quest phases.

To support the AOPA Foundation, donors can partake in the annual giving to fund the essential programs backed by the organization. Contributors classified as Monthly Sustainers can help to develop and reinforce the aviation community through their monthly donations. Moreover, the AOPA Foundation also recognizes wired gifts such as gifts of stocks from its benefactors to meet its goals. Another way of giving is by contributing to the Honorary or Memorial Donation as a means of honoring a pilot, aviation devotee, or cherished individuals.

Two Tips for the Skiing Novice

An accomplished pilot, Leroy Stotelmyer serves as a mentor to more than 100 student pilots in the United States government and several commercial aerospace corporations. In this role, Mr. Stotelmyer offers career guidance to young pilots in the areas of systems engineering and services. Outside of his work, Leroy Stotelmyer enjoys skiing whenever he has the opportunity.

If you are new to skiing, here are two tips that may help you:

1. Bend your knees. Squatting may seem to be an unnatural position, but it’s an essential one for skiing. Bending your knees gives you better control of your skis because it forces your shins to the boot’s front. It also allows you to keep your torso centered above your legs, which helps with your balance.

2. Wear polarized goggles. Though you’ll ski in cold conditions, the sun is still a major issue because its rays reflect off the snow’s surface. This bright light can lead to snow blindness as you ski, which could make you have an accident. Wear polarized goggles or eyeglasses when you ski to protect your eyes.

Popping Up in Surfing

A former test and certification pilot with the Federal Aviation Administration, Leroy Stotelmyer now works in special operations for the United States Department of Defense. Away from his work, Leroy Stotelmyer enjoys surfing.

In surfing, “popping up” is the technique of moving from a prone position to standing. Newcomers to the sport typically make two mistakes when popping up. The first is looking down at their feet as they stand, which shifts the body’s center of balance and may make the surfer dizzy and more likely to fall. When popping up, surfers should keep looking straight ahead.

The second common mistake of new surfers is the timing of the popup. New surfers may try to stand before their board catches the wave, which results in lost balance when the wave goes under the board. Instead, surfers should try to popup when they can feel the wave under the board pushing them along.

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An Overview of The Space Symposium

Since 1995, Leroy Stotelmyer has worked in the special operations division of the US Department of Defense. Also a pilot, Leroy Stotelmyer is a member of industry organizations and attends industry meetings, such as the yearly Washington and Colorado Space Symposium.

The Space Symposium is held annually at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to bring together the space sector leaders. The inaugural event was held in 1984, and the attendees only numbered 250 enthusiasts. Currently, nearly 14,000 participants come from all around the world to address, plan, and discuss the future of space. Some of the regular attendees of The Space Symposium are national security and intelligence organizations, commercial space businesses, space agencies, and cybersecurity organizations.

The meeting is sponsored by The Space Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to advocate for and advance the global space industry. Besides supporting The Space Symposium, The Space Foundation provides the industry community with educational programs for engineering, science, technology, math, humanities, and arts, while also building awareness for the value of space-related endeavors.

The symposium works as a way for industry members to network, make contacts, and get business done. At the same time, it brings groups from different space community sectors together to discuss and examine industry issues from a different perspective. The event also presents prestigious awards for successful industry leaders and organizations, providing them with an expansive exhibit center, where nearly 200 exhibitors show the latest space innovation, from full-scale spacecraft to nanotechnology developments. 

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Award from Hughes’ Malcolm Currie Honors Engineering Skill

Palm Coast, Florida-based Leroy Stotelmyer works in special operations serving the United States Department of Defense as it handles aviation equipment and technology transfers worldwide, involving a number of emerging markets. His previous career in the aerospace industry includes work as chief test pilot at Edwards Air Force Based and as a project engineer and spacecraft manager for Hughes Aircraft Company. Leroy Stotelmyer is the recipient of a Hughes Chairman’s award, an award for accomplishment in engineering sponsored by then-Hughes CEO Malcolm Currie, renowned for his innovations in the field of engineering.

Currie served as Hughes CEO from 1986 to 1992. Born in 1927, Currie attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied engineering and physics. He served as a member of the United States Navy during and just after World War II, then finished his doctoral degree.

He became part of the research team at Hughes in the mid-1950s, moving through the executive ranks to become vice president in the 1960s. In 1973, President Richard M. Nixon appointed Currie director of Defense Research and Engineering at the Department of Defense. After the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter, Currie returned to Hughes.

Currie’s notable accomplishments at Hughes include shepherding through the development of the AMRAAM combat missile, as well as his move to diversify the company into satellite broadcast and communications applications, which eventually led to a dominant position in the global market.

Among his philanthropic contributions, Currie donated $10 million in 2015 to fund an endowment at the Keck School of Medicine and construct a new bioscience center at the University of Southern California, where he continues to serve as a Life Trustee. 

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The Benefits of Technology Transfer Programs

A former test and certification pilot with the FAA, Leroy Stotelmyer has been working with the US DOD for 25 years. At the DOD, Leroy Stotelmyer oversees commercial and government technology transfer programs in the aviation space to emerging markets and countries.

Technology transfer is a keystone element of federally-funded research projects. It is the process through which inventions, such as new technologies, make its way from the researchers to the marketplace. Among other benefits, technology transfer promotes economic development through the commercialization of innovative technologies. Technologies, like global positioning system (GPS) and magnetic resonance imaging, stem from federally-funded research projects.

Technology transfer programs also encourage and enhance collaboration between federal and non-federal science research. Although technology transfer is often meant for commercialization applications, it contributes to other research efforts where it may be applicable in the private sector. Most importantly, technology transfer allows both the federal government and third-party partners to accomplish goals that neither could efficiently achieve alone.