Lieutenant Commander Daniel J. Radocaj, United States Navy, BSAAE ’00, MSAAE ’01 has been named as a recipient of the 2013 Purdue Engineering Alumni Young Alum Award by the Purdue Engineering Alumni Association. His extraordinary accomplishments for a young alumnus have been recognized by his commitment to Purdue while advancing his military career.

Professor Steven Collicott was Dan’s advisor for his master’s degree and he will be accepting the award at the Post-Game Homecoming Event on Saturday September 28 on Dan’s behalf. Known by his peers as “Butters” a reference to his resemblance to the character from South Park; Dan’s years at Purdue included three zero-gravity flight experiments with NASA and Rolls-Royce funded research on turbine engine oils sumps for his MS thesis.  His NASA zero-gravity experiences included contributing to Purdue’s very first student team, flying on Purdue’s second team, and leading the seventh team.  The work of Dan and his teammates set the stage for Purdue to become a leader in this important NASA program.  His master’s research began a program which ultimately aided in improvements to one of Rolls-Royce’s most popular engines and aided the design of the Indianapolis-built lift fan clutch for the Joint Strike Fighter. 

Dan is currently deployed on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in a forward deployed Strike Fighter Squadron. He is a pilot of the F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft, Department Head, and Aviation Safety Officer.  Besides his flying leadership, he is responsible for safety of 15 pilots and aircraft and over 200 squadron personnel.  He manages all on-board squadron safety programs such as the Aviation Mishap Board, Aviation Safety Council, Human Factors Council, and the Navy Occupational Safety and Health Program. 

Following Purdue, Dan was sent to the Navy’s Aviation Pre-Flight Instruction Class where he finished as the top student and won his first Navy award.  He was then a pilot in a forward deployed Strike Fighter Squadron, making 275 carrier arrestments (landings), and earning a lengthy list of qualifications plus two Navy and Marine medals.  This high-quality performance led to an assignment that pilots compete strongly for. 

In April of 2008 Dan became a Student Test Pilot, completing an intense year which included writing another thesis besides flying US, French, Soviet, and even vintage military aircraft.  In July 2009 Dan became a Test Pilot and Landing Signals Officer responsible for the planning, management, and execution of engineering and flight testing of Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems for Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Project Officer of the radically new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, Joint Precision Approach and Landing System, Quickstrike Mines, and the Upgraded Solid State Recorder.  He piloted the historic first electromagnetic catapult launch of an airplane and received a Navy and Marine Commendation Medal and Achievement Medal. 

As a Navy test pilot, Dan Radocaj visited Purdue to contribute to AAE programs.  The two major events were a lecture and discussion with Prof. Andrisani’ s Flight Test class (AAE 490A) and “Professor Pizza”.  In the Flight Test class, Dan spoke to about 30 undergraduate students about flight test planning and flight test program design.  He fielded questions throughout with ease and did a fine job of encouraging more questions.  A professor visiting that day from another engineering college attended and afterwards said, “Wow.  We don’t get any students like him at my school.”  For the “Professor Pizza” event, which is an unstructured, casual, and candid hour with AAE students, Dan provided stories and great videos of flight test while also discussing his work as a career path, not just as cool flying experiences. 

In March, 2012, the Navy honored LCDR Radocaj at Test Pilot of the Year: “Radocaj led a team of 25 engineers, technicians and aircraft maintainers to plan the first aircraft launch from an electromagnetic catapult. After flying the historic first launch in an F/A-18E, he coordinated with multiple organizations to open the envelope to a wide range of aircraft, identifying several previously unknown compatibility issues.”

For the rapid advancement from Purdue AAE student to not merely pilot the historic first electromagnetic catapult launch, but to serve as the Project Officer leading the testing program of this revolutionary launch system, plus flying and management responsibilities during two tours of duty in the fleet, his Navy and Marine commendations, and his eagerness to return to Purdue to strengthen both the AAE curriculum and the extra-curricular educational opportunities for AAE students, Lieutenant Commander Daniel J. Radocaj, United States Navy is awarded the Purdue Engineering Alumni Association’s Young Engineering Alumnus Award.