Chief Air Force scientist visits TPS Published March 27, 2015 By Rebecca Amber Staff writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Dr. Mica Endsley, chief scientist of the Air Force, made a special stop to the U.S.A.F. Test Pilot School March 25 during a trip to the West Coast. Endsley was new to the Department of Defense when she was selected as chief scientist in 2013. During her private sector career, she became one of the nation's leading experts in human factors and cognitive processing as applied to the flight environment. During Endsley's presentation to TPS students and staff, she talked about how pilots process information in the cockpit and how they can make the most of that information. After her presentation, TPS took Endsley on a flight in the school's one-of-a-kind NF-16D Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) to expose her to a flight test mission environment. In exchange they were able to receive her feedback on the integration of human factors engineering into the school curriculum. Endley serves as the chief scientific adviser to the chief of staff and secretary of the Air Force, and provides assessments on a wide range of scientific and technical issues affecting the Air Force mission. In this role she identifies and analyzes technical issues and brings them to attention of Air Force leaders, and interacts with other Air Staff principals, operational commanders, combatant commands, acquisition, and science and technology communities to address cross-organizational technical issues and solutions. She also interacts with other services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense on issues affecting the Air Force in-house technical enterprise. She serves on the Steering Committee and Senior Review Group of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, or SAB. She is the principal science and technology representative of the Air Force to the civilian scientific and engineering community and to the public at large.