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“HEY FEATI WHAT’S OUR NEXT TEST POINT?”
Friends call him Chuck, and he was born Carlos D. Castro. But since he acquired his American citizenship years ago, his name became Charles. He is a tall, hale and simple man —with a warm smile for everyone and a firm gaze belying his approachable nature.
Many would be surprised, however, that Chuck, a FEATI alumnus, is an aviator, soldier, engineer, author, test pilot and flight test engineer.
Since acquiring his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering degree from FEATI University in 1966, he has spent his life literally “on high grounds”. A former AFROTC Cadet Officer, Cadet Colonel Carlos Castro together with his fellow cadet colonels Taroy, Meneses, Bais, Offemaria, and Marcelino regularly conducted the training and Pass in Review of the FEATI University AFROTC Corps of Cadets at the Luneta Grandstand in Manila in the early 60’s.
It was to be expected then that in November 1967, a year after graduating from FEATI, he joined the Philippine Army as a Company Commander with the 1st Engineer Combat Batallion located at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. In addition he also completed Special Forces (Airborne) training. After qualifying as a paratrooper, he led army troops on counter-insurgency missions all over central Luzon. After a short stint with the Philippine Civic Group, Vietnam, he transferred to the Philippine Air Force, where he completed a rigorous Flight Training at the Philippine Air Force Flying School, Class 71. As a Philippine Air Force (PAF) Major, he piloted C-47’s (transports and gunships), F-27’s and C-130’s. (And as if preventing rebellion is not enough proof of his loyalty and devotion to his country, he even became a Transport and Maintenance test pilot affiliated with the 205th Airlift Wing! He had the distinct privilege of flying the President of the Philippines and his family, the Secretary of Defense, Juan Ponce Enrile, and the Commanding General of the Philippine Constabulary, Gen Fidel Ramos. Many might think that after arduous missions airborne, Chuck (then known as Carlos or “Custer” by his fellow aviators) was able to take it easy on the ground. However, he did all this flying (and fighting) at a time when he was responsible for the Base Operations activities of a PAF Airlift Wing, composed of 60 aircraft of different series and models.
In 1976, he had to leave the country for the United States. He joined the United States Air Force Reserves flying C-130s with the 926th Tactical Airlift Wing. His flights were mostly in support of South and Central America missions. His flight time in the Hercules C-130s served Engineer Chuck very well, because for the period April 1976 to January 1981 he was also a maintenance controller and supervisor of the Illinois Air National Guard flying KC-135s Air Refueling Tankers, in support of the world-wide mission of the Strategic Air Command. In fact, his job description included that of advising the Director of Maintenance in meeting Full Mission Capability Status for this KC-135s Stratotankers.
On February 1 of 1981, he was selected as a Program Manager cum Propulsion Engineer and assigned with the New and Advance Jet Engine Program Office located at the largest and most advanced Research and Development Center for Jet Engine Weapons Acquisition at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. And there, as he put it in his own words, he “planned, organized, coordinated and implemented engine program studies and ultimately managed the development, design, and deployment of the first full size prototype advanced jet engine that eventually was installed and operationally tested in the new USAF F-16s and F-15s, as well as the US Navy’s F-14s. These events were accomplished through the conceptual and advanced development validation phases (leading to full-scale development authorization), fulfilled requirements submitted by other systems program offices, support agencies, ‘using commands’, or countries allied to the U.S.A.” It was indeed a giant leap for Chuck to work with the advanced military aircraft engines of that time!
By 24th of June 1984, Engr. Chuck accepted another assignment, as Flight Test Program Manager for the 4950th Test Wing. In his stay, he conducted and managed a number of hazardous flight test programs. Who would have thought that a FEATInian would be one of the USAF directors and engineers in testing aviation breakthroughs of that era, including carbon fiber brakes and “Enhanced Capability” for C-5 Galaxy aircraft, which included developing the one and only Cruise Missile Mission Aircraft. Working alongside and eventually directing and working with fellow engineers who were graduates from Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell, U.S. Military Academies, and other leading American universities and colleges. Engr. Chuck was instrumental in the feasibility and exploration study of an integrated prototype of the airborne laser aircraft. In addition he explored the feasibility of using Microwave Landing System capability for the KC-135 Tanker fleet, Radar Target Support, Global Positioning System and Advance Range Instrumentation, Radar Test Bed, and developed and flight tested the Space Cargo Container designed for the Space Shuttle
During flight tests the pilot of a US Air Force research aircraft would ask the flight Director by intercom, “Hey FEATI, what’s our next test point?” addressing Engr. Castro by his alma mater. During his stay with USAF, he acquired the call sign “FEATI” by which many knew him, instead of the more common Chuck or Charles, or the more formal Engr. Castro. Once, a navigator asked him where he graduated from (expecting a well-known US University as an answer); with all the pride he could muster, Chuck said, “from FEATI.” The navigator had to ask, “But where’s FEATI?” to which Engr. Chuck jestingly replied, “You’re a navigator, you can find it”. From then on, it was “FEATI” who was the Test Program Director and not Engr. Castro, not Charles, and not Chuck.
He was to leave the test program, however (the 4950th Test Wing was closed due to the end of the Cold War with the USSR). On December 15, 1993, he was selected to manage the divestiture and clean up of several closed USAF bases nationwide, which had been closed due to the end of the Cold War. To be able to manage the divestiture of these USAF bases, he went back to school and trained to be an Environmental Engineer, in the process adding another feather in his cap. His hard work and dedication in that “new” job, as well as his expertise in aviation were very instrumental in the divestiture and clean-up of a number of Air Force plants and bases around the United States.
But Engr. Chuck is a dynamic man and if there is one word excluded from his vocabulary, it is the word “stop”. Hence, in May of 1995, his aviation expertise was again called for as part of the design team of the USAF F-16 Falcon. He started as Lead Engineer for the F-16’s Systems Program Office and took charge in the enhancement of the Ring Laser Gyro and the Global Positioning System (GPS) specifically designed for the Falcon. And he proved that he is not just good at getting things done, he is one of the best, if not THE best. Surely, being selected as technical adviser for European Allies on Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) and GPS is proof enough that you are one of the best, isn’t it? And again, Engr. Chuck the dynamic man, did not stop with US Military Allies for he went on to become technical adviser to other European, Middle East and Asian countries, still, on Inertial Navigation Systems and GPS. Later on, he would become the Chief/Integration/Chief Systems Engineer of the INS/GPS Program.
For almost three years, until January of 1998, Engr. Chuck and his team worked with the design team to bring the Falcon from blueprint to one of the most famous and feared Air Superiority Fighter Aircraft in the inventory of the USAF.
After working with the Falcons, Engr. Chuck was chosen as Chief Engineer for the KC-135 Air Refueling Tankers Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) for World Wide Air Space Accessibility. He authored “GATM for Dummies”, a paper to help developmental program departments in the understanding of Global Air Traffic Management also known as CNS/ATM in the civilian aviation community. He became an expert in CNS/ATM (Communication, Navigation, Surveillance Air Traffic Management), considered the future of air travel, which would allow commercial and military airplanes to fly even closer to each other, (even as more and more airplanes are allowed to fill a certain airspace at the same time), access selected airways worldwide without compromising their safety, thereby reducing fuel consumption, travel time, pilot workloads and, eventually (it is hoped), airfare cost. CNS/ATM technologies (there are many) are to be integrated in airplanes, ground control and airports, making flight control computers in aircraft communicate with each other and with airport control towers, mapping out the best flight plan and ensuring that no accidents occur given minimum lateral and vertical distances between airborne commercial airliners. For the period January 16, 1998 to July 21, 2003, he helped in making the skies safer and more accommodating for the KC-135 airplanes and in the process helped ensure both pilots’, crew, and passengers’ wellbeing by his work in CNS/ATM Technology.
After working on the design of CNS/ATM, Engr. Chuck will now apply his expertise in the improvement of the design of UAV’s (Unmanned Air Vehicles), specifically the Predator. This is a bigger challenge for him even considering that his job already entailed the integration of artificial intelligence on manned military aircraft.
It may seem that Engr. Castro is an “all work – no play” person. Well he is far from it. In his words, “a lot just happened to happen” in his life. So for him, focus is most crucial. “When you work – you work; when you play – you play; when you study – you study; but never ever mix or combine them together.” And perhaps, many might be wondering what he was doing when we was not experimenting with aircraft or advanced jet engines or laying-out the plans for next generation fighter planes, Tankers, Transports or GPS systems for commercial jets. Well, when not busy with airplanes, he busied himself by being a leader and weapons acquisition director. His adeptness in avionics and his knack for technical management made him leader of the team tasked to come-up with an engineering process of “a unique but very critical seismic sensing system to support the United States Anti-Nuclear Proliferation Agreement with all allied countries”.
Above all, he busied himself by being a loving husband to Mrs. Lourdes Chambers Castro, herself a FEATI Chemical Engineering alumna. They have 3 children, Carla, Lorrie, Cheryl, and a grandson, Nick Castro.
Chuck retired in November 2007 and was honored with a lavish retirement ceremonies at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He received an Honorable and Distinguished Service Award from the United States Air Force, and US Department of Defense.
Since his retirement, he has made FEATI history by being the first FEATI alumnus to return to this country as a Balik Scientist supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). His time here is being utilized not only for the benefit of FEATI University and other aeronautical schools, but also to involve other government agencies and the aviation industry in laying the groundwork for CNS/ATM in Philippine skies and the industries to support the advent of Aerospace technology in the Philippines.
And so, after being a soldier, test pilot/engineer, aerospace/electronic engineer and leader in Engineering Management of the highest caliber, Chuck as a “Balik Scientist” – the first in the Philippines on the field of aeronautics—can now add the title of “educator”, encouraging and teaching FEATI students.
When during one of his lectures he was asked by a student how it felt to have all of these achievements and to be a star, he replied in all humility, “I am not the star here, the stars are you, students of FEATI, who are on the way to proving yourselves in the world of world class engineers in the field of Aerospace Engineering.”
And so for Engr. Chuck, call sign “FEATI”, it has paid, to “Look Up, Young Man, Look Up.” Chuck did look up and with focus on the blue skies of aeronautics above, has accomplished “all these and beyond”. (DEPJ)
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