Mike Jenkins

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Aerospace Consultant DER

Mike brings over thirty years of experience in aerospace and has worked for several major original equipment manufacturers. He has also served as an independent aerospace consultant for the last twenty-two years. He is designated a Consultant Designated Engineering Representative (DER) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with authority in 14 CFR Part 25 certification regulations.
He specializes in mechanical systems including flight controls, doors, and hydraulic design and construction, equipment qualification, airplane testing, safety analyses, and service documents. He additionally has delegated authority for mechanical systems safety analyses for air conditioning, pressurization, oxygen, and fire protection. He also specializes in structures cabin safety for design and construction and service documents as well as power plant safety analyses for airplane turbine engines and auxiliary power units.

Professional Highlights

Michael Jenkins Consulting                                         1996-Present

  • Perform certification analyses for door compliance with 25.783 Amdt 114
  • Passenger to freighter conversions (experience with numerous A321, A330, A300, A300-600, 727, 737, 747, 757 and 767)
  • Review and approve design details (drawings) including door size and radius, clearances and step-down distance
  • 14 CFR Part 25 Approval of various design changes for flight control cables, actuators, installations, and rigging documents
  • Review and approve test plans
  • Witness certification ground and lab tests including all aspects of cargo door testing and entry/emergency exit doors for simple and obvious, reasonable forces, opening in 10 seconds, and appropriate placards conveying opening operation
  • Perform inspection and tests of flight control systems including slack cable, smoothness, and ease of operation, and limit load tests
  • Perform rotor burst analyses
  • Review and approve test reports
  • Review and recommend approval of safety analysis documents
  • Review certification plans
  • Review and approve service documents with delegation (service bulletins)
  • Present designs to FAA and EASA.
  • Provide documentation showing compliance with CFRs and JARs/CS
  • Meet with several of the FAA ACOs and with cabin safety personnel @ TAD
  • Meet with JAA/EASA personnel
  • Review and discuss rule interpretation with FAA and EASA

Joby Aviation                                                          2020-present

Certification and Systems DER – Flight Controls and Propulsion
  • Interpret airplane requirements
  • Develop flight control system, subsystem, and component specifications
  • Create airplane- and system-level Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA)
  • Author integrated flight control systems and propulsion certification plan
  • Oversee flight control and propulsion validation and verification activities

Gulfstream Aerospace                                                 2006-2020

Lead Mechanical Systems EAR
  • Performed, reviewed, and approved certification plans
  • Witnessed fuselage door and emergency exit tests including egress through the exits from the inside of the aircraft, and emergency responder access into the aircraft
  • Approved of all door designs on the GVI, GVII, GVIII and sustaining programs
  • Participated in discussions with FAA & EASA regarding GVI, GVII, and GVIII Door designs, including discussions about 14 CFR Part 25.783 Amdt 114 and CS 25,783 Amdt 4 compliance
  • Reviewed and approved safety analysis documents
  • Identified and resolved GVI, GVII, and GVIII Issue Papers and CRIs
  • Approved qualification, ground, and flight test plans and reports
  • Performed qualification, ground, and flight tests
  • ARP-4754A Auditor
Flight Controls, Hydraulic, and Propulsion DER
  • Performed, reviewed, and approved certification plans
  • Approved of flight control designs on the GVI and sustaining programs
  • 14 CFR Part 25 approval of various design changes for flight control cables, actuators and rigging documents
  • Participated in discussions with FAA & EASA about the GVI, GVII, and GVIII Flight Control System, including discussion pertaining to CS compliance
  • Identified and resolved GVI, GVII, and GVIII Issue Papers and CRIs
  • Approved qualification, ground, and flight test plans and reports
  • Performed qualification, ground, and flight tests
  • Reviewed and approved safety analysis documents including rotor burst and zonal safety analysis reports

Boeing                                                                             1988-1998

Flight Controls DER
  • Performed, reviewed, and approved certification plans
  • Approved of flight control designs
  • 14 CFR Part 25 approval of various design changes for flight control cables, actuators and rigging documents
  • Reviewed and recommended approval of safety analysis documents
  • Approved qualification, ground, and flight test plans and reports
  • Performed qualification, ground, and flight tests
Door DER
  • Performed, reviewed, and approved certification plans
  • Participated in Full-Scale Evacuation Demonstration on 777
  • Identified and Verified Deactivation of half the entry doors/emergency exits on 777
  • Verified proper operation of remaining operational entry/emergency exits
  • Evaluated test setup
  • Out-of-airplane observer during the test
  • Approved of all door designs on the 777
  • Involved and presented designs in discussions with FAA & EASA about the 777 Door
  • Identified and resolved Issue Papers and CRIs
  • Approved qualification, ground, and flight test plans and reports
  • Performed qualification, ground, and flight tests
  • Performed Safety Analyses ( FHA, FMEA, FTA, CMA, CCA)
  • Supported MSG-3 activities and meetings
  • Reviewed and approved service documents (service bulletins)

Instructor

Kansas University Flight Controls and Hydraulics Short-Course Instructor

Committees

SAE-18 Committee Member

  • ARP 4761 Co-Captain of FHA Appendix
  • ARP 4754

Education

Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering – University of Utah