Frederick A Johnsen

Frederick A Johnsen is an award-winning aviation historian, writer and photographer with more than 25 books published and thousands of articles to his credit. He is a contributing writer and columnist for General Aviation News, and the publisher of the Airailimages YouTube channel that has surpassed 100,000 subscribers. Fred earned bachelor's degrees in history and journalism from the University of Washington. He has worked as a daily newspaper reporter, aviation publications editor, US Air Force historian and museum director, and writer and photographer for publications including Air Force Association Magazine (now Air and Space Forces Association), Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Today, General Aviation News, Wings, Airpower, Flight Journal, Aviation History and FlyPast. Fred's book, Sweeping Forward, a history of the experimental X-29 published by NASA, earned him the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) History Manuscript Award. He received the Department of the Air Force Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award. Fred has studied the development and use of American manned aircraft converted to drones for decades. His research for this volume took him on expeditions to archives and to drone conversion centres and ranges.