Bob Stoney

Bob Stoney is consultant test pilot with 49 years of aviation experience.  He retired from the FAA’s Seattle Flight Test branch in 2023, where he served as a test pilot on a variety of aircraft projects, from the Boeing 747-8, KC-46, 737 MAX to the Airbus A350 and A330 NEO, to helicopter and small General Aviation aircraft.  Bob served for 21 years as an FAA Test Pilot, first in Wichita, KS and then Seattle.  Bob served as an assistant Flight Safety Officer in the FAA and participated in several mishap investigations.  Following retirement, the FAA designated him as a fully qualified Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for Parts 23, 25, 27 and 29 (small and large airplanes and helicopters). 

Before joining the FAA, Bob served 23 years as a Naval Officer and Test Pilot, achieving the rank of Captain (O-6) and assignment as the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, where he led a squadron consisting of 350 military, civilian and contract personnel, operating 50 aircraft of 13 different types while managing a multi-sourced yearly budget exceeding $35 Million.  Bob’s honors while a Naval Officer include designation as lead P-3 squadron standardization pilot, and selection as Instructor of the Year at the US Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS).  For four years he served as the School’s Safety Officer.

Bob received his Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master’s with distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School in Aerospace Engineering.  He has accumulated over 10,000 flight hours in 197 models and holds FAA Airline Transport Pilot (with 12 type ratings), flight instructor, helicopter, glider and seaplane ratings.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

Bob and his wife Anne live on Mercer Island. They have three grown children and Bob enjoys personal flying, boating, travelling and mule riding.