James E. Brown III
Encyclopedia
James E. Brown III is a Lockheed Martin test pilot
and former United States Air Force
officer. He is the chief test pilot for the F-22 Raptor
program and is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base
in California where he performs activities including avionics testing, flight envelope expansion, and the creation of procedural flight manuals for the Air Force. Previously, he was the chief test pilot for the F-117 Nighthawk
. Brown is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots
(SETP) and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
.
. His interest in flying developed with help from his father, who was an amateur pilot. The young man dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut. He attended the Virginia Military Institute
(VMI) in Lexington, Virginia
and graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil engineering
. Brown's first solo flight
occurred in February 1976.
at Spangdahlem Air Base
in Germany where he flew the F-4 Phantom II
. On his next tour, Brown flew the F-5E Tiger II with the 527th Aggressor Squadron
at Royal Air Force station Alconbury
in England.
In 1985, he was selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
(TPS) at Edwards Air Force Base
in California and graduated with class 86A. His fellow students presented Brown with the Onizuka Prop Wash Award as the student who contributed most to class spirit and morale. The Prop Wash Award is dedicated to the memory of TPS graduate Colonel Ellison Onizuka
who died as a member of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger
in 1986. Following graduation, Brown tested the A-7 Corsair II
, all models of the F-15 Eagle
, and performed flight trials on a number of classified prototype aircraft. In 1992, after sixteen years of service, Brown separated from the Air Force.
for a test pilot position but, because of reduced military spending after the end of the Cold War
, no openings were available. He joined United Airlines
in 1992 and flew the Boeing 737
over North and Central America. Pursuing his boyhood dream, Brown applied to the NASA astronaut-training program but was rejected because of an abnormal electrocardiogram.
as a test pilot for the F-117 Nighthawk where he helped develop and test improvements to the weapons system that proved valuable in Operation Allied Force
and Operation Iraqi Freedom. One such improvement was the Integrated Real-time Information into the Cockpit/Real-time Information Out of the Cockpit for Combat Aircraft (IRRCA) project. In 1998 as IRRCA lead test pilot, Brown flew a simulated combat mission to demonstrate the ability to receive real-time mission updates from a satellite and automatically alter the F-117's planned route. The flight also demonstrated reception of text and imagery of the alternate target. Brown encouraged young engineers by presenting lectures such as Braking the F-117 Stealth Fighter given to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
student chapter at the University of California San Diego. He continued his education and earned a Master of Science in Management from Troy State University
in Alabama and completed graduate study in Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Fresno
.
. In this new role, he evaluated updated versions of the avionics software and improved the pilot-vehicle interface. On November 22, 2002, Brown flew the mission that completed all Pentagon-mandated flight test goals needed to start the next phase of the program. On this mission, Brown fired an AIM-9M Sidewinder
missile at a supersonic QF-4 unmanned drone flying several miles directly ahead of the F-22. The unarmed missile passed close enough to the target to be assessed a lethal hit, satisfying the criteria needed to start the Dedicated Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (DIOTE) phase the following year.
Brown has successfully dealt with many F-22 emergencies including a fuel leak at 30,000 feet while traveling at nearly the speed of sound. On another flight, a mechanical problem affected one of the two jet engines shortly after take off. Aware of a similar situation that resulted in the loss of an F-117, Brown idled the ailing engine rather than shut it down. The second engine began losing power during the landing approach. Brown's unconventional technique to handling the initial problem allowed him to narrowly avoid a much more serious situation.
As of 2006, Brown has been the lead test pilot for the F-22 Raptor program at Edwards Air Force Base. As of 2008, Brown has logged over 7,600 flight hours in 124 different types of aircraft.
Currently (July 2011) Brown is the Chief Test Pilot of the F-22 Raptor program for Lockheed Martin.
's television show, Secrets of Future Air Power, and described the stealth, weapons, and thrust vectoring capabilities of the F-22. In 2004, he chaired a panel discussion on the early history of the F-16 Falcon. Convened to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the F-16, the panel consisted of United Airline's captain Joe Sobczak, Lockheed F-22 test pilot, John Fergione, retired USAF Colonel James Rider, and "father of the F-16", Harry Hillaker. During 2004–2005, he served as president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. At the 2005 Phoenix Leadership Conference, he described aviation's Cockpit Resource Management
approach and its relationship to the teamwork effort for businesses. In 2006, he described the unique capabilities of the F-22 to students at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2008, Brown presented the status of the F-22 test program to the instructor and student pilots at Columbus Air Force Base
in Mississippi.
In 2003, Brown was elected President on the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He served as President-Elect in 2003, and President for the one year term in 2004.
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
and former United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
officer. He is the chief test pilot for the F-22 Raptor
F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
program and is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in California where he performs activities including avionics testing, flight envelope expansion, and the creation of procedural flight manuals for the Air Force. Previously, he was the chief test pilot for the F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
. Brown is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots
Society of Experimental Test Pilots
The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and suggestions of the members, assisting in the professional...
(SETP) and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
.
Early life
James Brown III was born in 1954 and grew up in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. His interest in flying developed with help from his father, who was an amateur pilot. The young man dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut. He attended the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
(VMI) in Lexington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
and graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. Brown's first solo flight
First solo flight
The first solo flight of a new pilot comprises that pilot completing a take off, and usually a short flight and safe landing, by him or herself...
occurred in February 1976.
Military career
After graduating from VMI, Brown was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He entered the Undergraduate Pilot Training program in 1977 and earned his wings the following year. Brown's first operational tour began in 1979 with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 52d Fighter Wing52d Fighter Wing
The 52d Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-Mission:The 52 FW maintains, deploys and employs F-16CJ and A/OA-10 aircraft and TPS-75 radar systems in support of NATO and the national defense directives...
at Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
in Germany where he flew the F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
. On his next tour, Brown flew the F-5E Tiger II with the 527th Aggressor Squadron
527th Space Aggressor Squadron
The 527th Space Aggressor Squadron is a non-flying United States Air Force unit assigned to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group. The 527 SAS is stationed at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, being a Geographically Separated Unit of the 57 ATG, which is stationed at Nellis AFB,...
at Royal Air Force station Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
in England.
In 1985, he was selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School is the Air Force's very advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test navigators to carry out tests and evaluations of new aerospace weapon systems and also other aircraft of the U.S. Air Force...
(TPS) at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in California and graduated with class 86A. His fellow students presented Brown with the Onizuka Prop Wash Award as the student who contributed most to class spirit and morale. The Prop Wash Award is dedicated to the memory of TPS graduate Colonel Ellison Onizuka
Ellison Onizuka
was a Japanese American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii, who successfully flew into space with the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-51-C, before losing his life to the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as Mission Specialist for mission STS-51-L...
who died as a member of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
in 1986. Following graduation, Brown tested the A-7 Corsair II
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
, all models of the F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, and performed flight trials on a number of classified prototype aircraft. In 1992, after sixteen years of service, Brown separated from the Air Force.
Civilian career
Brown interviewed with LockheedLockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
for a test pilot position but, because of reduced military spending after the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, no openings were available. He joined United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
in 1992 and flew the Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
over North and Central America. Pursuing his boyhood dream, Brown applied to the NASA astronaut-training program but was rejected because of an abnormal electrocardiogram.
F-117 Nighthawk
In 1994, he was hired by the Lockheed Skunk WorksSkunk works
Skunk Works is an official alias for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs , formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Skunk Works is responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk, and the F-22 Raptor...
as a test pilot for the F-117 Nighthawk where he helped develop and test improvements to the weapons system that proved valuable in Operation Allied Force
Operation Allied Force
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
and Operation Iraqi Freedom. One such improvement was the Integrated Real-time Information into the Cockpit/Real-time Information Out of the Cockpit for Combat Aircraft (IRRCA) project. In 1998 as IRRCA lead test pilot, Brown flew a simulated combat mission to demonstrate the ability to receive real-time mission updates from a satellite and automatically alter the F-117's planned route. The flight also demonstrated reception of text and imagery of the alternate target. Brown encouraged young engineers by presenting lectures such as Braking the F-117 Stealth Fighter given to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
student chapter at the University of California San Diego. He continued his education and earned a Master of Science in Management from Troy State University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
in Alabama and completed graduate study in Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
.
F-22 Raptor
In 2002, after eight years with F-117 program, Brown transferred to the F-22 RaptorF-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
. In this new role, he evaluated updated versions of the avionics software and improved the pilot-vehicle interface. On November 22, 2002, Brown flew the mission that completed all Pentagon-mandated flight test goals needed to start the next phase of the program. On this mission, Brown fired an AIM-9M Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
missile at a supersonic QF-4 unmanned drone flying several miles directly ahead of the F-22. The unarmed missile passed close enough to the target to be assessed a lethal hit, satisfying the criteria needed to start the Dedicated Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (DIOTE) phase the following year.
Brown has successfully dealt with many F-22 emergencies including a fuel leak at 30,000 feet while traveling at nearly the speed of sound. On another flight, a mechanical problem affected one of the two jet engines shortly after take off. Aware of a similar situation that resulted in the loss of an F-117, Brown idled the ailing engine rather than shut it down. The second engine began losing power during the landing approach. Brown's unconventional technique to handling the initial problem allowed him to narrowly avoid a much more serious situation.
As of 2006, Brown has been the lead test pilot for the F-22 Raptor program at Edwards Air Force Base. As of 2008, Brown has logged over 7,600 flight hours in 124 different types of aircraft.
Currently (July 2011) Brown is the Chief Test Pilot of the F-22 Raptor program for Lockheed Martin.
Leadership in the aviation community
Brown has worked extensively in the aviation community to share his expertise and encourage young aviators and engineers. In 2003, he appeared on the Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's television show, Secrets of Future Air Power, and described the stealth, weapons, and thrust vectoring capabilities of the F-22. In 2004, he chaired a panel discussion on the early history of the F-16 Falcon. Convened to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the F-16, the panel consisted of United Airline's captain Joe Sobczak, Lockheed F-22 test pilot, John Fergione, retired USAF Colonel James Rider, and "father of the F-16", Harry Hillaker. During 2004–2005, he served as president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. At the 2005 Phoenix Leadership Conference, he described aviation's Cockpit Resource Management
Crew Resource Management
Crew resource management or Cockpit resource management is a procedure and training system in systems where human error can have devastating effects. Used primarily for improving air safety, CRM focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit...
approach and its relationship to the teamwork effort for businesses. In 2006, he described the unique capabilities of the F-22 to students at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2008, Brown presented the status of the F-22 test program to the instructor and student pilots at Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately north of Columbus, Mississippi.The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized...
in Mississippi.
Honors
Brown is a Fellow of both the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Royal Aeronautical Society.In 2003, Brown was elected President on the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He served as President-Elect in 2003, and President for the one year term in 2004.