Dr. James Garvin graduated from Brown magna cum laude in 1978. After receiving his Masters of Science from Stanford in 1979, Garvin returned to Brown to pursue a PhD in planetary geological sciences under Professor T. A. Mutch and J. W. Head in 1980, and completed his Ph.D in 1984.

He has published over 60 research articles, ranging from remote sensing oceanic islands on Earth, to the characteristics of rocks on Mars, Venus, and the Moon.

Garvin is NASA’s Chief Scientist, serving the Agency and the Administrator as the primary advisor for the entire NASA science portfolio. His duties include advising the senior leaders of the Agency on matters that range from how science fits into the Vision for Space Exploration to the basic scientific research and development priorities for the Agency. In his former capacity as the Lead NASA Scientist for Mars Exploration, Dr. Garvin was instrumental in formulating and developing the NASA scientific strategy for Mars, and most recently, that for the Moon as well.

Dr. Garvin has been a NASA scientist for twenty years, which spans his entire career beyond graduate school. He came to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in late 1984 as a staff scientist, and soon thereafter he helped catalyze development of new spaceflight experiments for exploring the landscapes of Mars, the Moon, and planet Earth. As NASA’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Garvin brings the experience gained from his 20 year career as a NASA scientist, spanning such disciplines as Earth system science, Mars Exploration, lunar exploration, Venus, asteroids, and the outer planets. At present he remains a Co-investigator on NASA’s ongoing Mars Global Surveyor, Canada’s Radarsat, and ESA’s Envisat missions.

In 1999, the NASA Administrator asked Garvin to chair the Next Decade Planning Team (DPT) for the purpose of developing science-driven, technology-enabled pathways for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. In chairing the DPT team, Garvin and his team helped shape the antecedents of what became the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), which is NASA’ current direction and mandate.

(Captain, USN), NASA Astronaut (retired)

President, The Wright Experience, Inc.

Ken Hyde is a native of Nokesville, Virginia who earned both mechanics’ and pilot’s licenses while still in high school. After graduation, he went to work as a mechanic for Capital Airlines. In 1961, he joined the team at Bendix Corporation as a co-pilot/mechanic for the operation of instrumented aircraft for calibrating worldwide tracking stations for NASA projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.

He joined American Airlines in 1965 and retired in September 1999, with 33 years of service as a commercial pilot. The same year he went to work for American Airlines, he founded Virginia Aviation, an antique aircraft restoration company. He first gained national attention as the restorer of a number of vintage aircraft taking honors in 1975 as EAA Grand Champion and 1987, in addition to numerous awards and recognitions. His list of restored projects for museums, include several aircraft for the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air & Space Museum and a veritable who’s who of aviation museums throughout the United States. In December of 2000, Ken was inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Paul Tissandier Diploma by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in 2003. In August of 2004, he was presented with the Brewer Aerospace Award from the National Headquarters of the Civil Air Patrol.

Ken discovered that the meticulous Wright brothers put very little of their work on paper or in one research place. These gaps in the historical record have given rise to the Wright Experience, a team of historians, engineers, pilots and mechanics, led by Ken, and dedicated to more completely telling the Wright story in order to inspire the next generation of innovators. Ken's work on the 1903 Wright Flyer flown at the commemoration of the Centennial of Flight provided him the opportunity to work closely with Scott Crossfield

National Air and Space Museum, Curator and Author

Smithsonian curator and historian Tom D. Crouch will highlight his book, "Racketeers and Gentlemen Engineers". The book is an account of the significant contributions the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and its predecessor organizations have made to the evolution of flight. It covers the story of visionary individuals and dedicated engineers who changed society. The book traces the early struggles to create and distinguish aeronautics as a distinct profession, through the technological advances brought on by two world wars and the advances spawned by the Space Age.

Tom Crouch is senior curator of the Division of Aeronautics at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. He is the author and editor of more than a dozen books and many articles for both magazines and scholarly journals.

Hangar Talk     Thursday, October 19th    Salon A, B, C

Hangar Talk is an engaging, casual dialogue session and an open exchange of information with the audience in an evening’s tribute to the late A.Scott Crossfield.

Famed aviator and X-15 test pilot, Scott Crossfield had his first flight at the age of six in an oil company airplane and said that he does not recall ever having desired any other career than aviation. He began flying lessons at the age of twelve, in return for delivering newspapers at the Wilmington Airport. By the time he graduated from high school, he had resolved to emulate such famous test pilots as Boeing’s Eddie Allen and the Air Force’s Jimmy Doolittle. He received both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical engineering from the University of Washington.

Mr. Crossfield’s distinguished career in aviation began in 1942 as a U. S. Navy fighter pilot and fighter gunnery instructor. From 1946 to 1950, he was the Chief Operator at the University of Washington’s F. K. Kirsten Wind Tunnel, and from 1950 to 1955 he was an aeronautical research pilot for the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics at Edwards High Speed Flight Station.

From 1955 to 1961, Mr. Crossfield was the design specialist, X-15 project pilot, and chief engineering test pilot for North American Aviation, Incorporated, Los Angeles Division. He was involved in all phases of X-15 specification and design, cockpit and control systems, engine systems, structures, and so forth. He was also the pilot for the first thirty demonstration flights of the X-15.

In 1967 Mr. Crossfield joined Eastern Airlines as a division vice president. After four years he was promoted to staff vice president working transportation development issues for the airline, a position in which he remained until leaving Eastern in 1974 to assume the position of senior vice president at Hawker Siddley. Mr. Crossfield worked as an independent technical consultant for several corporations, House committees and sub-committees, NASA, and the FAA. Mr. Crossfield was involved with the Centennial of Flight celebration, teaching pilots to fly the replica Wright Flyer.

Our sincere thanks to his family for their considerations: wife, Alice; sons Tom, Paul, Tony, Robert; daughters Sally and Becky.

Following graduation from the United States Military Academy, Eugene (Gene) Deatrick entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1946. His assignments include Electronics Test Squadron whose mission was the development of new radar bombing equipment and as a Bomber Engineering Test Pilot. During his career, Deatrick flew more than 50 different types of aircraft and accumulated more than 12,000 hours of flying.

In 1965, he volunteered for Vietnam. While in Vietnam, Deatrick flew 402 combat missions in the A-1E Skyraider. He was responsible for the rescue of Lt. Dieter Dengler, USN, who had escaped from a prison camp after six months of captivity[2]. Deatrick returned to the United States and was assigned as Commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, CA. In 1968, he was selected to attend the National War College. Following his graduation, he was assigned to the Joint Staff, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Subsequently and became the Director of Test, Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, MD and retired from the United States Air Force in 1974.

He currently serves as an aerospace representative in the Washington D.C. area for several companies. His wife, Zane have two sons and two grandsons. Deatrick’s distinguished career includes numerous awards and honors, to include the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star for Valor. In 1969, he earned a Masters Degree from George Washington University. In 2005, he received the National Aeronautic Association's Elder Statesman of Aviation award for his service to the United States military, especially as one of its top test pilots. His life-long friendship with Scott Crossfield will add to Hangar Talk the dynamics of Scott Crossfield’s test pilot years.

Aviation Pioneer; Col, CAP

After overhauling her first automobile engine when she was 13 years old, Mary turned to aircraft engines and military aircraft by age of 18. She continued her passion by teaching aircraft maintenance to crew chiefs and mechanics for the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942. During WWII, she became an expert on many military aircraft and is credited with becoming the first woman engineer in research and development in the Air Technical Service Command’s Engineering Division at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. Mrs. Feik flew more than 5,000 hours as a B-29 flight engineer, engineering observer, and pilot in fighter, attack, bomber, cargo, and training aircraft.

She designed high-performance and jet fighter pilot transition trainers as well as aircraft maintenance trainers. She has authored pilot training operational manuals for many of the military aircraft and reports in engineering and the physical sciences for distribution throughout the armed forces.

Mrs. Feik retired from the National Air and Space Museum Paul E. Garber Restoration Facility as a Restoration Specialist. She continues to restore antique and classic aircraft. Mary has had a life-long dedication to aviation education with the U.S. Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol, and other aviation organizations. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her life-time of accomplishments and continues to conduct speaking engagements across the nation. Her passion for aerospace education and love of engineering began her life-long friendship with Scott Crossfield.

Research Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Fascinated with flight since he built and flew a hang glider at the age of 15, Kevin Kochersberger eventually found himself working with Ken Hyde and the Wright Experience to create the world’s most accurate reproduction Wright aircraft. His involvement in the Centennial of Flight project evolved from dyno testing Wright engines and wind tunnel testing full-scale aircraft, to flying the 1902 Wright glider and the 1903 Wright Flyer. Kevin logged two successful flights in the 1903 machine, and was the pilot aboard the aircraft on December 17, 2003 during the Centennial of Flight Celebration.

Recipient of an Aviation Week and Space Technology 2003 Laureate Award for his involvement in the Centennial Celebration, along with Scott Crossfield (flight training), Ken Hyde (President, Wright Experience) and Terry Queijo (pilot); Kevin is currently a Research Associate professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia and is working on the next generation of unmanned autonomous aircraft. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and is a 1,600-hour pilot, flight instructor, and airplane.