What We Do

Mr. Bye is the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Bye Aerospace. He is the innovator behind Bye Aerospace, which was founded in 2007, with two decades of experience as an aerospace entrepreneur, engineer and executive, balancing engineering services with internal development and research of advanced concepts. Bye has developed several aircraft designs. He is the driving force behind the concept and development of a new all-electric 2-seat flight training aircraft, “eFlyer,” which Bye Aerospace launched in 2013 and is now in the FAA certification process. Previously he designed the 14-foot wing-span solar-electric hybrid UAV, “Silent Falcon,” now in production in a former Bye Aerospace subsidiary. He also conceived the new, piloted solar-electric SOLESA design which has recently begun flight test. Previously Bye led the company that launched and developed the Javelin, a transonic two-seat jet for military and civil utility and holds the design patent for the Javelin which first flew in September 2005. Bye is a well-known pioneer and conceptual design engineer and been asked to consult with major OEMs on their advanced development programs. He has authored articles for industry journals, textbooks and publications, holds a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Washington and is an ATP rated pilot with over 4,000 flying hours. He was a USAF instructor pilot in the supersonic T-38 for Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, C-141B Aircraft Commander and is a Desert Storm veteran.

Mr. McAuliffe has been active in finance and capital markets for 35 years. He was a Principal at Morgan Stanley, Managing Director at CS First Boston and Managing Director at Smith Barney before becoming Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIV) in 1999. While in investment banking, Mr. McAuliffe worked on a wide variety and volume of corporate, property and securities transactions including the IPO of AIV in 1994. As AIV CFO, Mr. McAuliffe was responsible for much of the day-to-day operations of Apartment Investment with his greatest focus on financial activities. Finance and planning, capital markets, accounting and financial reporting as well as investor/lender relations were his areas of responsibility. Mr. McAuliffe earned his B.A. in History from Columbia University and his M.B.A. in Finance from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Tom Bowen is a 35-year aviation professional with experience at all levels of the General Aviation industry; from the shop floor, the cockpit, and the contracts negotiating table to the Executive Suite. Tom is comfortable with all aspects of product development, production operations, engineering, testing, product integrity processes, FAA certification, organization of trade shows and aircraft sales, as well as giving public presentations and press conferences. Tom will take the Sun Flyer project to the next level and through FAR-23 certification .Tom and his wife have been married for over 35 years and they have four daughters, two son-in-law’s and a black lab named Coal.

Diane M. Simard, recently named one of the inaugural “National Top 100 Business Women to Watch” by Bizwomen.com, is Executive Vice President and on the Board of Directors of Bye Aerospace. Her focus areas are media, government and investor relations, corporate governance and strategy. A passionate advocate for entrepreneurship, Ms. Simard is an angel investor in six other emerging-technology companies, ranging from information technology to medical devices to cybersecurity. A survivor of advanced Stage III breast cancer, she is also the founder of the Center for Oncology Psychology Excellence (COPE) at the University of Denver, the first specialty in the country to train psychology students at the graduate level how to effectively counsel cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.Previously, she was Director of Community Relations and co-owner of IITC, an information technology services company. During her tenure, she helped the company achieve over 400% revenue growth before it was acquired for $36 million. Before joining IITC, Ms. Simard was Vice President of Marketing for a financial services company where she directed a proposal staff that secured almost $100 million in contracts to collect defaulted student loans. Past recognition of her business leadership includes being named the 2016 Outstanding Woman in Business-Technology by the Denver Business Journal, winner of the Bob Cardenas Award for her support of veterans and the military, the 2017 honoree for the Ray of Hope Cancer Foundation, Aurora Chamber woman of the Year and Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction. Ms. Simard graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. She recently authored a book, The Unlikely Gift of Breast Cancer, an authentic, informative and humorous memoir aimed to inspire business women, successful leaders and driven individuals who think they know who they are before a diagnosis of cancer leads them to discover their true selves.

John Knudsen has over 40 years of Aviation legal and corporate general counsel experience. With a combination of government, private practice and corporate General Counsel practice, developing deep experience in all facets of Aviation litigation and insurance, FAA Regulatory and Compliance as well as Corporate and General legal matters. He is currently the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Bye Aerospace, Inc. where he manages all internal corporate legal matters; FAA certification and compliance; insurance and risk management; as well as all government relations for the company. He maintains currency in private Colorado aviation law practice. Prior to private and corporate practice, he spent 5 years as Trial Attorney with the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. representing FAA in numerous cases brought against the Agency and employees under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), five of which were successfully tried to defense verdicts. He represented the FAA in three major airline crash investigation hearings before the National Transportation Safety Board and assisted in representation on numerous general Agency legal matters. He was the co-founder, President, and General Counsel with Adam Aircraft and was a partner with a specialized Aviation Law Firm in Denver, CO practicing in major airline and commercial operator aviation insurance defense litigation, aircraft transactional matters, FAA enforcement defense, regulatory and certification matters as well as general corporate law and civil litigation. Mr. Knudsen received a B.S. degree in Business and Accounting from the University of Colorado (1974) and a J.D. from the University of Puget Sound (Seattle University) School of Law (1987). While attending Law School, he was a Captain for a small commuter airline operating in the Seattle, WA area. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Knudsen spent seven years as a pilot in the U.S. Navy flying the A-6 Intruder and numerous other aircraft including the A-4 Skyhawk, T-2C Buckeye and T-34. He has logged more than 150 aircraft carrier landings. He continued his service in the U.S. Navy Reserves flying the P-3 Orion and retired in 1994 at the rank of Lt. Commander. He is an ATP rated pilot with Lear Jet and Citation SP type ratings and has logged over 3800 flight hours.

Mr. Calgaard has a diverse background in engineering, strategy, program management, business development, commercialization, and venture capital. Leading the strategy and business development for Bye Aerospace, Mr. Calgaard is responsible for growing the company. Before joining Bye Aerospace, Mr. Calgaard spent 12 years at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, where he held various leadership positions in engineering, strategy, and business development. Mr. Calgaard holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University, a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California, and an MBA with a focus in Finance and Venture Capital from the University of Colorado Denver.

Ms. Herren is our Vice President of Human Resources and Administrative Operations and brings with her over 25 years of human resources and administrative experience. Before joining Bye Aerospace, she was the Director of Administration for a childcare software startup, where she was a key contributor to establishing and streamlining processes and procedures. Known as a ‘fixer’, Ms. Herren is skilled in identifying inefficiencies and taking corrective action that results in recognized profit and heightened morale. She is responsible for human resources, facilities, safety and administration at Bye Aerospace. She also has extensive experience in the commercial aviation industry, and is quite comfortable with the general aviation and experimental aircraft world. A proud graduate of Arizona State University, she holds a BA in Business. When not at work, Ms. Herren enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, son, and two pups.

Chris Schulte has over 17 years of aerospace and aviation experience including roles in maintenance, manufacturing, and quality assurance. Chris started his aerospace career in the Air Force as an F-15 and F-16 crew chief and was stationed all over the world. Next, Chris worked as a quality engineer for an aerospace component manufacturer, Dukes Aerospace. In his most recent role, Chris was an Aviation Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and was responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance for aerospace manufacturers and also performed airworthiness inspections on standard and experimental aircraft, including unmanned aircraft systems. Chris is currently an FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) and enjoys supporting the general aviation community, especially amateur aircraft builders. Chris graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Manufacturing Management. Chris enjoys anything outdoors and spending time with his wife, son, and daughters.

Brad Busse is the Vice Chairman of the board of Bye Aerospace and has been the President of Busse Ventures since March 2014. Previously, he was an investment banker, who specialized in Media, Telecom & Technology, for almost 30 years. Most recently, he was Co-Head of the U.S. Communications, Media & Entertainment ("CME") Group for RBC Capital Markets, where he was responsible for the management and strategic development of the CME Group's business, which included mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital formation and financial advisory engagements. Prior to RBC, he was the President of Daniels & Associates, which was an investment bank that specialized in Media, Telecom & Technology prior to be acquired by RBC in January 2007. He began his professional career at Arthur Anderson & Co. in 1980 and, subsequently, became a financial manager for a $1 billion energy concern prior to joining Daniels & Associates.

Mr. Egan is a shareholder with the law firm von Briesen & Roper in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and previously Associate General Counsel within Emerson Electric's mergers and acquisitions law group in St. Louis, Missouri. Before that he was Global General Counsel for American Appraisal, a 120-year old financial services firm operating in 26 countries. Mr. Egan is a Director and volunteer pilot for The Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation, where he has presented veteran initiatives at the White House. He co-founded ValorCorps, a company dedicated to placing veterans into civilian technology positions after leaving the service. Mr. Egan has a bachelor's degree in corporate finance from the University of St. Thomas and a law degree from Marquette University, with a concentration in corporate and intellectual property law. His aviation passions include grass runways, Twin Bonanzas, Navions and backcountry seaplane flying.

Howard Janzen has served as CEO and Chairman for several communications and energy companies. He was the CEO of Cool Planet Energy Systems, which CNBC ranked as a “Top 25 Disruptor of 2014” alongside SpaceX and Uber. He has served as CEO for One Communications, the U.S.’s largest privately held multi-regional service provider for businesses; as President of Sprint Business Solutions leading a $12 billion global operation, as President of Sprint’s Global Markets Group responsible for an $8 billion long distance business, as President, CEO and Chairman of Williams Communications Group where he led the company in completing a nearly $7 billion fiber optics network and completed the largest IPO in the telecom industry at that time with peak market capitalization of $30 billion. Janzen earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in metallurgical engineering from The Colorado School of Mines and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He completed the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development. Janzen is an active instrument rated pilot with over 7,900 hours of flying time. He has flown his airplane around the world and to 65 countries. Janzen serves on the Boards of Bye Aerospace, GTT, Vocera Communications, the Colorado School of Mines Foundation and The Cancer Prevention Initiative where he serves as Chairman. He is a Commissioner and Chairman Emeritus for GIIC, the Global Information Infrastructure Commission and a member of the advisory board for Denver University’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology. He is a board member and past Chairman of the TBM Owners and Pilots Association.

Mr. Steeves is portfolio company General Counsel for KKR, a New York based private equity firm and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington University Law School in St. Louis, Missouri. He is also an author and frequent lecturer both in the US and internationally on the impact of globalization on business law development. Previously Mr. Steeves was Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for Emerson Electric Company, where he managed Emerson's legal operations in more than 150 countries. Prior to Emerson, he was Vice Chairman of the Milwaukee Law Firm, von Briesen and Roper. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Metajure Inc. of Seattle, Washington, and many not-for-profit organizations, including the St. Louis Opera Company. In an earlier life, Mr. Steeves led the efforts to construct a 137 foot non-for-profit semester at sea sailed vessel, which is now the official Flagship of the State of Wisconsin. Mr. Steeves has been interested in aviation since he took his first flying lesson more than 35 years ago. He is currently owns and regularly flies a Lake Renegade amphibious aircraft.

Craig Fuller served on the board of AEAC, the board of Redbird Flight Simulations, the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and formerly served on the Management Advisory Council for the FAA. He was formerly the President and CEO of AOPA from January 2009 until September 2013. He was only the fourth person to hold this position since AOPA was founded in 1939. He brought to that position a career that includes senior public affairs positions in business, association leadership, and executive positions in the federal government, including eight years of service in the White House from 1981 to 1989. As AOPA president, Craig Fuller led the largest and most influential aviation organization in the world. AOPA membership has grown to more than 400,000, a number that represents more than two thirds of all certificated pilots in the United States. With a staff of more than 200 professionals and operations in two states and the District of Columbia, AOPA provides a wide variety of services to its members worldwide.No stranger to politics and Capitol Hill, Fuller moves through the halls of Congress and the administration in Washington as often as he visits airports and pilots around the country. He was the chairman of AOPA’s Political Action Committee, an important role to ensure that elected officials who defend general aviation receive support from the pilot community. Additionally, he testifies and engages in other forums at the national and state level to represent the interests of general aviation. In addition to the role of communicating to and on behalf of the membership, Fuller spends time reaching out to broader audiences who benefit from but do not fully understand the role general aviation plays in the lives of millions of Americans. Whether recruiting new pilots or just helping business leaders and others understand how general aviation works for them, Fuller is a vocal ambassador for the advantages of general aviation. While most of the role of AOPA President involves work inside the United States, Fuller was also elected and served as president of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations, representing 66 national AOPA organizations with more than 470,000 pilot members around the world. His responsibilities at AOPA include serving as the publisher of AOPA Pilot, the world’s largest and most influential aviation publication. For all of this, Craig Fuller draws on his Washington, D.C., experience as assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs (1981 -1985) and chief of staff to Vice President Bush (1985 - 1989). His business positions have included service as president or vice chairman of leading public affairs firms. His association experience includes service on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Executive Committee and leading a health care association as president and CEO for more than six years. Fuller is a frequent speaker on aviation, advocacy, and leadership topics throughout the United States.

Alexandre Couvelaire, is a well-known leader in general aviation, especially in Europe. In 1962, he founded Euralair, a small charter company at Le Bourget that grew into an FBO, MRO, air-charter and scheduled air carrier operating out of De Gaulle. At Euralair, he pioneered two-crew Boeing 737 operations in France and placed the first order for a Boeing 777. He also formed the first fractional ownership cooperate in France. In the mid-1980s Mr. Couvelaire acquired Mooney Aircraft Corporation, leading new innovative, development and propulsion programs.

Rod Zastrow is a 26-year USAF retired colonel currently COO & President of Spartan Air Academy Iraq, LLC, having led Spartan's business development efforts that led to winning three contracts establishing the Iraq Air Academy, a historic US-Iraq Foreign Military Sale program. He designed, deployed, established and now leads the Academy and its team of 125+ Spartan and subcontractor personnel. He has designed and implemented cutting edge pilot training and maintenance training programs. Rod was a F-15 fighter pilot having graduated from the USAF Fighter Weapons School and having flown numerous combat missions with the Royal Saudi Air Force in Operation DESERT STORM. He spent most of his career in international and combat-related posts and served in five command or vice command posts. He has helped Spartan affiliates win and managed numerous international general aviation related contracts. Adept at innovating entry-level general aviation and military pilot training programs through prime minister level negotiations, Rod has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, an MBA (Aviation), and an MA in Strategic Studies.