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Dryden People

David A. Wright

 
Photo Number: ED07-0039-2
Photo Date: December 6, 2006
 
Formats: 432x640 JPEG Image (161 KBytes)
863x1280 JPEG Image (513 KBytes)
2022x3000 JPEG Image (2777 KBytes)
 
Photo
Description:
David A. Wright is associate director for Center Operations at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. He was formerly director of Flight Operations. He is also a research pilot, flying NASA's ER-2 and T-38. The ER-2s are civilian variants of the military U-2S reconnaissance aircraft and carry scientific instruments to study the Earth during worldwide deployments. Wright has more than 4,500 hours in six different aircraft.

He held the position of deputy director of the Airborne Science Program at Dryden from 2002 until 2004.

Wright came to Dryden after retiring from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. His final assignment was to the Joint Staff J3, Directorate of Operations at the Pentagon from November 1996 until August 1999. Prior to the Pentagon assignment, he served as commander of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, Calif., the unit responsible for training all U-2 pilots.

He was the operations officer for one the largest U-2 operations in history, flying combat missions against Iraq and managing an unprecedented U-2 flying schedule during the 1991 Desert Storm conflict. He was selected for the Air Force U-2 program in 1987 following duty as an aircraft commander in the E-3A AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft. Wright was a T-38 instructor for three years at Reese Air Force Base, Lubbock, Texas, following completion of pilot training in 1978.

He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computer science. Wright earned a Master of Arts in Adult Education from Troy State University, Montgomery, Ala., in 1987, and a Master of Science in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Newport, R.I., in 1995.

 
 
NASA Photo by: Tom Tschida
 
Keywords: David A. Wright, associate director for Center Operations, director of Flight Operations, research pilot, ER-2, T-38, U-2S reconnaissance aircraft, 4,500 hours, deputy director of the Airborne Science Program, U.S. Air Force, lieutenant colonel, Joint Staff J3, Directorate of Operations at the Pentagon, commander of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, aircraft commander, E-3A AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, T-38 instructor, Reese Air Force Base, Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computer science, Master of Arts in Adult Education, Troy State University, Montgomery, Ala., Master of Science in National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
 


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