David Thirtyacre
- Title
- Assistant Professor; Chair, Department of Flight
- David.Thirtyacre@erau.edu Email
- Department
- Department of Flight
- College
- College of Aviation
Areas of Expertise
Uncrewed systems, flight operations, military aviation, simulation, agricultural operations, flight safety, flight training, photogrammetry, subsurface ROV operations
Biography
Dr. David Thirtyacre is an assistant professor in the College of Aeronautics. David is the chair and Chief Pilot for the Department of Flight and currently instructs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Flight Operations, Aerodynamics, Aircraft Performance, Uncrewed Systems, Airborne Robotics, and Aviation and Aerospace Simulation Systems. David holds a B.A. in Mechanical Engineering, an M.A. in Aerospace Science and a Ph.D. in Aviation. His research expertise is focused on using UAS in air-to-air combat, virtual reality flight simulation and agricultural and environmental applications of sUAS.Education
- Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation: Intradisciplinary, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- M.A.S. - Master of Aeronautical Science in Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- B.S. - Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University
Ratings and Certificates
Courses Taught
UNSY 318, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Robotics
UNSY 435, sUAS Practical Application & Assessment. Worldwide.
UNSY 520, sUAS Practical Application & Assessment. Worldwide
UNSY 530, Unmanned Aerospace Systems
UNSY 620, sUAS Operational Planning and Safety Management
ASCI 316, Airborne Robotics
ASCI 515, Aviation/Aerospace Simulation Systems
ASCI 202, Introduction to Aeronautical Science
ASCI 309 Aerodynamics
ASCI 509 Advanced Aerodynamics
ASCI 310 Aircraft Performance
ASCI 637, Unmanned Aerospace Systems Operations and Payload
ASCI 638, Human Factors in Unmanned Aerospace Systems
SUAS 2000, sUAS Ground School. Worldwide OPE
SUAS 2100, sUAS Basic Flight Multirotor
SUAS 2200, sUAS Advanced Flight Multirotor
SUAS 1500. Fundamentals for Starting a sUAS Business, Worldwide OPE
SUAS 4000L1, TOP Level 1 Certification. Worldwide OPE
SUAS 4000L2, TOP Level 2 Certification. Worldwide OPE
SUAS 4000L3, TOP Level 3 Certification. Worldwide OPE
SUAS 4000FOI, sUAS Instructor Certification. Worldwide OPE
SUAS 5000, Incident Evidence Collection and Preservation for Law Enforcement, OPE Worldwide
SUAS 5100, UAS Fundamentals for National Security. OPE Worldwide
Research Projects
Publications
- sUAS Agricultural Aerial Application Operational Field Test International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace (2025)
- Integrating Virtual Reality into the Asynchronous Learning Environment Publications (2023)
- Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Investigate the Detectability of Burmese Pythons in South Florida Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research (2023)
- Accuracy Assessment of the eBee Using RTK and PPK Corrections Methods as a Function of Distance to a GNSS Base Station International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace (2023)
- The Effects of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Command and Control Latency during Within-Visual-Range Air-To-Air Combat Faculty Research Projects (2022)
- The Effects of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Command and Control Latency during Within-Visual-Range Air-To-Air Combat Faculty Research (2022)
- Remotely Piloted Aircraft C2 Latency during Air-to- Air Combat Publications (2022)
- UAS for Public Safety: Active Threat Recognition International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace (2022)
- The Effects of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Command and Control Latency during Within-Visual-Range Air-To-Air Combat Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses (2021)
- Remote Pilot Situational Awareness with Augmented Reality Glasses: An Observational Field Study International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace (2021)
- Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Acoustic Analysis for Noninvasive Marine Mammal Response: An Exploratory Field Study International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace (2021)
- Safety Management System Implementation Planning Publications (2020)
- Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Training Programs Through the Lens of a Traditional Flight Training University Publications (2018)
- Standardization of Human-Computer-Interface for Geo-Fencing in Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Publications (2016)
- Early Morning Concurrent Session: Unmanned Aerial Systems Certification: Presentation: A Survey of sUAS Operator's FAA Regulation Knowledge Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference (2016)
- Late Afternoon Concurrent Sessions: GSIS Symposium: UAS Collaboration & Research Opportunities: Presentation: Human-Computer-Interface for Geo-Fencing in Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference (2016)
- Influencing Factors for Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Support of Aviation Accident and Emergency Response Applied Aerospace Science (2015)
Professional Experience
David retired from the USAF with 27 years of duty in the fighter community with over 3500 hours piloting fighter aircraft and was a pioneer in the use of uncrewed systems. The majority of his military career was spent at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada where he specialized in operational test and was the USAF Warfare Center’s director of advanced programs. He was the focal point for advanced program operational testing and planning; combining the air, space and cyberspace domains with 5th generation aircraft, unmanned systems, national capabilities, and other DoD assets. He is the owner of SkyVue 3D, a commercial drone mapping enterprise, a multi-engine commercial pilot, remote pilot, AUVSI TOP Level-3 RPA instructor, a certified flight instructor, instrument (CFII), and an executive member of the Space Force Association.
Memberships and Credentials
Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association (AOPA)
Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
Space Force Association
Academy of Model Aeronautics