Mr. S. Kyle Todd is a visiting Instructor of Aeronautics at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. He leads courses in the propulsion sequence of the aeronautical engineering major, as well as “Fundamentals of Aeronautics” in the Academy’s core curriculum. In addition, he supports propulsion research in the engine test cells of the Academy’s Aeronautics Laboratory.

Mr. Todd has served as a Propulsion Test Analyst within the Aeropropulsion Test Branch, 717th Test Squadron, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee since 2015. In this role he has performed test planning, execution, and reporting activities on multiple military engine development programs including the F135, the Adaptive Engine Technology Demonstrator (AETD), the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP), the MQ-25, and others. His areas of expertise include engine/airframe compatibility, compressor/combustor/augmentor operability, performance, aeromechanics, and aeroacoustics. In total, he has accumulated over 900 hours of control room experience performing altitude testing of the world’s most advanced gas turbine engines.

Prior to his time at Arnold AFB, Mr. Todd conducted fundamental research on gas turbine combustors in the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory at Georgia Tech in pursuit of his master’s degree.

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2014)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2012)

PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION
Air Command & Staff College, Air University (2020)

Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Department of Aeronautics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (June 2025-Present)

Propulsion Test Analyst, 717th Test Squadron, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. (February 2015-June 2025)

AEDC-Wing Scientist/Engineer Civilian of the Quarter (3Q2016, 4Q2020)
AEDC Technical Achievement Award (2Q2020, 4Q2024)
AFMC Special Access Program Team of the Year (2020)
AEDC Exceptional Innovator Award (3Q2019)
AEDC Test Operations Division Team of the Quarter (3Q2019)
AFMC T&E Test Team of the Year (2015)

Gas turbine combustion, experimental propulsion testing, engine test cell acoustics, and engine aeromechanics.