Wyle Employee Named Navy Contractor Tester of the Year

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Wyle's William F. Smith has been named 2011 Navy Contractor Tester of the Year by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). He is the third Wyle employee to be honored by NDIA as a Tester of the Year since 2004.

Smith was recognized for his engineering support to the U.S. Navy's T-45 Project Office and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) as a lead flight test conductor and flight clearance facilitator. He was presented with the award at NDIA's 28th Annual Test and Evaluation National Conference in Hilton Head, SC.

"Our Wyle team is proud of Bill's impressive accomplishments as a flight tester and are very pleased to see him recognized with this national award for his support of our Naval Aviation customers," said Stu Ashton, Wyle's vice president of Naval Aviation Systems.

Smith was also a lead test conductor for the Navy's HSRIP T-45 engine program. He was recognized as part of a team that received the 2009 Society of Flight Test Engineers' James S. McDonnell Award for outstanding achievement in the field of flight test engineering.

Drawing on his more than 40 years of aviation experience, 30 of which have been specifically dedicated to flight test, he shared his thoughts on his success in leading flight test efforts.

"As the lead test conductor dealing with military, Department of Defense personnel and other contractors, I've learned the importance of personnel tact and negotiation, acknowledging those who know more than I, and maintaining an equanimity during planning, briefs, flights and debriefs," Smith said.

In addition to his support to the Navy, he mentors young engineers during manned flight simulator exercises for Naval Aviation Test and Evaluation University Flight Test Basics, where testers learn the basics of flight testing and the fundamentals necessary to perform effectively and safely in the test and evaluation environment.

"I work with young pilots and engineers that impress me with their intelligence and esprit," said Smith. "I especially enjoy sharing subtle information, that is, information not readily made available nor apparent to a new engineer but fascinating in detail."

Wyle is a leading provider of high tech aerospace engineering and information technology services to the federal government on long-term outsourcing contracts. The company also provides test and evaluation of aircraft, weapon systems, networks, and other government assets; and other engineering services to the aerospace, defense, and nuclear power industries.

SOURCE Wyle

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