Mr. Cortés is a Federal civil servant assigned to the Engineering and Technical Services Branch of the Air Force Safety Center as a Manager of the Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance Program. Mr. Cortés oversees the global collection and analysis of proactive safety data for Air Force aircraft and develops evidence-based initiatives to prevent aircraft accidents. He was previously employed as an Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Florida, where he taught human performance, crew resource management, airline operations, and aircraft accident investigation.
As a professor he also served as a research associate with the NASA Flight Deck Display Laboratory, authored flight training research entered into the Record of the U.S. Congress, founded the Center for Advanced Aviation Instruction, developed a Contaminated Airfoil Haptic Simulator, and directed the Train-the-Trainer Program for JetBlue Airways. He remains associated with ERAU as a part-time associate professor of aeronautics.
Mr. Cortés' operational experience comes from having been an MD-88 pilot for Midwest Airlines, where he also chaired the airline’s Fuel Conservation Committee and was the national representative for aircraft wiring safety for the Air Line Pilots Association. Previously he was a U.S. Air Force officer, serving as a captain on the C-141B Starlifter, an instructor and evaluator pilot in Europe on the C-21A Learjet, director of functional check flights, squadron chief of safety, and crew resource management instructor.
He started his career as a flight instructor and charter pilot for Causey Aviation in North Carolina. He has ATP and MEII certificates, a bachelor’s degree in physics, a master degree in aeronautical science, and is a doctoral candidate in aviation management with research focused on human factors. He has performed flight safety presentations in Spanish and English and has been a conference speaker in Europe, Africa, South America, and at the Bombardier-Learjet Safety Standdown since 2006.
He is a recipient of the FAA Distinguished Service Award, the Air Force Outstanding Strategic Airlift Crew Award, the NASA Honor Award, the ERAU Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Aeronautical Science Outstanding Performance Award.
