Company EVP Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced Friday that Frank Pace, executive vice president of the company’s Aircraft Systems Group, was recently honored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with a local lifetime achievement award in aerospace engineering.

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Pace was recognized at the San Diego Section’s 2008 Annual Awards Banquet, held Thursday, for a lifelong career in aerospace engineering highlighted by his successful full life-cycle management of many unmanned aircraft systems that have revolutionized the field of UAS and their use in combat. The award is presented to candidates who have made a significant contribution to aerospace engineering over a lifelong career.

"Mr. Pace's significant contributions over his distinguished 27-year aerospace engineering career have transformed the global UAS industry," said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. "His innovative engineering programs have dramatically improved UAS capabilities, accelerated global UAS procurement, and established the standard against which all other UAS are judged. His impressive efforts have contributed to GA-ASI's recognition as the world's premier supplier of unmanned aircraft systems, and we are very proud to have him on our team." 

Frank Pace has been involved in unmanned flight for over 27 years, and in unmanned aircraft for 22 years. GA-ASI notes his engineering achievements have produced a series of proven UAS that have been critical to US and coalition forces during combat operations in the Balkans Conflict, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

FMI: www.ga-asi.com, www.aiaa.org