Brooks named interim director of Raspet Flight Research Lab
Tom Brooks
An engineer with decades of experience in the design, testing and certification of aircraft systems is now leading Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory.
Tom Brooks is the interim director of the university’s distinguished research center focused on unmanned aircraft systems. Since 2018, Brooks has served as Raspet’s chief research engineer. Prior to joining MSU, Brooks spent nearly 30 years in leadership positions at Texas aerospace company Bell Textron.
In June, Raspet was designated as the Federal Aviation Administration’s UAS Safety Research Facility, placing the research center at the helm of studying and developing UAS safety and certification standards. Raspet works closely with the MSU-led FAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence, or ASSURE.
During his career at Bell Textron, Brooks led the team responsible for certifying the world’s first commercial fly-by-wire rotorcraft. In addition to multiple industry awards, he has several patents and patents pending for work related to advanced flight control systems in both the U.S. and Europe. Brooks received his bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
For more on Raspet, please visit www.raspet.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
James Carskadon | Public Affairs
