The first \u201cA\u201d in NASA stands for aeronautics. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is just one of several NASA centers conducting revolutionary research to make flight cleaner, safer, and quieter.<\/p>\n
But an interest in flying goes beyond the professional for many at NASA. Meet a handful of NASA Glenn employees who have a personal connection to aviation, at work and beyond.<\/p>\n
jared berg<\/p>\n
Thermal Subsystem Manager for Gateway\u2019s Power and Propulsion Element<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Planting the Seed:<\/strong> Berg grew up reading aviation books with his family and building model planes. Attending the EAA AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, throughout childhood inspired him to pursue flight training once he had a full-time NASA job.<\/p>\n Joining the Club: <\/strong>Berg is currently a member of the NASAIRS Flying Club at NASA Glenn, which he says helps make flying more accessible and lets him constantly learn from other pilots.<\/p>\n Flying High:<\/strong> Berg has now been flying recreationally for over a decade and considers it a part of his everyday life. \u201cFlying allows an escape from the mundane and brings a sense of adventure to traveling,\u201d Berg said. \u201cYou also get to experience nature, specifically weather but also the land you\u2019re flying over, in a way that\u2019s relatively raw and somehow personal.\u201d<\/p>\n Lindsay Kaldon<\/p>\n Fission Surface Power Project Manager<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Air Force and Astronauts: <\/strong>Kaldon\u2019s father was an Air Force F-16 crew chief and a member of the Thunderbirds demonstration team, so Kaldon was no stranger to jets growing up. \u201cEvery day was an airshow living on the base that they trained out of,\u201d Kaldon said. After earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering, Kaldon joined the Air Force herself with hopes of one day becoming an astronaut.<\/p>\n Going Solo: <\/strong>Kaldon later earned her private pilot\u2019s license and says she\u2019ll always remember her first solo cross-country flight. She chose Kitty Hawk, the site of the Wright brothers\u2019 first flight, as her destination.<\/p>\n Keeping the Energy: <\/strong>A monument that stands along the runway at Kitty Hawk is inscribed with words Kaldon remembers whenever solving difficult challenges through her work at NASA. \u201cIt says, \u2018Achieved by Dauntless Resolution and Unconquerable Faith.\u2019 The Wright brothers were faced with a lot of doubters who didn\u2019t think flight was possible. Yet they proved them wrong and never gave up,\u201d Kaldon said. \u201cI love that. When things get tough, I just close my eyes and think about that phrase.\u201d<\/p>\n Lori Manthey<\/p>\n Chief of Administrative Services and Exchange Operations Manager<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Head in the Clouds:<\/strong> After a discovery flight in a small Cessna 150 plane, Manthey was hooked on flying. On weekends and evenings after beginning a full-time NASA job, she hopped in a Piper Tomahawk single-engine trainer at Lorain County Regional Airport to earn her private pilot certificate. \u201cI love the feeling of floating in the air and seeing the world below,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Women in Aero<\/strong>: Manthey is passionate about advancing and supporting female pilots and currently serves as membership chair of the Lake Erie chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an organization started by Amelia Earhart in 1929. She is also a member of the Cleveland chapter of Women in Aviation.<\/p>\n Looking to the Future:<\/strong> Every year, Manthey participates in Girls in Aviation Day at Cleveland\u2019s Burke Lakefront Airport to introduce girls to the world of aviation. \u201cI think it is so important to help encourage young women and girls to become part of the next generation of female pilots,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Back in the Cockpit<\/strong>: Manthey is currently working to earn her instrument rating, which will let her fly \u201cblind\u201d in cloudy and foggy weather conditions.<\/p>\n Waldo J. Acosta<\/p>\n Icing Research Tunnel Lead Facility Engineer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Family Ties:<\/strong> Throughout Acosta\u2019s childhood, Acosta\u2019s father, a former researcher at NASA Glenn, brought his family along on work trips to the EAA AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. \u201cI fell in love with everything related to flying during those trips, and they set the tone early on my path to working in aviation,\u201d Acosta said.<\/p>\n Next Steps<\/strong>: Acosta started taking flying lessons while studying aerospace engineering at The Ohio State University, eventually receiving his private pilot\u2019s license.<\/p>\n Safety First:<\/strong> Overseeing testing and maintenance operations at NASA Glenn\u2019s Icing Research Tunnel, Acosta is now directly involved in aviation safety research. The facility, the longest-running icing wind tunnel in the world, helps NASA and industry study how ice affects aircraft and test ice protection systems and tools.<\/p>\n![\"Lindsay](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kaldon-3.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Lori](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img-0284-1-rotated.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Waldo](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/waldos-airplane-1.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\")
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