Dr. Carlos Pinedo is a LtCol and a test pilot in the United States Air Force with a PhD in Bioastronautics from the University of Colorado-Boulder Aerospace Engineering Sciences department. He received his B.S and M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT in 2005.  His research focused on the aerodynamic benefits of unmanned aerial vehicle formation flying and the effects of a combined 3D auditory/visual cueing system on visual target detection using a helmet-mounted display. 

Upon graduating from MIT, he commissioned into the Air Force as a pilot and was later assigned to Dyess AFB, TX where he flew the B-1 in three combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  In 2013, Carlos was selected to attend USAF Test Pilot School completing a M.S. in Flight Test Engineering. His work at TPS included novel flight control input methods for aerodynamic parameter estimation for hypersonic vehicles.  As a test pilot, Carlos has over 3000 flight hours in 30 unique aircraft. LtCol Pinedo is the current Director of Education at the USAF Test Pilot School.  As an avid flyer with a passion for manned spaceflight, his interests are in space human factors, cockpit design, and interfaces for pilots in complex tasks.  

Dr. Pinedo is passionate about STEM Outreach, in addition to advising student organizations at CU Boulder, Dr. Pinedo was on the organizing board of STEMrev a local non-profit who focuses on underrepresented students in Boulder county and is a member of the AIAA Diversity Working Group.