David J. Piatak, BS, MS
- dpiatak@technoirva.com
- Aug 20, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 18
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
Test Program Development & Management
Wind Tunnel & Flight Testing
Aeroelasticity & Unsteady Aerodynamics
Data Acquisition
Aerodynamic Measurements
LANGUAGE FLUENCY
English
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS, LICENSES, AND SKILLS:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) – Associate Fellow
Soaring Society of America (SSA)
CURRICULUM VITAE
David Piatak holds two degrees in aerospace engineering: a BS with honors and distinction from Penn State University, 1994, and an MS from Old Dominion University , 1999. Mr Piatak currently works at NASA Langley Research Center as an assistant branch head, whose research includes the analysis, prediction, behavior and refinement of wide variety of air vehicles—from tilt rotor and other aircraft that experience unsteady dynamics, to launch vehicles that included NASA's Aries to Space-X Falcon rockets.
With a focus toward experimentation, Mr. Piatak has authored and co-authored papers that have been nearly 800 citations. This body of work includes 21 journal articles and formal NASA reports; 60 conference papers; and 20 internal NASA program reports and meeting presentations on a wide variety of topics, with focus on aeroelasticity, unsteady aerodynamics, and buffet environments
For his outstanding technical contributions, Mr. Piatak's awards include NASA Artemis Chief Engineer Award; NASA Silver Achievement Medal; American Helicopter Society (AHS) Howard Hughes Award; and a NASA Honor Award for team contributions solving the Space Shuttle PAL Ramp issue.
EDUCATION
Pennsylvania State University, BS with Honors and Distinction, Aerospace Engineering - 1994
Old Dominion University, MS Aerospace Engineering - 1999
COMPUTER LANGUAGE & PROGRAMS
MATLAB
LabVIEW
Python
DSpace
MSC Nastran/Patran
Dewesoft
AWARDS
NASA Artemis I Chief Engineer’s Award – 2023
NASA Silver Achievement Medal for Support of Commercial Crew Program SpaceX Demo-2 – 2021
Ares I-X Mission Manager’s Flight Commendation – 2010
American Helicopter Society Howard Hughes Award: Army/NASA Quad Tiltrotor Aeroelastic Test Team – 2007
NASA Honor Award: Space Shuttle PAL Ramp Removal Team – 2007
BIOGRAPHY
With 30+ years of experience in leading a broad range of highly complex aerospace test and research programs, Mr. Piatak has established himself in the aerospace research and test community through his passionate approach to all things that fly.
During Mr. Piatak’s career within the Aeroelasticity Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, he has made sustained and significant contributions to the technical body of knowledge on a wide range of topics—from tiltrotor aeroelasticity to fixed-wing flutter and unsteady aerodynamic testing to carving a niche in the world of launch vehicle buffet environments and loads/dynamics. With a focus on experimental wind-tunnel and flight-test activities and advanced signal processing of data—while also leveraging analytical modeling—he has supported and led programs that have resulted in successful flight tests and beyond. These projects include:
XV-15/V-22 vibration suppression system test and application
F-35 JSF empennage flutter wind-tunnel testing
DARPA Morphing Aircraft Structures test program
Space Shuttle Return to Flight
Ares I-X Developmental Flight Test
NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC)
Aerodynamic Buffet Flight Test
Artemis I, the inaugural flight of the Artemis program
Mr. Piatak was quick to take on leadership roles as his career progressed, and he has led Langley’s Buffet Test and Analysis Team (BTAT) for many years with great success. He serves as assistant branch head of the Aeroelasticity Branch. He has molded and mentored a truly world-class team that has impacted not only the nation’s return to the moon, but also the revolution of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program—through his leadership role for developing the buffet environments on the Loads and Induced Dynamic Environments (LIDE) team for the Falcon 9 Crew Dragon and Atlas V Starliner.
Through years of working these and other programs, Mr. Piatak has demonstrated his leadership by building coalitions for his research team, branch and Langley through running and participating in numerous multi-center-org teams. These coalitions have had a focus at Marshall Spaceflight Center and Ames Research Center and were enabled through his involvement in transonic/supersonic wind-tunnel testing at Langley’s Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) and the Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. The testing was for launch vehicle-related programs that were focused on unsteady aerodynamics, buffet and aeroacoustic environment, flutter and unsteady pressure sensitive paint (uPSP).
In addition to the direct evidence of having supported so many successful flight test programs, Mr. Piatak’s impact to the field of aerospace engineering is also demonstrated by the breadth and number of publications that he has first-authored and co-authored, as well as his paper’s 780 citations. This body of work includes 21 journal articles and formal NASA reports, 60 conference papers, and 20 internal NASA program reports and meeting presentations, which covers a wide variety of topics with focus on aeroelasticity, unsteady aerodynamics and buffet environments.
