Dr. Greg Mellema is a career aircraft mechanic, combat veteran, teacher, author, and subject matter expert in the manufacture and repair of advanced composite structures. He has over 37 years of experience working on both manned and unmanned military and civilian aircraft with a special emphasis on advanced composite structures. Greg holds a B.S. degree in Professional Aeronautics, an M.S. in Aeronautical Science, and a Ph.D. in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has been an active Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) mechanic since 1988 and holds an Inspection Authorization (I.A.) from the FAA as well. While with the Nevada Army National Guard, Dr. Mellema served 16 months as Shop Chief for the Airframe Shop at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF VI).

Dr. Mellema was an Assistant Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ where he taught composite labs for engineering courses and advised students on senior capstone projects and funded research. Previously, he founded the U.S. Army’s Advanced Composites Lab at Redstone Arsenal in 2010. There he designed and built prototype advanced composite parts as well as modernizing composite repair tools, processes, and procedures across all Army aviation platforms. Prior to that, Greg was a full-time instructor for Abaris Training from 1998 to 2008.

Dr. Mellema is one of the co-authors of the textbook Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication and Repair as well as the author of Section 17 of Dale Crane’s Aviation Mechanic Handbook. He is also chairman of CertTEC’s Basic Composite Certification committee, and is a member of SAMPE, AMT Society, and holds certifications in composites/composite repair from both SAE and CertTEC. In his spare time, he conducts research focused on advanced composites as well as aviation maintenance human factors.