Aviation Writing

Lionel D. Alford, Jr. is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. He currently designs aircraft for Defense Research Associates a Dayton, Ohio company and is an aerospace engineering consultant for EG&G and AirLaunch. He is an experimental test pilot with over 5900 hours in more than 64 different kinds of aircraft, a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate. license in three jet aircraft. Alford served as the Chief of System Safety Engineering for Global Reach System Program Office; Chief, Airframe, Propulsion, Avionics, and Electronic Warfare Team at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command; Chief, Special Operations Forces Test and Evaluation Division at Wright-Patterson; Chief, Testing Commercial Aircraft for Military Acquisition Office at Edwards Air Force Base, California; and was the chief test pilot for a number of Air Force acquisitions. He is a graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School. Defense Systems Management College Advanced Program Management Course, Air War College, and Air Command and Staff College. Alford is an author and lecturer with over 40 articles featured in international publications and a historical fiction novel The Second Mission in publication. He is a doctoral candidate in aeronautical engineering at the University of Dayton and holds a M.S. in mechanical engineering from Boston University and a B.S. in chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University.

	Priority
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, August 2010, Priority.

	Sally's Alley
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, August 2010, Sally's Alley.

	How to Prevent another Detroit
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, August 2010, How to Prevent another Detroit.

	Wichita, the Next Detroit of Aviation
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, July 2010, The Next Detroit of Aviation.

	The Decline of the Aviation Industry
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, June 2010, The Decline of the Aviation Industry.

	T-39 Pod First Flight
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, January 2010, T-39 Pod First Flight.

	Special Mission Pisa
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, December 2009, Special Mission Pisa.

	Running Armament Chief
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, August 2009, Running Armament Chief.

	C-130 HALO Practice
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, July 2009, C-130 HALO Practice.

	Really Below Minimums
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, December 2008, Really Below Minimums.

	Chasing the C-17
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, November 2008, Chasing the C-17.

	Flight Test Yuma
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, January 2008, Flight Test Yuma.

	Bound for Yuma
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, January 2008, Bound for Yuma.

	Ground FAC Europe
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, November 2007, Ground FAC Europe.

	Cold War Broncos
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, October 2007, Cold War Broncos.

	C-130 Short Field Landings
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, October 2007, C-130 Short Field Landings.

	Flight Test Exuma
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, September 2007, Flight Test Exuma.

	MC-130 Zero Offset Testing
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, August 2007, MC-130 Zero Offset Testing.

	How to Hide a Herc
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, August 2007, How to Hide a Herc.

	A Midnight Meeting over Lake Charles
	“Wings over Kansas,” www.wingsoverkansas.com, July 2007, A Midnight Meeting over Lake Charles.

	Novels by this Author

	The Second Mission (Available now)
	Centurion (Available now published by OakTara)
	Aegypt (Available now published by OakTara)
	The Dragon and the Fox (Available now published by OakTara) The End of Honor The Fox’s Honor A Season of Honor



	Cartoon by Rick Brandorff

	Wings over Kansas includes a feature section that promotes my aviation writing.



	Meet the Author

	Lionel D. Alford, Jr. is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. He currently designs aircraft for Defense Research Associates a Dayton, Ohio company and is an aerospace engineering consultant for EG&G and AirLaunch. He is an experimental test pilot with over 5900 hours in more than 64 different kinds of aircraft, a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate. license in three jet aircraft. Alford served as the Chief of System Safety Engineering for Global Reach System Program Office; Chief, Airframe, Propulsion, Avionics, and Electronic Warfare Team at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command; Chief, Special Operations Forces Test and Evaluation Division at Wright-Patterson; Chief, Testing Commercial Aircraft for Military Acquisition Office at Edwards Air Force Base, California; and was the chief test pilot for a number of Air Force acquisitions. He is a graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School. Defense Systems Management College Advanced Program Management Course, Air War College, and Air Command and Staff College. Alford is an author and lecturer with over 40 articles featured in international publications and a historical fiction novel The Second Mission in publication. He is a doctoral candidate in aeronautical engineering at the University of Dayton and holds a M.S. in mechanical engineering from Boston University and a B.S. in chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University.

	L.D. Alford is the author of 41 technical papers published in international journals on flight test, military policy, flight safety, space, and cyberwar. Technical Writing

	L.D. Alford has been a professional aviator for 30 years. Aviation Writing