Dallas Brooks, MAS

Brooks is the director of Mississippi State’s Raspet Flight Research Center and also serves as the associate director of the MSU-led Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), a coalition of 22 of the nation’s leading aviation and unmanned systems research universities tasked with developing technical solutions to address the challenges of safely integrating UAS into the national airspace.
 
He investigates, evaluates, proposes, selects and directs UAS research projects and initiatives to be executed under the FAA’s UAS Center of Excellence. He also evaluates research results and makes recommendations to the FAA on proposed standards for UAS system design, construction, performance, flight standards and operational procedures that are designed to enhance the safety of UAS operations nationwide and around the world.
 
A recognized national leader in unmanned systems integration, Brooks engages and coordinates with national and international regulatory, support and administrative agencies to help ensure that the tremendous capabilities of unmanned systems are realized.  His aviation and technical experience spans over 30 years, more than 20 of which were in service to America’s armed forces at home and overseas. 
 
A 26-year U.S. Air Force veteran, he held key leadership positions in aviation and communications, including serving as the USAF’s chief of UAS integration. He also served as the chair of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airspace Integration Integrated Product Team for the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. In this role, he led a joint team working to enable UAS access to support Department of Defense operational, training and R&D requirements.
 
Brooks earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the fields of aeronautics and aviation/aerospace operations. He also holds a master’s degree in telecommunications management from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Auburn University at Montgomery. For more on Brooks, see http://www.raspet.msstate.edu/director/.