Born: United States of America
Primarily active in: United States of America

Dr. Fredric H. Schmitz received the Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lectureship 2009. His Lecture, "The Challenges and Possibilities of a Truly Quiet Helicopter", was delivered at the 65th AHS Annual Forum and Technology Display at the Gaylord Grapevine Resort and Conference Center in Grapevine, Texas on Wednesday, May 27, 2009.  The Lectureship is awarded to an individual who has a highly distinguished career in vertical flight aircraft research and development and is skilled at communicating their technical knowledge and experience.  In winning the award, Dr. Schmitz joins the ranks of previous distinguished Nikolsky recipients including Dr. David Peters, Dr. Ken Rosen, Troy Gaffey, Dr. Richard M. Carlson, Professor Howard C. Curtiss, Jr., Dr. Daniel P. Schrage, David Jenney, Evan Fradenburgh, Kenneth I. Grina, Robert R. Lynn, Rene Mouille, Professor Alfred Gessow, Bartram Kelley, Robert Huston, Bruno Lovera and Professor Barnes McCormick, Jr.  Dr. Schmitz has won AHS Best Paper Award at Forum 67, 2011 and Forum 61, 2005.

Dr. Schmitz was nominated based on his long and distinguished career that has exemplified the highest ideals, goals and achievements in the field of helicopter and V/STOL aircraft engineering and development. He currently is Professor for Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland's Alfred E. Gessow Rotorcraft Center. Dr. Schmitz, Senior Research Professor, Aerospace Engineering, UMD, has education as - B.A.E., Rensselear Polytechnic Institute; M.S., Princeton University; and Ph.D., Princeton University.  In his 35-year career, Dr. Schmitz first worked for Boeing Helicopters for two years, then with the U.S. Army Aeroflight dynamics Directorate for the next fifteen, joining NASA as the Chief of the Full-Scale Aerodynamics Research Division rising to the level of Director of Aeronautics of NASA Ames, and subsequently joining the University of Maryland as the Martin Professor of Rotorcraft Acoustics. In addition, he has educated and mentored many students at the University of Maryland and Stanford University during these years and these individuals are now working in key positions in government, industry and in universities.

Dr. Fredric H. Schmitz is Member of - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, AIAA (Associate Fellow); American Astronautical Society, AAS; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE; American Society of Engineering Education, ASEE; American Helicopter Society International; and AHS (Technical Fellow)