Society of Flight Test Engineers

Welcome to SFTE, Atlanta Chapter!

The Atlanta Chapter of the Society of Flight Test Engineers (ATL SFTE), located in the metro area of Atlanta, GA, is dedicated to the advancement and promotion of flight test engineering. Rooted in one of the country’s major cities, ATL SFTE brings together a passionate community of engineers, test pilots, and aviation professionals committed to innovation, safety, and excellence in the aerospace industry and flight test.

The ATL SFTE Chapter is led by a dedicated board of four officers: President Jennie Mitchell, Vice President Joey Jaworski, Secretary John White, and Treasurer David Kern. Together, they organize regular meetings, technical presentations, and outreach education events to foster knowledge sharing and professional growth within the flight test community. They are committed to building strong connections with students, professionals, and local organizations. Through collaboration and education, the ATL SFTE Chapter serves as a vital link between industry, academia, and government, promoting the highest standards in flight test engineering across the southeast.

If you are interested in joining the Atlanta Chapter of SFTE, their first event will be at Argosy in East Atlanta Village (470 Flat Shoals Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316) on Wednesday, June 4th at 1730.

Executive Board Biographies

Jennie Mitchell, ATL SFTE President

Originally from Kennesaw, GA, Jennie attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. She then moved to Patuxent River, MD to work for the Department of the Navy at Patuxent River Naval Air Station as a Flight Test Engineer for 10 years. While there, she attended the United States Naval Test Pilot School as a Flight Test Engineer in the Rotary Wing Curriculum, Class 138. She primarily focused on the MV-22 Osprey during her time at Pax River, with ship suitability flight test being a highlight on that challenging program. Departing Pax River in 2016, she moved back to GA to be closer to family where she worked initially at Delta Airlines, Inc. as a Senior Project Manager across the Delta fleet and then becoming the Principal Engineer for the Delta T-tail fleet. This was followed by her stint at Lockheed Martin in Flight Test working the C-130J program. Currently, Jennie is a Senior Flight Test Engineer with the FAA, primarily working with companies such as Gulfstream, Piper, and Embraer, among others, on various aircraft certification programs. Jennie is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering at the National Test Pilot School in Mojave, CA.

Joey Jaworski, ATL SFTE Vice President

Joey Jaworski is a Human Factors Flight Test Engineer within the Federal Aviation Administration’s Flight Test Branch, located in Atlanta, GA. Joey holds a Bachelor of Science in Air Traffic Management and a Master of Science in Human Factors and Systems, both from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Joey’s path to flight test was not traditional, but he has been a Flight Test Engineer for nearly 5 years. Prior to joining Flight Test within the FAA, Joey worked as a Human Factors Engineer in Washington, DC working on several flight deck technologies within the FAA’s Office of NextGen. Joey also has served as a lead researcher, supporting the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute’s Human Factors Flight Deck Research Laboratory. Through this work, Joey worked with FAA research and policy to conduct human factors research on new and novel flight deck technologies. Within FAA Flight Test, Joey serves as one of 7 Human Factors Specialists supporting a wide range of projects from small aircraft to large transport category aircraft and powered-lift aircraft. Outside of work, Joey is a proud member of the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, is an avid traveler, and a loving dog dad.

John White, ATL SFTE Secretary

John is a Flight Test Engineer (FTE) working on the safety and advancement of aviation within the FAA's Southeastern Flight Test Section in Atlanta, GA. His professional trajectory reflects commitment to ensuring the airworthiness of aircraft, cultivated through diverse and impactful roles. As a former Integrated Product Team Lead with AeroTEC in Seattle, WA, he was an integrated product team lead managing complex flight test programs. This involved the initial project design, the integration of instrumentation systems, and certification. He fostered a collaborative environment, leading Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews and worked closely with customers and suppliers to facilitate efficient progress from initial design stages to physical installation. His tenure as a Project Engineer with the FAA Boeing Aviation Safety Oversight Office in the Northwest ACO was spent on certification of airframe, flight controls, and mechanical system safety oversight for a range of Boeing commercial aircraft, including the 787-8, 9, and 10, 777-9X, and the 737-MAX. His foundational experience as a Flight Test Engineer with the Department of the Navy provided a grounded introduction to flight testing across multiple platforms, such as the F/A-18 Hornet, the P-8 Poseidon, and the CH-53K. In this capacity, he conducted flight tests, specializing in the critical analysis of loads, structures, and dynamics. His technical acumen encompasses the full lifecycle of testing, from planning and execution to comprehensive reporting, including specialized expertise in ground structural mode interaction, ground vibration testing, flutter analysis, and the validation of structural loads during flight operations.

David Kern, ATL SFTE Treasurer

David Kern is a graduate of the US Air Force Test Pilot School, with experience planning and flying hundreds of flight test missions for civil aircraft certification and military projects. He is an Associate Fellow with the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and Member of the Society of Flight Test Engineers. In his USAF career, he was the USAF F-16 project test pilot for the Collier Trophy winning Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS) and served as Instructor Test Pilot and Director of Operations at the USAF Test Pilot School, teaching all parts of the multi engine and fighter curricula. In civil flight test, he served as a flight test pilot for the Aircraft Certification Service with the Federal Aviation Administration, and is currently a Flight Test Captain for a major airline. He holds a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering and B.Sci. Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. He also holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with nine type ratings, is an active Certified Flight Instructor for instrument conditions, and has logged piloting time as the flight controls of over 80 different types of aircraft. His publications include "Flight Test Techniques for Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar", "Accelerated Development of Flight Tested Sensors and Systems", and "Introduction to Fly-be-Wire Flight Control Systems: The professional pilot's guide to understanding modern aircraft controls."