Qualifications and Experience Decorated Senior Military Officer and Combat Flying Instructor, 20yrs RCAF, BSc (Math & Physics) Computer Science major (RMC), Royal Military College of Canada. Commercial Pilot's license (exp 2028), 3700+ hrs, fixed, multi-engine, jet, turbine and helicopter. Commercial UAV Pilot, Licensed for Advanced Ops and Certified Flight Reviewer Specializing in FLIR surveillance, security and Flight Safety. Ops.. Senior Space Ops USAF Space Command/DOFS and Canadian Space Station Program.Operations Mgr Expert level Lockheed Martin Flt Sim "Prepar3D", including aircraft and scenery customization Started Small Wind and Solar Tracking Systems Design Company and Manufacturing Instructor
Responsible for Syllabus Development, ground school delivery and Flight Operations of the ITPS UAV Test Pilot/ Flight Test Engineering Program, This is a 13 week hands-on program that prepares candidates for evaluating UAV equipment, Sensors and payloads, In addition to it's normal military and civilian Test Pilot training, the school operates a variety of fixed-wing, rotary wing, transition and optionally piloted aircraft with visual EO/IR (electro-optical and infrared) sensors, giving students broad experience with evaluating multiple platforms, command control systems, sensors and performance. Project Manager MRPA (Manned Remotely Piloted Aircraft). MRPA is a Rutan 61 (Long EZ) modified for ground control to allow flight testing in national controlled airspace without UAV restrictions.
Owner and Chief Pilot. - Professional UAV photo/Video Services for industrial commercial and recreational aerial photos. Certified Advanced Commercial UAV pilot and Transport Canada approved UAV Flight Reviewer, specializing in IR Surveillance, Security, Flight Safety and Flight Testing. Building and flying custom made drones and commercially available Aerial Cameras since 2013. (inskyphoto.com)
2017 - 2019, Canadian Owners and PIlots Association Subject Matter Expert on drones. Vice President of COPA Flight 7, Sarnia Chapter. Advocate for more rational Civil Air Regulations that promote broader safer adoption of UAV technology and commerce.
Feb 2001 - Present: President, Founder and Pilot of Cooke & Associates Inc., (CANDA) Pres and Chief Technical officer (CTO), Borrum Energy Solutions for the Anorra Turbine, and TRUE-NORTH Power Systems (TNPS) Wind ARROW. With and American investor founded True North Power NG Inc in 2007 and developed a complete line of solar mounting and tracking systems ( Sunpoint2GPS) as well as a small wind turbine called WIND ARROW. In 2002 TNPS was Canadian Distributor of LAKOTA Wind Turbines, Towers, Solar PV, OutBack Inverters and alternate energy systems. As Director of the FREE Wind Test Centre, developed and taught a 3 day course on Small Wind and Solar Renewable Energy Systems design, manufacturing, installation, operations and maintenance. Presented monthly courses over 4 years in Canada, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Korea and Africa.
1999-2001
CITW - Personus 1999-2001 Vice President, Operations, Joined Caught In The Web (CITW) eventually Personus, as VP Project Delivery. Reporting to President/CEO and effectively rebuilt the company's operational processes. Over a 2 year period introduced Project Mgmt process, Operations management, QA,/ISO9000 processes and grew the operations group from approx. 26 to over 85 people. Appointed Managing Director and then VP Operations of Personus (company name change) in 2000.
Bowne Internet Solutions 1998 Vice President, Solutions Delivery, Quadravision Inc. and Bowne Internet Solutions (BIS). In Jan 98, Bowne acquired 5 companies under Quadravision and focused on personalization applications for the Internet. Reporting to the President with three Directors, two Managers and a staff of 63, responsible for delivery of relationship banking applications for major international banks. Built department staff from 25 to over 60 in less than six months. Web projects of 500K to 1.5M US$. Customers include mbanx, Blue Cross, Deutsche Bank and Summit Bank.
1996-97 Director R&D, Cybermation Inc. A "Top 50 - Best Managed Private Company" in Canada (Financial Post Jan 97). Responsible for all development of MVS mainframe, UNIX, WinNT/95, AS400 and OS/2 client server, job scheduling applications. Implemented OOAD life cycle management and produced a reengineered ESP Workstation product in just over 6 months after 2 yrs of previous development had failed to achieve a customer ready product.
1995-96 Vice President Technology & Communications, Zelkova International (Canada) Inc., an investment banking company specializing in matching highly speculative venture capital with new technology. Responsible for technology assessment, business planning, investment analysis, and marketing of start-up opportunities. Projects include simulation software, executive education, distance learning and Internet outplacement services.
1988-94 Assistant Program Manager, (APM) Operations, Mobile Servicing Systems (MSS) Program, Spar Aerospace. Responsible for Space Operations, Ground Ops, Training and Logistics support procedures for the MSS, Canada's contribution to Space Station Freedom. Project Team of 14 engineers, 3 subcontractors, value $2.4 Million/year.
Systems Engineering & Integration SE&I/Ops Technical Manager, D1 Proposal, Spar Aerospace, Responsible for systems engineering, integration and operations portion of a $500M proposal to the Canadian Space Agency. Created Work Breakdown, Subcontracts, Cost Accounts and schedules for build and delivery of Canadian robotics on Space Station. Produced a complete rewrite and wrote portions of the MSS Program Plan, value >$1Billion.
Developed the Interactive Medical Procedures Simulator (IMPS) and demonstrated the ability to conduct remote ultrasound patient investigation and diagnosis without the patient being present. Also developed as a training tool for training doctors and diagnosticians. One of five co-inventors identified in a Spar, Record of Invention for a medical procedures simulator. Developed CATS and the Interactive Medical Procedures Simulator (IMPS) through 2 years of R&D.
1985-88 Chief, Space Surveillance Division, US Air Force Space Command Colorado Springs; Program Manager for SATRAK Software, SMART Catalog, Eglin Radar Test Plan, Dual Frequency Modification at Pirinclik, Turkey and the GEODSS Working Group, as well as 15 other satellite tracking sensors world wide. Staff of 18 officers. Budgets of $50K-$50M, totaling $115M US annually. We helped form US Space Command in 1985.
Creator and Team Lead of a multi-agency team that developed a software system called SATRAK, which became the AFSPACECOM portable standard for orbital computation. Used in theater by US troops during the Gulf war. Two teams of four programmers, 50,000+ lines of code, $340K contract over two years.
Chairman, SMART Catalog Working Group, a special project group of over 60 scientists, engineers and military planners charged with predicting satellite hazards from space debris. Set strategic directions and assisted NDHQ and Pentagon staff in defining space policy.
1977-1980 First Canadian Space Object Identification (SOI) satellite signature analyst in Cheyenne Mountain Colorado. NORAD. USAF analyst and spokesperson on Operation Morning Light regarding the nuclear payload of the Russian RORSAT satellite that crashed near Baker Lake, NWT Jan 1978.
1973-1985 Three Operational Flying Tours, 9 Aircraft types, Canada, US and Europe. Combat Flying Instructor and Squadron Flight Safety Officer. and Flight Commander 403 Sqn. Retired from Staff College Oct 88. Additional NBCW R&D and Weapons Testing details below.
Astronaut Candidate 1983, one of first 4 interviewed and one of 68 semi-finalist from over 4000 applicants in the first Canadian Astronaut competition. Later served with SPAR Aerospace as Asst Prgm Mgr Operations, Canadian Space Station Program. Creating procedures and training for astronauts installing and operating remote manipulators on orbit.
AWARDS. Officer of the Order of Military Merit, (O.M.M.) Canada's 5th highest military honour for outstanding career performance, presented by the Governor General of Canada in June 88 at the rank of Major. Rarely awarded below the rank of Lt. Colonel.
1979-1985 Co-founder and President, SAT TRAK International. Designed, programmed and marketed the first commercially available software for tracking satellites from a personal computer. Over 2000 users in 20 countries and territories around the world.
1977-1978 Aerospace Systems Course 29 - CF Procurement officers course CFB Winnipeg Man. This class of 15 officers studied Air Weapons Systems 1977-1990. Personal paper on Electro-Optical Non-Imaging Sensors and white paper on the design criteria for a Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) for long range arctic and coastal patrol.
Weapons Research, Development and Flight Testing
1974-1976 - Designed, built and tested the first NBCW combat flying helmet for the Canadian Forces. while serving as a front line reconnaissance pilot for 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, 444 SQN "Triple Four Squadron", in Lahr Germany. received the Canadian Public Service Award 1977. 1985-88 participated as test pilot developing fixed sight targeting improvements for the 2.75" smoke marking rocket. Helped develop installation and targeting procedures for the CH-136 Kiowa rocket evaluation program.
1985-88 Flight Commander Responsible for 7.62mm turret mounted Mini-Tat training and 2.75in rocket trials for the Ch136 Kiowa. Developed curriculum and combat training of Kiowa helicopter reconnaissance pilots. Flight Safety Officer during live fire training exercises 403 Sqn, Gagetown NB.
First Non-US National to be awarded the USAF, Senior Space Badge, 1985, for service as a space operations officer and Acting Chief of Space Surveillance Division, Supported USAF Command Staff by assisting Rear Admiral Roger Box, First Top Gun Commanding Officer, during the formation of the United State Space Command in Colorado.
RCAF Wings Standard 1 CFTS Oct 1971 Completed the Advanced Jet Training Course to Wings Standard, RCAF Station Gimli Manitoba.