Brian D. "Boomer" Wendt joined the Operator Performance Lab in January 2016 as a Research Assistant. He holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from The University of Iowa and is currently pursuing a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering.

Brian is an FAA-rated Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and Certified Flight Instructor (CFII, MEI). He has over 15 years and 6000+ hours of flight experience in 15 types of aircraft, including type ratings for the CE-500, DHC-8 and BE-1900. He is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the Society of Flight Test Engineers.

At OPL, Brian assists with the execution of human-in-the-loop flight research studies, data analysis and report writing, performs aircraft maintenance, and provides subject matter expertise on transport category aircraft and airline operations.

Brian's research interests include the advancement of personal aviation and flight safety through improved training and technology, with a focus on human-machine interaction.

In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on his Van's RV-8 kitplane with his father, reading, trail running, and playing sand volleyball.