Guy Gardner’s career spans combat missions, space exploration, and educational leadership, showcasing his dedication to aviation and inspiring future generations.

Guy Gardner began his career as an F-4 Phantom aircraft pilot in the Vietnam War, flying 177 combat missions, and later became an F-4 instructor and test pilot. He was selected to become an astronaut in 1980 by NASA and went on to pilot two Space Shuttle missions: STS-27 in 1988 and STS-35 in 1990. They carried a classified Department of Defense payload and the ASTRO-1 astronomy laboratory, respectively.

After his space missions, Guy took on several influential roles. He was head of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Flight, and Program Director of the Shuttle-Mir Program. He also served as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Director of the William J. Hughes Technical Center and FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, leading the federal agency responsible for overseeing and regulating civil aviation safety.