Mark Scharf

Title
Assistant Professor of the Practice; Chief, Safety
Email
Department
Department of Flight
College
College of Aviation

Office Hours

By appointment only (TEAMS or WhatsApp or iMessage)
Mark Scharf

I was born in 1961, and raised in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., in Olympia, Washington. I graduated from Capital High School in 1979, and 10 days later reported to the USAF Academy, Class of 1983 for Basic Cadet Training.

I was not a sterling student at USAFA, but I did manage to graduate, with a BS in Astronautical Engineering (I'm a math and computer geek). I reported to Vance AFB, OK to begin USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training August 1983.

August 1984 I graduated from UPT at Vance, Class 84-07, only to get the opportunity to stay as an Instructor Pilot in the T-37B, the mighty (noisy) Tweet with the 8th FTS. While at Vance AFB, I earned a M.Ed. (Masters of Education) in International Relations from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

I transferred to Randolph AFB in San Antonio, TX in 1986 to be a Pilot Instructor Training (PIT) Instructor in the T-37 with the 559th FTS "Billygoats." In 1989, I left the T-37 to join the ranks of fighter pilots by attending F-16 formal training at MacDill AFB, Tampa FL.

In 1990, I graduated from MacDill to join my first operational fighter squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, with the 512th TFS Dragons. I stayed at Ramstein for 3.5 years, became an F-16 Instructor Pilot, as well as a civilian Certified Flight Instructor (Ramstein had an Aeroclub), and participated in the very last sorties (post-ceasefire) of Desert Storm, as well as Operation Provide Comfort--a beginning of a military lifetime involved in the Middle East. While at Ramstein, I earned my MS in Mechanical Engineering with Boston University (teaching on base at Ramstein). Among other jobs in the squadron, I also became the Wing Flight Safety Officer after attending the USAF Flight Safety School, then located at Norton AFB, CA.

I left Ramstein in 1993 to go to Osan Air Base, Korea for a year, to be an operational fighter pilot (F-16 Block 40s) with the 36th Fighter Squadron "Flying Fiends." The biggest difference from Germany was I was now flying the night, precision, low-level LANTIRN version of the F-16, which was quite a change from the Germany F16 missions. I was the Squadron Flight Safety Officer with the Fiends. I left Korea to instruct in the F-16 at Luke AFB, Phoenix, AZ in August 1994.

While at Luke, I became a flight examiner (Wing Assistant Chief of Stan Eval), as well as other squadron and Group jobs before leaving for Langley AFB, VA, to serve with the ACC Inspector General as a Operations Inspector (F-16, flying position), and stayed there until I joined the Montana Air National Guard (MANG) in 1999 as a Major.

As a Traditional Guardsman (fancy way of saying part time military), I worked at the 186th Fighter Squadron, 120th Fighter Wing, I was hired to be a full time instructor pilot in the F-16 during their F-16 conversion. I stayed with the 120th until my retirement until 2011.

My full time employment became civilian aviation--the airlines. I flew for both FedEx, and then jumped over to United Airlines in early 2000. After 9/11, I was furloughed from United, and decided to go back to full time status with the Guard (which allowed me to ultimately retire with an active duty retirement). In 2007 when some of the full time orders went away, I returned to some civil work by flying for a while with the Flight Test Center (F-16 Support Pilot) at Edwards AFB, CA for a short time, and then as the airlines' health returned, they called back furloughs, and I returned to United Airlines in 2007 for a few years before a second furlough in 2009. I flew the 737, 757 and 767 at United as a First Officer, with domiciles in Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. I've flown commercially both domestically and internationally.

While in the MANG, I deployed to the Middle East (Iraq mostly) 3 more times, culminating in command of the 186th EFS at Balad Air Base in Iraq in 2008. During that combat deployment, I crossed 3000 hours in the F-16.

During the last two years, the MANG converted to F-15s, so I got to experience a new fighter as an old crusty grouchy Colonel, but it was a true pleasure to fly and experience having so much time in a much different aerodynamically designed jet, getting just over 300 hours in the F-15. During my tenure with the MTANG, I was the Squadron Operations Officer, Squadron Commander, Wing Chief of Inspections (thanks IG experience), and then the State Director of Operations (highest ranking flying position). I retired September 2011 as an O-6.

Also, during my time in Great Falls, MT, I was hired first as an Adjunct Instructor for ERAU, then hired as a full time Director of Academics at the Great Falls ERAU Campus. This dovetailed nicely with my part time/full time/part time work with the Guard. I earned a degree at that time with ERAU, with a MAS, Management track. Upon retirement from the Guard, I was hired to be a full time faculty with ERAU-Worldwide, which was very cool. I enrolled in my PhD with Northcentral University shortly before retirement to take one last advantage of the GI Bill!

I made a decision that was primarily financial in late 2012 to resign my full time position with ERAU, and go to the Middle East to my current job as the Senior Safety Advisor-Operations for the UAE Air Force. I worked for a company called Global Aerospace Logistics which provides these services to the UAE. My primary experience is flying safety, and I incorporated that into their new Air Force level safety program which were brand new in the UAE Air Force. It was an extraordinary opportunity to take my career military safety experience as well as my academic background, and incorporate that into a completely new aspect of the UAE Air Force Safety Department.

During that time since I've retired, I've completed my PhD and retained my status as Assistant Professor, as I truly enjoy teaching. In January, 2016 I returned from working in the UAE to resume my professional pilot duties as a 737 First Officer with United Airlines, based out of Los Angeles, in January of 2019 I became a Boeing 777 First Officer, domiciled in San Francisco, and I have most recently completed my Captain upgrade to the 737 back in Los Angeles, and most recently have changed domiciles to Guam.  I own a Lancair IV-P, Twin Comanche, and a Piper Archer II which I instruct out of periodically. I get to fly when I'm home sometimes! My home is now in the Mojave Desert near Edwards AFB (Rosamond, CA) where I purchased a home on a skypark--Walking to the airplane in my own hangar/garage to fly is a new and wondrous feeling!

  • Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration: Management of Engineering and Technology, Northcentral University
  • M.A.S. - Master of Aeronautical Science in Aviation Aerospace Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • M.S. - Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Boston University
  • M.Ed. - Master of Education in International Relations, Northwestern Oklahoma State University
  • B.S. - Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy
  • Flight Instructor - Federal Aviation Administration
  • Airline Transport Pilot - Federal Aviation Administration
  • Remote Pilot - Federal Aviation Administration
  • Ground Instructor - Federal Aviation Administration
  • Flight Engineer - Federal Aviation Administration
  • Commercial Pilot - Federal Aviation Administration
  • BSAS 330: Acft Accident Investigation
  • BSAS 320: Human Factors in Avia Safety
  • ASCI 202: Intro to Aeronautical Science
  • BSAS 335: Mech/Struc Factors Avia Safety
  • ASCI 602: The Air Transportation System
Pilot:  United Airlines.  B737, 757, 767, 777.  Currently role:  Captain and Line Check Pilot