OKLAHOMA CITY, USA | 2 March 2026 – Skydweller Aero CTO Travis Vetter has received the 2026 Distinguished Engineering Achievement Award from the Engineers’ Council. The award recognizes senior engineering leaders whose technical contributions and professional leadership have materially advanced the engineering profession.
Travis was honored for his leadership in advancing extreme-endurance, solar-powered uncrewed aircraft and next-generation flight-control systems enabling multi-day autonomous missions. His career spans pioneering work in aircraft design, aeroelastic control, guidance and navigation, vehicle management systems, and mission-system integration across both industry and government programs.
In 2025, under his leadership, Skydweller completed an operational flight campaign in partnership with the U.S. Navy and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). The campaign included a nonstop solar-powered flight of more than 74 hours, and more than 220 hours aloft during a 20-day period, demonstrating reliable autonomous flight powered exclusively by solar energy, including safe operations in restricted airspace and autonomous weather avoidance.
“Travis exemplifies the highest standards of engineering leadership,” said Dr. Robert Miller, CEO and co-founder of Skydweller Aero. “He has been instrumental in transitioning Skydweller from experimental concept to operational aerospace capability.”
During the past five years, Travis has served as a principal architect of the aircraft’s vehicle management system, aeroelastic control strategies, and autonomous mission-planning toolset. He leads multidisciplinary engineering teams spanning avionics, flight-control software, energy systems, payload integration, and flight-test operations. His work has been central to scaling Skydweller’s ultra-lightweight carbon-fiber airframe into a mission-ready platform capable of carrying significant payloads while supplying substantial onboard power for sensors and communications.
Prior to joining Skydweller, Travis served as Development Chief Engineer – Special Programs at Northrop Grumman, providing technical direction to large multidisciplinary engineering teams across advanced uncrewed aircraft and mission-system programs. His earlier leadership roles included Air Vehicle, Vehicle Management System, and Flight Controls lead for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Tern unmanned aircraft program, as well as Guidance, Navigation & Control IPT Special Projects lead and Aeroelastic Controls lead on advanced control and structural-dynamics programs.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from the Engineers’ Council, and grateful to my mentors and the Skydweller team that has made this possible,” Travis said. “At Skydweller, we are demonstrating that extreme-endurance aviation with operational payload capability can provide persistent, mission-relevant support to U.S. warfighters.”
About Skydweller Aero Inc.
Skydweller Aero Inc. is a transatlantic aerospace company developing and manufacturing a new class of very large solar-powered aircraft designed to achieve persistent, near-perpetual flight with operational payload capacity. The Skydweller Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is engineered to carry up to 800 lbs. of payload while providing approximately 2 kW of continuous onboard power and more than 200 kW of instantaneous peak power for sensors and communications. With a wingspan greater than a Boeing 747 (236 ft.) and a total weight comparable to a Ford F-150 pickup truck (~5,500 lbs.), Skydweller combines extreme endurance with substantial payload and power-generation capability. The platform is designed to support a range of missions for the U.S. Department of Defense and allied partners, complementing existing airborne systems and reducing demand on high-value assets. Primarily backed by venture and private capital, Skydweller Aero Inc. maintains world and U.S. headquarters in Oklahoma City, with European operations headquartered in Spain. For more information about Skydweller, visit www.skydweller.aero