Dr. Blanton attended public schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia and earned three degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. He spent 36 years with the General Electric Company in design, management, and consulting positions advancing gas turbine technologies for aircraft propulsion and electric power generation. He also was an Instructor at Virginia Tech and an Adjunct Professor at Union College and at the University of Cincinnati. In 2016 he founded Classic Engineering, LLC, provider of technical education and consulting services in gas turbine technologies. In 2019 he joined Practical Aeronautics, Inc. as Teaching Associate. Dr. Blanton has been an active leader and passionate supporter of AIAA and ASME throughout his career and is a Fellow of both organizations. He received the Dedicated Service Award from ASME, Distinguished Service Award and Sustained Service Award from AIAA, and was inducted into the Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Society of Distinguished Alumni.
Current AIAA Roles:
▪ Past Chair of the AIAA Carolina Section
▪ Secretary/Membership Chair of the AIAA History Committee
▪ Member of the AIAA Sustainability Committee