Bjarni Tryggvason

BAsc '72, Engineering Physics

Bjarni Tryggvason (BASc ‘72), honorary doctoral degrees from University of Victoria, University of Western Ontario and University of Iceland, NASA space flight medal, and numerous other awards. Graduate studies at University of Western Ontario in Applied Mathematics while working at the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel with Dr. Allen Davenport in industrial aerodynamics.  From there he joined the low speed aerodynamics group at the National Research Council in Ottawa. In 1984 he was selected as one the first six Canadian astronauts.  He flew a 12-day mission on space shuttle discovery in 1997, and completed Mission Specialist training for the space shuttle and International Space Station at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas in 1998-2000. Retired from the astronaut program in 2008. 

He has been a lecturer at several universities: in Applied Mathematics at Western (1980-1982), University of Ottawa and Carleton University (1982-1992), and Western (2005-2013).  Courses taught: numerical analysis of PDEs, introductory statistics, industrial aerodynamics, structural dynamics, random vibrations, flight mechanics and space systems design.  

Since 2009 he has been an instructor at the International Test Pilot School (ITPS Canada) which operates out of the London, ON airport. ITPS trains experienced pilots to become Test Pilots and engineers to become Flight Test Engineers, training pilots and engineers from many countries worldwide. At ITPS Bjarni is a Test Pilot Instructor, giving academics lecturer in aerodynamics, flight mechanics and flight dynamics for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, and flying as a demonstration and instructor pilot on several aircraft types, including the L-39 and L-29 jet trainers. 

He holds a Canadian Airline Transport License and a US Commercial Pilot license, has more than 6000 hrs of flight time, multi-engine land and sea ratings, and IFR rating. He has flown 50 plus aircraft types: including Pitts Special, Edge 540, T-33, T-38, Tutor, L-39, L-29 and the World War II vintage Harvard aircraft.  On weekend he flies the Harvard at the Canadian Harvard Aircraft association (CHAA) which operates out of the Tillsonburg airport. As the Chief Operations Officer for CHAA he oversees all aspects of flight operations, and serves as a Director on the CHAA Board.  He is a CHAA formation display pilot, and an aerobatics display and aerobatic check pilot. He is an active competition aerobatics pilot, in the past few years in a Pitts Special, now a Giles 202 and holds Statement of Aerobatics Competency from Transport Canada in the Pitts Special, Harvard and the L-39 and L-29 jets.