Carl J. Meade - Experience

Experience

Prior to entering active duty in the United States Air Force, Meade was a Hughes Fellow at the California Institute of Technology and an electronics design engineer at Hughes Aircraft Company in Culver City, California. He entered the U.S. Air Force at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, where he was a distinguished graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training. In 1977, Meade was assigned to the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where he flew the RF-4C. He was then selected as a member of the USAF Test Pilot School Class 80B. Upon graduation he received the Liethen-Tittle Award as the Outstanding Test Pilot and was assigned to the 6510th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. While there, Meade was involved with research development test and evaluation of the F-5E, RF-5E and F-20 aircraft and the ground-launched and air-launched cruise missiles. He also performed high speed taxi, braking, tailhook, takeoff, landing, flying qualities, performance and weapon systems tests in the F-4E aircraft. Meade was then assigned to the F-16 Combined Test Force where he flew performance, loads and flutter, flying qualities, and weapon systems tests in both the F-16A and F-16C aircraft. In 1985, he was reassigned to the USAF Test Pilot School as a test pilot instructor in the F-4, A-7 Corsair II, A-37, and various gliders, teaching performance, stability/control, departure/spins, and radar flight test techniques. He was also the departure/spin lead instructor and avionics systems test training aircraft program manager.

He has logged over 4,800 hours of jet time in 27 different aircraft.