R. John Hansman

T. Wilson (1953) Professor in Aeronautics
I am a pilot with more than 6,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in airplanes, helicopters, and sailplanes, including meteorological, production, and engineering flight test experience.

Contact Info

Office Phone

617.253.2271

Email

Office

Website/Lab

Administrative Contact

Andrés Forero
617.253.4926

Financial Contact

Jennifer Leith
617.253.4929

Specialization and Research Interests

Air transportation, aircraft systems design and innovation, instrumentation, flight safety, aviation meteorology, flight information systems, air traffic control, environmental impact of aviation

Teaching Interests

Aircraft design, experimental methods, spacecraft and aircraft instrumentation, automation, human factors, flight information systems

Academic Degrees

A.B., 1976, Cornell University S.M.; 1980, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ph.D., 1982, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Society Memberships

National Academy of Engineering; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Fellow); Royal Aeronautical Society (Fellow); FAA Research & Development Advisory Committee (Chair)

Positions Held at MIT

Assistant Professor, 1983-1987; Director, Aeronautical Systems Laboratory, 1986-present; Director, International Center for Air Transportation; Associate Professor, 1988-1995; Professor, 1995-2005; T. Wilson Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics, 2005-present; Co-chairman of MIT Presidential Task Force on Student Life and Learning, 1998-1999

Biography

R. John Hansman is the T. Wilson Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics MIT, where he is the Director of the MIT International Center for Air Transportation.  He conducts research in the application of information technology in operational aerospace systems.  Dr. Hansman holds 6 patents and has authored over 250 technical publications.  He has over 6000 hours of pilot in-command time in airplanes, helicopters and sailplanes including meteorological, production and engineering flight test experience.  Professor Hansman chairs the US Federal Aviation Administration Research Engineering & Development Advisory Committee (REDAC) as well as other national and international advisory committees. He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE), is a Fellow of the AIAA and has received numerous awards including the AIAA Dryden Lectureship in Aeronautics Research, the ATCA Kriske Air Traffic Award, Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, a Laurel from Aviation Week & Space Technology, and the FAA Excellence in Aviation Award.

Featured Story

Faculty Profile: R. John Hansman
R. John Hansman, T Wilson (1953) Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, directs the MIT International Center for Air Transportation. He’s solving the toughest challenges facing the aviation industry.
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Awards & Honors

FAA Excellence in Aviation Award
AIAA Dryden Lectureship
Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
Kriske Award, Air Traffic Control Association
NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award
AIAA Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award
Sigma Xi
Phi Beta Kappa
Federation Aeronautique Internationelle Gold Award with Three Diamonds
Recipient of the Bose Award for Excellence in Engineering Education