1996 Charles Van Norman

THIS YEAR THE ANNUAL "KELLY" JOHNSON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING
ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF FLIGHT TEST ENGINEERING IS AWARDED TO
MR. CHARLES V VAN NORMAN

Mr. Van Norman is a charter member of SFTE and the Antelope Valley Chapter and has served SFTE at both the national and local level for over 25 years. In addition to serving the Antelope Valley chapter in various roles, he served as both a Director and Treasurer for the International office of the SFTE. His contributions during the early years of SFTE were crucial in building a stable organization and developing a solid membership base.

Mr. Van Norman is currently the Technical Advisor for the 412 Test Wing at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California. In this role, he serves as the senior technical authority for the U.S. Air Force's premier flight test organization. He began his career at Edwards is 1964 as a performance and flying qualities engineer. For the next 12 years he participated in test programs on the YAT-28E, RB-57F, Lear Jet Model 23, U-108, XC-1424 C-123K, C-54 EC-47Q, NC-123X, A-94 YF-16, B-14 and various models of the C-130 and B-52 aircraft. In 1976 he was promoted to a supervisory position where he directed engineering evaluations of the YC-14, YC-15, A-7D, T-38, O-2, and KC-135. He also served as the AFFTC Test Program Manager for the F-111 TACT, HiMAT, AFTI-16 and AFTI-111. Charlie's career continued with assignments as the Deputy for Data on the ALCM program, the Deputy Chief of the Flight Dynamics Division, and the Chief of the Computer Sciences Division. In 1985 he became the Deputy Director of the B-2 Combined Test Force. He Assumed the Scientific and Technical Executive (ST) position of Technical Director of the 6520th Test Group in 1988. In 1989 he assumed his present position.

Mr. Van Norman is an internationally recognized expert in the field of flight testing and has been a leader in addressing solutions to the significant issues facing the Department of Defense, the Air Force, and the entire Test and Evaluation community in the 1990s. His innovative management skills and technical expertise were primary contributing factors to major advances in flight test activities, improved equipment and instrumentation capabilities, critical resource planning, and the effective direction of a number of crucial activities which underlie the testing of new weapon systems for our military forces. In addition to his role in the technical leadership of the Air Force Flight Test Center, Charlie has made major contributions at the national and international levels. He has served on the Test & Evaluation RELIANCE Investment Board (TERIB), the Air Force Chief Scientists Group, the Professional Council of Scientists and Engineers, the Acquisition Process Excellence (APEX) team, the Range Commanders Council, the AIAA Flight Test Technical Committee, the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research & Development (AGARD) Flight Vehicle Integration Panel (FVP) and is the current Chairman of both the FVP Flight Test Committee and the AGARD Flight Test Editorial Committee.

Mr. Van Norman received a Masters of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1974 and a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University in 1964.

Mr. Van Norman has been a great credit to his profession, the Society of Flight Test Engineers and the U.S. Air Force. It is with great pride that the Antelope Valley Chapter recommends this outstanding flight test engineer for the prestigious "Kelly" Johnson Award.