top of page
About Prime Propulsion
Built by
Engineers.
For Engineers.
Prime Propulsion was founded on a straightforward observation: small and mid-size aerospace manufacturers consistently hit the same wall — not because their engineering was wrong, but because they lacked direct access to the certification expertise needed to get it across the FAA's finish line.
Our founder brings a career built entirely in propulsion — from the shop floor at Pratt & Whitney to the program office of a major Air Force acquisition program to active FAA DER authority. That combination doesn't exist at most firms. It's the reason Prime Propulsion exists.
Founder Background
Prime Propulsion
Founder & Principal DER
Fort Walton Beach, FL · Active FAA DER, Parts 23, 25 & 33
U.S. Air Force
Propulsion Subject Matter Expert
ACAT 1D Major Defense Acquisition Program · Engine & Powerplant Systems
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA Engineer
Aircraft certification · Regulatory experience · DER authority foundation
Pratt & Whitney
Propulsion Engineer
Gas turbine engine development · Commercial & military propulsion systems
P&W
Pratt & Whitney
Propulsion Engineering
FAA
FAA Engineer & Active DER
Parts 23 · 25 · 33
USAF
Air Force Propulsion SME
ACAT 1D Program
30+
Certifications Per Year
Commercial & Defense
Our Story
Why Prime
Propulsion Exists
The founding insight behind Prime Propulsion came from seeing both sides of the certification process over an entire career.
At Pratt & Whitney, the engineering challenges were complex — but the institutional resources were deep. Large OEMs have internal DER networks, regulatory affairs teams, and decades of FAA relationships built into their organization. Certification, while difficult, is never done alone.
At the FAA, those same submission packages arrived from the other side of the table. It became clear that the quality of engineering data and the way it was framed and organized made an enormous difference in how smoothly a program moved through review — and how often it stalled.
At the U.S. Air Force, serving as a propulsion Subject Matter Expert on an ACAT 1D major defense acquisition program meant being the technical authority the contractor team had to satisfy. That experience made one thing unmistakable: the gap between what government program offices require and what contractors actually submit is almost always a documentation and framing problem — not an engineering problem.
Prime Propulsion was founded to close that gap — specifically for small and mid-size aerospace manufacturers and MRO operators who have strong engineering but lack the in-house certification infrastructure to package and present it the way the FAA and defense program offices require.
Every client gets direct access to a DER who has been on both sides — government and industry — and who has spent a career in propulsion specifically. That's not a credential we borrowed. It's the foundation the firm was built on.
The founding insight
"The gap is almost never the engineering. It's the package — how the data is organized, framed, and presented to the FAA."
Academic
Foundation
A technical education built specifically for propulsion — from undergraduate thermodynamics to graduate-level systems engineering.
Master of Engineering
Penn State
Systems Engineering
Pennsylvania State University
Education
Bachelor of Science
Alabama A&M
Mechanical Engineering
Focus: Propulsion Systems
Alabama A&M University
How We Work
Senior-Led.
Right-Sized.
Every Prime Propulsion engagement is led by our founder — the DER whose name is on the 8110-3. For programs that require additional engineering depth, we scale with a carefully selected network of experienced aerospace contractors, each vetted for the specific technical demands of the program.
What this means for your program
You always have direct access to the DER accountable for your certification — not a project manager who reports to one.
Why Prime Propulsion
What Our Background
Means for Your Program
Three organizations — Pratt & Whitney, the FAA, and the U.S. Air Force — each added a layer of perspective that most certification firms simply don't have access to.
Pratt & Whitney: OEM Engineering Depth
Propulsion engineering at one of the world's leading engine manufacturers built the technical foundation — gas turbine systems, design standards, test methodology, and the documentation rigor that major OEMs use internally. We bring that standard to clients who don't have an OEM's internal infrastructure.
U.S. Air Force: Program Office Perspective
Serving as a propulsion SME on an ACAT 1D defense acquisition program means we've been the technical authority that contractors have to satisfy. We know what program offices scrutinize, what documentation gaps generate re-reviews, and how to present propulsion data in a way that survives government technical review.
FAA: How Reviewers Think
Working inside the FAA means we know how certification packages are evaluated — what triggers a comment cycle, what a clean submission looks like from the reviewer's side, and how to structure data to answer the questions the FAA will ask before they ask them. That insider perspective directly protects your timeline.
All Three — In One Firm
Most certification consultants come from one background — FAA, OEM, or government. Prime Propulsion brings all three, which means our clients get a DER who understands the technical demands of their engineering, the expectations of their FAA reviewer, and the requirements of any defense program office they may have to satisfy — simultaneously.
What We Do
Prime Propulsion
Services
Focused exclusively on propulsion certification — commercial, military, and the intersection of both.
Get Started
Ready to Work
With Our
Team?
Whether you're pursuing a PMA, navigating an STC program, or supporting a defense propulsion program — start with a free conversation. No commitment, no sales process. Just a direct discussion about your project and how we can help.
CALL DIRECT
(404) 918-1584
EMAIL
info@primepropulsion.com
OFFICE
Fort Walton Beach, FL
SERVICE AREA
U.S. National . International
bottom of page