Brett Hoffstadt, MSc, PMP

Brett Hoffstadt, MSc, PMP is a multi-disciplinary engineer with an aeronautical concentration, certified Project Management Professional, and Author of STEM nonfiction books. He is also an innovation catalyst, inventor with three patents, and music composer.

Brett earned his Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering in 1993 at Purdue University. He earned his Master’s Degree of Science in Aerospace Engineering and Aerodynamics in 1997 at Penn State University with a thesis on Winglet Designs for Standard Class Sailplanes.

He began his aerospace career as Co-op Engineer at McDonnell Douglas after his freshman year at Purdue. His five assignments before graduation provided a powerful education in multi-disciplinary aerospace engineering that propelled his future career. After graduating from Purdue, he was a Flight Test Engineer with Boeing on T-45 and F/A-18 aircraft test programs.

After earning his Master’s Degree, Brett became an Aerodynamics Engineer with hypersonic programs at SAIC where he participated in a hypersonic wind tunnel test.

In 1997, Brett became a Technical Specialist at Boeing, where he was Aerodynamics & Performance engineer for the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. He was responsible for the calculation of the lift, drag, and aircraft mission performance for the V-22 in US Air Force Special Operations and Marine Corps missions.

In 2002, he joined CD-adapco Group (now part of Siemens) as a Technical Specialist and CFD (computational fluid dynamics) Engineer for automotive, trucking, and agricultural clients.

In 2005, he re-joined Boeing Defense, Space, and Security as Control Account Manager (CAM) and Project Engineer for CV-22 Technology. While in Philadelphia he dedicated increasing energy to foster aerospace education, career paths, and professionals in the community. In August 2006, Brett became Chairperson of the Greater Philadelphia Section of AIAA and continued as an Officer for various roles such as STEM K-12 Education Outreach and Career Development until 2013. During these years the Section received national recognition for its positive impact with city science festivals, regional symposia, and member development.

During these same years, Brett learned how to combine creativity and analytical strengths into innovation. His musical album of 11 original instrumental songs, Preludes & Reflections, was released in 2010. Written and performed primarily in a classical, easy-listening style, the songs range from evocative solo piano pieces like “Reflection in E Major” to uplifting pieces like “Springtime Prelude”.

Within Boeing, he founded and led the Division’s first dedicated space for employee-led innovation projects. Results in the first three years included the adoption of 3-D printing, an internal crowdfunding platform, over $700,000 in internal funding for employee-led projects, and at least 7 invention disclosures. Success and enthusiasm from these results led to the creation of a network of such facilities throughout the company.

In recent years, Brett’s focus in aviation has been with unmanned systems. From 2016–2020 Brett was the Vice President at Drone Pilots Federation, a nonprofit organization and neutral party to serve as a drone racing sanctioning body and as an educational and advocacy entity to assure the safe and responsible use of drones. From 2017–2018 he was a Senior Flight Test Engineer at Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems. He led the successful flight test deployment of two unmanned high-performance aircraft that fly up to conditions of 0.95 Mach, +9 Gs, and 50,000 feet altitude.

As a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2014, Brett has additional expertise in risk management, security, and emergency management. He oversaw the installation and training of large IT-based security systems at 3Sixty Integrated. He supported the implementation and administration of the California State Hazard Mitigation Plan (SHMP) with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). He helped individuals and families across northern California address their health and financial risks as a licensed insurance agent with Bankers Life & Casualty and Colonial Penn.

In 2014, Brett published his first book, How to Be a Rocket Scientist. Through the book and its website, people gain a greater appreciation for the broader definition of “rocket scientist” and the 10 tips that enable anyone to create their own unique path into a rewarding career in aerospace or aviation.

His 2nd book, Success with Drones in Civil Engineering: An Accelerated Guide to Safe, Legal, and Profitable Operations, was published in 2018 and was recognized by BookAuthority.org as one of the 30 Best Civil Engineering Books of All Time. Since then, Brett has produced and published a wide range of other STEM-related books for children and adults. Two of the most popular books are about Tesla automobiles (Tesla Fan Puzzle Book) and space exploration (Space-X Fan Coloring, Puzzle and Game Book).

His upcoming book, Goodnight Moon Base, will be a new-space-age adaptation of the popular classic to inspire children for the next 75+ years (and serve as a catalyst to bring this vision into reality sooner).

Brett’s commitment to supporting the mission of the LifeBoat Foundation comes from his determination to defend ourselves against the worst-case scenarios while we concurrently strive to unleash the highest potential in ourselves, in others, and in the universe around us.

Brett is also a member of the National Space Society (NSS) and the Space Renaissance International (SRI), the Communications Lead for the Diversity Working Group at the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA), and is Secretary of the Board for the Capital Branch of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Currently, his primary engineering focus is on air quality in the state of California. He lives in Folsom, located near the state capital of Sacramento.

Watch Brett introduce his book on Drones. Listen to the podcast Drones in Civil Engineering — How and Why they can Help and listen to Brett on The Space Show.

Read an interview with Brett about aerospace careers from Career Skunks. Follow his Contributions at Muck Rack.

Visit his LinkedIn profile, Innovation Global Network profile, and Amazon page. Follow him on, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, and Twitter.