Mark W. Anderson
Test Pilot
DER Consulting
BSAAE 1974
"A Purdue education provides the essential underpinning of engineering judgment, through an unrivaled toolbox of theory, applied engineering principles, and hands-on experiences that allow Boilers to add value from day one across any engineering space."
Mark W. Anderson graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science with distinction in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering in 1974.
Mr. Anderson entered the United States Air Force later that year and served in a variety of flying assignments on active and reserve duty for 37 years. In 1983, Mr. Anderson completed graduate studies at Cal Tech earning an MS in Aeronautics. He graduated at the top of his class from the United States Air Force Test Pilot School in 1985 and has been an active test pilot for the past 30 years. While serving in the United States Air Force, he was the chief test pilot on the MC-130H Combat Talon II test program, a highly modified C-130 variant designed for special operations missions. He is a combat veteran and retired from the Air Force in 2011 holding the rank of Major General.
In 1991, after leaving active duty, Mr. Anderson joined the FAA. During his 21-year FAA career, he flight tested civil aircraft to show compliance with FAA regulations. He has extensive experience in type certificate flight testing and supplemental type certificate flight testing on aircraft such the Cirrus Design SR20 & SR-22, USAF C-130J, USAF T-6A, and the Boeing 787. As a B787 flight test captain, he safely recovered a test aircraft with 42 crew members on board after an extensive electrical fire and subsequent total electrical failure.
After his retirement from the FAA in 2011, he formed Flight Test Solutions, LLC where he continues to work as an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER) Test Pilot and Flight Analyst, providing FAA flight test pilot and flight test engineering services worldwide. His flight test programs include: The American Champion 8KCAB Extreme Decathlon, a Cessna C208BEX on amphibious floats, a King Air Be200 equipped with a 14' tail boom modification, a Boeing 737 advanced flight management system, a Cessna C208 amphibian with new 850Hp PT6A-42A engine, a re-engined Cessna 182 on amphibious floats, a Nextant C-90 aircraft equipped with new GE turboprop engines engine; and a Cessna 206 equipped with a turbo prop engine. He has accrued more than 10,000 hours of flying time in over 50 aircraft types.
He has been published four times in the AIAA Journal of Aircraft and is an Associate Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.