MAURICE “MOE” GIRARD (AF)
CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
Maurice “Moe” Girard is a Senior Engineering Test Pilot for the Cessna Aircraft Company, responsible the flight test activities on new and sustaining aircraft in the Engineering Flight Test Department. After graduating from the University of Western Ontario (BS in Physics) in 1982, he joined the Canadian Air Force where his first two tours of duty were as an Instructor Pilot (CT-114 Tutor) and Fighter Pilot (CF-18 Hornet). He was then selected to attend to US Navy Test Pilot School (Class 103) where he graduated with distinction. The next nine years saw Moe engaged in over fifty flight test programs as lead Project Pilot and Project Officer, including F/A-18 Flutter Testing, Weapons Safe Separation, Departure Testing, Flight Control Computer software (with NASA Dryden), CT-113 (T-Bird) Avionics Upgrade and Ejection Seat Trails. During this busy time, Moe also obtained a MS in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee, Space Institute. In 2002, Moe retired from the Canadian Air Force and joined the Cessna Engineering Flight Test department as a Senior Engineering Test Pilot where he has spent the last eight years extensively involved in every aspect of the Citation Sovereign, Mustang and CJ4 prototype aircraft development and certification flight test programs. He has logged over 7,200 hours in over 60 different models of aircraft. Moe has been very active in the Society since joining in 1996; he has presented numerous papers on a yearly basis and is the recipient of the Ray Tenhoff award. He is an Associate Fellow of SETP and is the current and past Chairman of the SETP Central Section (3 years as Chairman, 2 as Secretary). Moe is also Vice Chairman of the Flight Test Safety Committee and was Chairman for the Inaugural European Flight Test Safety Workshop (London), the Inaugural North American Flight Test Safety Workshop (Ottawa) and was the Chairman for the 3rd Annual European Flight Test Safety Workshop (London). He is married and has four children.
Strategic Vision:
a. Promote flight test safety in all disciplines related to flight testing,
b. Increase core SETP membership,
c. Increase participation of SETP members and non-members in Section, National and International Events