Robert H. Vandel
Executive Vice President
 |
Over 40 years’ experience in fixed- and rotary-wing aviation, aviation safety, and air traffic control. Holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a Master of Science degree in Psychology. Has flown all types of aircraft from small single-engine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters up to heavy jets.
Served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army for 23 years. While in the Army he co-authored the Army's safety program for air and ground operations. Administered both the Army test pilot and the Army astronaut programs. Spent 2 years in Vietnam and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on three separate occasions.
He joined the Flight Safety Foundation in 1988 as director of technical projects. During his 10-year tenure in that position he led studies on:
- Safety Indicators
- Crew-Associated Accidents
- Flight Operations Quality Assurance
- Windshear Training Application for corporate and regional aircraft
- Controlled Flight into Terrain Accident Reduction
- Approach and Landing Accident Reduction
- Aircraft Loss of Control
- Fatigue in Corporate/Business Aircraft Operations and
- Co-chaired an international working group which successfully defined parameters for the safe introduction of ultra-long range aircraft operations.
The work conducted under his leadership on flight operations quality assurance was used worldwide by airlines as a template to establish programs for the collection, analysis, and use of onboard recorded data.
Currently co-chairing an international effort to reduce the $5 billion annual losses due to ramp damage.
He has organized and presented technical papers at over 45 Workshops, Conferences and Seminars worldwide.
In 1996, Bob was awarded the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurels award for his work with the Foundation’s Controlled flight into terrain initiative. In May 1999 he was elected by the Foundation’s Board of Governors to his present position of Executive Vice President.