[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 43 (Monday, March 9, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING BRADLEY FLICK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. VINCE FONG

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 9, 2026

  Mr. FONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary 
career of Bradley Flick, who, after nearly four decades of service 
advancing American aviation and aerospace innovation at NASA's 
Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, will retire 
this month.
  Brad began his career in 1986 at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research 
Center, then called the Dryden Flight Research Center, as a flight 
systems engineer, helping lead research flights and experimental 
programs, such as the F/A-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) 
project, that pushed the boundaries of aeronautics and strengthened our 
Nation's leadership in aerospace technology. Over the years, he served 
as mission controller on approximately 100 HARV research flights. Brad 
rose through the ranks as an engineer, chief engineer, and research 
leader, ultimately serving as Director of NASA's Armstrong Flight 
Research Center--the Nation's premier civilian flight research 
institution.
  Known by his colleagues as a compassionate leader, Brad helped guide 
groundbreaking efforts in sustainable aviation and next-generation 
flight research. Under his leadership, Armstrong Flight Research Center 
advanced technologies that are shaping the future of flight--from 
NASA's all-electric experimental aircraft to research into quiet 
supersonic aviation that could transform how Americans travel.
  Brad often reflected on the legacy of those who came before him, 
noting that today's researchers are ``riding on the shoulders of 
legendary flight pioneers'' who made discoveries at Armstrong Flight 
Research Center over the last 75 years. With that perspective, he led 
his team with humility, purpose, and a deep belief that the next great 
aviation breakthrough was still waiting to be discovered.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to congratulate Brad Flick on his 
retirement and thank him for his decades of service to our Nation, to 
the aerospace community, and to the enduring spirit of American 
innovation that lives in the Aerospace Valley.

                          ____________________