Presidential Helo Manager ... Promoted? (Updated)

So, what do you do with the manager of the presidential helicopter program, which has been plagued by an out-of-control budget and ever-changing design?

Why, you promote him, of course!

Navy Capt. Donald E. Gaddis has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Gaddis is currently serving as the program manager for presidential helicopters, Program Executive Office for Aviation, Patuxent River, Md.

Meanwhile, the third VH-71 Presidential copter has "arrived in the U.S. and will be the first VH-71 to receive final assembly and mission systems integration at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY," the company announced late last week.

The industry team has started installing and integrating the test helicopter with the advanced mission systems that will enable the VH-71 to be used as a command and control platform by the White House.

As a missionized aircraft, TV-3 [test vehicle 3] will be able to validate systems in-flight performance, which has previously only been evaluated in laboratories... [T]he program has accumulated nearly 700 total hours of flight test. TV-4, the final test aircraft of the program's first increment of helicopters, made its initial flight March 19.

UPDATE: Several readers have chimed in to say we should have noted that Gaddis hasn't been the PM long, has done well in previous jobs and has done good work trying to turn the VH-71 program around. So maybe he should stick around!

See Also:

• Prez Helicopter Needs Another Billion
• Presidential Helicopter Back to Drawing Board

(Photo: Lockheed Martin)