About Eric Bird
Eric T. Bird is the Chief Engineer for the Autonomy Research Institute (ARI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. In this role, he is responsible for the technical success of the Aviation Systems Engineering Department.
Since joining ARI in 2018, Eric has led the applied engineering technical team, overseeing the development and integration of advanced sensor systems and contributing to the expansion of Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) capabilities. He has also served as test director and played a key role in defining specifications for ARI’s Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) simulation laboratory. Eric is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He contributes to several working groups within the ASTM F38 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Committee and has published papers through AIAA, RAeS, the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIDAA), and the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC).
Prior to ARI, Eric spent 17 years with Bell Helicopter as a Principal Simulation Engineer, specializing in rotorcraft modeling and simulation. During his tenure, he was responsible for the development and release of the V-22 Osprey simulation math model and served as Principal Simulation Modeling Lead for the Bell 525 program. His work spanned the full lifecycle—from early concept development through flight testing, including integration of simulation capabilities into the Bell 525 System Integration Lab. He holds four (4) patents from his time at Bell Helicopter.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Unmanned Systems from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Unmanned Systems Applications at Capitol Technology University.
Eric resides on North Padre Island in Corpus Christi, Texas, with his fiancée, Kelly. They have 10 children who have now all grown up and moved out on their own. They enjoy spending time at local beaches and traveling throughout the Caribbean.