"I am very thankful that 'the bug of flight' caught my fancy as a young man, and I believe that the fortunate young men and women of today who are collecting aircraft pictures and building and flying model aircraft as I did in my youth will be equally rewarded. And I believe that next generation of 'aero crafters' can receive a world class foundation in the fundamentals of aerospace engineering from the Aero/Astro School at Purdue.”
Jerry L. Lockenour is the Integrated Product Team Leader for the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) Center Fuselage for the Air Combat Systems Business Area of the Integrated Systems Sector of Northrop Grumman Corporation. This $900-million project has product development based in El Segundo, California. Lockenour is responsible for all engineering and manufacturing. Prior to his current assignment, Lockenour served as director of Technology Development and Applications, manager of Air Vehicle Engineering for the Tri Service Standoff Attack Missile, division level functional manager of Flight Controls and as manager for Flight Controls R&D.
Lockenour began his career in 1967 with North American Aviation as a Staff Engineer in aircraft flight controls and flying qualities. He worked at the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory from 1970-75 and was responsible for the Variable Stability Flight Research Programs among other responsibilities. From 1975-77, he was program manager of the HiMAT Remotely Piloted Research Program at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. That was a ground-breaking project in the use of unmanned vehicles to conduct fundamental research in aerodynamic, structures and fight controls.
Lockenour is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA and has served on the NASA Aeronautics Advisory Committee.