2024 Lester D. Gardner Lecture: Aviation in the age of John Hansman

Aviation history is often marked by technical breakthroughs and iconic milestones in flight. Now, it can also be measured in “Hansmans.”

The 2024 AeroAstro Lester D. Gardner Lecture, an AeroAstro tradition dating back to 1959, explored the recent history and state of the art in aviation through the lens of Prof. John Hansman’s long career of influential research and mentorship. Four course 16 alumni and leaders in their fields delivered lectures on aviation safety, air traffic systems, aircraft operations, and novel sustainable aircraft. 

The speakers – Amy Pritchett (ScD ’97), Craig Wanke (PhD ’93), John-Paul Clarke (ScD ’97), and Brian Yutko (PhD ’14) – are all former students and mentees of Prof. Hansman. Each shared insights and expertise, while highlighting how Prof. Hansman’s research was instrumental in driving advancements in the industry.

This year’s Gardner Lecture coincided with a two-day symposium celebrating Prof. Hansman’s 70th birthday, where friends, colleagues, and decades of students from across the globe gathered to thank him for the impact his mentorship has had on their careers and lives. Researchers delivered technical talks on their areas of expertise, following the paths he helped them to forge. Students recalled his support of not just their academic research, but their personal growth outside the lab. 

They also shared memories of death-defying flights in Prof. Hansman’s cockpit – none of which stopped almost every alum from becoming pilots themselves.