July 27, 2009 - Vol. 6 Num. 14 New nondestructive testing courses begin in fall The official opening of Wichita’s new National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT) is still several months away, but NCAT will begin offering nondestructive testing (NDT) courses this fall. Through a cooperative effort between Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research and Wichita Area Technical College (WATC), NCAT will offer a series of eleven NDT courses. The week-long courses will be instructed by John Saunders at WATC’s Comotara Center campus. Students can work their way toward an Intro to NDT or Advanced NDT Certificate of Completion, or take select individual courses as needed.  NCAT's NDT program will produce technicians who understand the role of NDT in the aerospace industry and who have mastered coursework from the American Society for Nondestructive Testing Level I and II certification. The technical certificate program adds hands-on experience in both conventional and composite aerospace assembly methods which will allow students to apply NDT techniques to the aviation industry. For more information, visit http://www.niar.wichita.edu/ndt. To enroll call Jessica Folk at (316) 677-1417.   NIAR hires new NDT, composites personnel   John Saunders has joined the staff of Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) as a research engineer and nondestructive testing (NDT) instructor. Upon completion of the National Center for Aviation Training, he will teach NDT courses there.   Before he came to NIAR, Saunders worked for the U.S. Air Force ND Program Office on contract from Karta Technologies, Inc. He served as supervisor of non-missile support personnel and writer/editor of 33B series NDI technical orders; Allied Services Group as lead technician of non-destructive testing, John Saunders lead analyst of the predictive maintenance department and process engineer; and for 21 years in active duty with the U.S. Air Force (7 years as NDI Laboratory supervisor and 1 year as manager of the aircraft fabrication department).   His training and certification includes ASNT Level III in penetrant and magnetic particle testing and Corporate NDT Level III in ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing and radiography. Saunders has a B.S. in Liberals Art and Management Specialty from Excelsior College and an A.S. in Metal Working Technologies from the Community College of the Air Force.   Bret Brummer has joined the NIAR staff as the manager of the Composites Laboratory Layup Room. He was previously employed since 1983 at Hawker Beechcraft as a materials and process engineer for the Starship, Premier and Horizon and a material test technician for the Starship.  He was a Subject Matter Expert concerning the processes of resin transfer molding, internal pressure molding and fiber placement. Bret Brummer His areas of expertise include composite fabrication processes including small parts hand lay-up, resin transfer molding, internal pressure molding and “Viper” fiber placement processes and autoclave cure processes; composite materials candidate evaluation and qualification testing of prepregs, film adhesives, paste adhesives, potting compounds, non-metallic core materials and secondary materials associated with composites and metal bond processes; and composite materials mechanical testing for material properties.    The National Institute for Aviation Research is a prestigious state-of-the-art aerospace research and development laboratory with global reach and expertise in research, design, testing, and certification. The Institute’s clientele includes many of the world’s aerospace manufacturers, NASA and the FAA. It is the largest aviation R&D academic institution in America.  The National Institute for Aviation Research is an unincorporated division of Wichita State University.