Author and Expert

Erik Eliel

Founder and President

Radar Training International

Subject Matter Expert: Aviation Weather Radar

Erik Eliel, Founder and President of Radar Training International, has been involved in aviation since 1979. His earliest years as a professional aviator were as an Air Force pilot flying the T-38, C-141, and the U-2. His interest with radar began in 1991 while flying airlift and transport mis­sions to Europe, Africa, South America, and the Middle East. In 1997, Erik was selected to join the cadre of instructors at the Air Force Advanced Instrument School in San Antonio, Texas, teaching advanced instrument concepts to pilots representing, NASA, federal law enforcement agen­cies, and all branches of the DOD. It was here that Erik developed and taught the first-ever formal weather radar course for Air Force pilots.

Erik’s early interest with weather radar and severe convective weather was inspired by the work of industry legends Bob Buck, Jim Cook, J.T. Lee, Archie Trammell, and Dr. Fred Bates. Currently, his radar seminar is offered both domestically and abroad and has been presented to professional pilots representing the flight departments of Fortune 500 companies, aviation associations, a major airline, the military, as well as dispatchers and meteorologists of aviation-related companies. He has been called on by the manufacturers of airborne weather radar systems to consult in the design, operational employment of, and evaluation of their systems. His radar- and weather-related articles have been published in the NBAA Journal of Business Aviation and in Business & Commercial Aviation. In addition, his input has been solicited for safety-orientated publications such as the Flight Safety Foundation’s magazine AeroSafety World.

Erik has over 13,000 hours of flying time and is currently a line pilot for a major airline, logging more than 600 hours annually. He also maintains his CFI, CFII, and MEI ratings. His company, Radar Training International, maintains active memberships in multiple professional flying organizations and associations including National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).