Whisper Aero taps expertise of Brian Klinka

Whisper Aero, has appointed Brian Klinka as a board and strategic advisor with a focus on certification of its propulsion products.

Klinka brings 35 years of experience in design, development, systems and aircraft integration, test, certification and the management of advanced technology programmes across both commercial and military sectors.

Klinka has led key initiatives in UAM, electric aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems, developing new policies and guidance for novel vehicles featuring complex propulsion and energy storage systems. 

At the FAA, he led the Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation developing regulations for UAS, Electric Propulsion and eVTOL aircraft. Afterwards, as a member of the Executive Leadership team at BETA Technologies, Brian established the discipline of systems engineering and led the type design and production certification amongst other achievements.

“Mark, Ian, and the team have developed breakthrough technologies that will enable game-changing electric propulsion for the next generation of regional and transport aircraft applications, far exceeding the technology advances that other aircraft OEMs are planning to offer the market,” said Klinka (pictured right). 

“The Whisper approach to design and manufacturing leverages simplicity, providing a more streamlined path through FAA certification and into production. I’m looking forward to supporting the team as they take the business from the world of R&D to production of electric propulsion systems for commercial and military applications,” he added.

Whisper Aero is preparing to launch its first commercial applications next year. Klinka’s first contributions to the team will be focused on Whisper’s eQ250, looking at how production can meet military airworthiness on a path towards future FAA certification.

Mark Moore, CEO of Whisper Aero said: “Brian has a unique combination of strategic insight and deep technical knowledge when it comes to propulsion certification and integration complexities. His insights and team building nature have inspired me for the past 20 years while I was at NASA, and he was at the FAA. I can’t think of a more qualified individual to help Whisper Aero move electric aviation from its Model T era into the mainstream.”