David C. Tice

David has had a life-long love of aviation and aircraft. Growing up in the 1960s, like many boys he wanted to be an astronaut and loved visiting aircraft museums and airports, both in the USA and in the UK. His interest in aviation did not wane as he got older, as he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1982. Poor eyesight cost him a chance at pilot training in the USAF, so he pursued an engineering career. His first stop was with the North American Aircraft division of Rockwell International, in El Segundo CA. At NAA, he was a member of the Flight Sciences group, dealing primarily with the development and certification of the B-1B bomber. He also served as the aerodynamics expert on the AC-130U Gunship program. Working at NAA was exciting, not only for the work itself (occasionally requiring trips to Edwards Flight Test Center for test flights, or work in NAA's wind tunnels), but also for his colleagues. Many B-1B engineers were NAA “old hands”, with experience going back to the P-51, F-86, F-100, XB-70, X-15, Sabreliner, Space Shuttle… too many planes to count! Their stories of the heyday of aeronautical development in the 1940s/50s/60s were fascinating. It also made David an ongoing advocate for remembering NAA - a seemingly forgotten company now despite being on the leading edge of aircraft development from 1940 to 1980.

After 8 years at Rockwell/NAA, in 1990 David moved back East to work as a contractor engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. Here he assisted other contractors and NASA engineers explore advanced aircraft designs. Among the papers he published were those about next-generation SST designs, ways to mitigate SST sonic booms via wing design, and the viability of large ground-effect cargo aircraft. Exploring the many historic facilities at Langley Center, as well as on Langley AFB, were another way he appreciated the history of aviation. David spent almost 3 years at NASA Langley.

In 1992, David left aerospace, got an MBA, and spent the next 30 years in market research, where he specialized in research about television and media. He never lost his interest in aviation, however. He obtained a private pilot’s license. He spent two years as a volunteer guide at the Intrepid Museum in New York City. And he is currently a volunteer at the National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center. He also continues to visit aviation- and aircraft-related museums across the USA and overseas.