Lt Col David R. Schmitt is the Director of Flight Test, Department of Aeronautics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. In this capacity, he directs and instructs the Flight Test Techniques course, a nationally unique undergraduate course of instruction. Lt Col Schmitt graduated second in his class from the U. S. Air Force Academy in 2005 with a BS in aeronautical engineering. He received his MS in aeronautical engineering from the University of Washington prior to attending Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training. Lt Col Schmitt won the AETC Commander’s Trophy as the top graduate in his class, and was competitively selected as a member of the third-ever F-22 basic course at Tyndall AFB, FL. Following F-22 training he served as an F-22A Mission Commander with the 27th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. There, he deployed to PACOM three times in support of Theater Security Packages, and gained valuable combined/joint operational experience in numerous multinational exercises including Red Flag and Valiant Shield. Lt Col Schmitt was then selected to attend U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, where he earned the Liethen-Tittle award for top test pilot, and was the top overall graduate in his class.

After graduating from Test Pilot School, Lt Col Schmitt joined the 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB where he served as F-22 Command Chief Pilot and Assistant Director of Operations. In this capacity he was the lead pilot for numerous F-22 programs including the $1.4 billion dollar Increment 3.2B upgrade and won the Lt Gen Bobby Bond award as the Air Force’s top test pilot in 2016. Following his time in the 411th, Lt Col Schmitt was selected as a Combat Air Forces Fellow and Training and Exercises Branch Chief at Ramstein AB, Germany, where he became a published author for his fellowship research work on unexplained physiological events in fighter aircraft. For this work he was named the 2020 Society of Experimental Test Pilots Ray E. Tenhoff Award winner. While at Ramstein, Lt Col Schmitt deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and the NATO Resolute Support mission flying 61 combat sorties in the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node. Lt Col Schmitt then served as the Director of Operations and then the Commander and Director, 411th Flight Test Squadron and F-22 Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, California. In this capacity, he oversaw all F-22 developmental test for the Air Force’s premier air dominance fighter, 411th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, California. Prior to this assignment, Lt Col Schmitt oversaw all flight operations at Edwards AFB as the deputy operations group commander. Lt Col Schmitt is a senior pilot with more than 1,900 flying hours in the F-22, E-11, F-16, and 34 other aircraft types.

USAF Safety Board President’s Course (2021)

Air War College – correspondence (2019)

Air Command and Staff College – correspondence (2018)

Insider Entrepreneurship Course, Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley, CA (2015)

M.S., Flight Test Engineering, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edward AFB, CA (2015)

Squadron Officer School (In Res), Maxwell AFB, AL (2013)

USAF Aircraft Mishap Investigators Course, Kirtland AFB, NM (2012)

M.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2007)

B.S., Aeronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO (2005)

Deputy Commander, 412 Operations Group, Edwards AFB, CA (2023-Present)

Commander and F-22 Combined Test Force Director, 411th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA (2021-2023)

F-22 Director of Operations, 411th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA (2019-2021)

Chief of AEG Standardization and Evaluation, 451 Air Expeditionary Group,Kandahar AB, Afghanistan (2019)

Training and Exercises Branch Chief, USAFE/A3, Ramstein AB, Germany (2018-2019)

Combat Air Forces Fellow, Ramstein AB, Germany (2017-2018)

Assistant Director of Operations, F-22 Command Chief Pilot, 411th Flight Test Squadron,Edwards AFB, CA (2015-2017)

Student, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA (2014-2015)

F-22 Mission Commander and Flight Commander, 27th Fighter Squadron, Joint BaseLangley-Eustis, VA (2010-2014)

Student, F-22 Initial Qualification Course, Tyndall AFB, FL (2009-2010)

Student, F-22 Lead-In Course, Luke AFB, AZ (2009)

Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Randolph AFB, TX (2009)

Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, TX (2007-2009)

Air Force Institute of Technology Student, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2005-2007)

Society of Experimental Test Pilots Ray E. Tenhoff Award winner (2020)

Lt Gen Bobby Bond Memorial Aviator Award winner (2016)

Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Aerial Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal

AF Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters

AF Organizational Excellence Award

Air Force Achievement Medal with “C” device

Combat Readiness Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

AF Overseas Long Ribbon

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border

AF Longevity Service with three oak leaf clusters

Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with bronze star

AF Training Ribbon

NATO Medal

Second overall graduate, Distinguished Graduate, Outstanding Cadet in Engineering

Outstanding Cadet in Aeronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy

Recipient, Louis and Katherine Marsh Fellowship

Distinguished Graduate, Air Education and Training Command Commander’s Trophy

Flying Excellence Award, and Daedalian’s Award, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training

Distinguished Graduate, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals

Distinguished Graduate and Top Academic Award, F-22 Initial Qualification Course

Distinguished Graduate and squadron select for Commandant’s Leadership Award, Squadron Officer School

Distinguished Graduate, Liethen-Tittle Award, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School

NASA Astronaut Finalist