Hubert C. Smith
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Hubert C. "Skip" Smith, 89, of State College, PA passed away Saturday, February 15, 2020, in the Mount Nittany Medical Center, State College.
He was born June 20, 1930, in Dillsburg, PA the son of the late Colonel Charles S. and Ethel (Coulson) Smith.
Hubert was an Associate Professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State University.
He graduated from the former Dillsburg High School, class of 1948, and went on to receive a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Gettysburg College, and a B.S. and M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Penn State University. In 1978 he received a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from The University of Virginia. He served for two years as a U.S. Air Force officer, and additional tenyears in the Air Force Reserve, rising to the rank of Captain. From 1959 to 1965, he worked for the Air Force in a civilian capacity as an Aircraft Project Engineer.
Following graduate studies in 1967, he joined the faculty of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Penn State University as an Assistant Professor. He was also a Visiting Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1983-84 and 1991-92. Twelve years prior to retiring in 1999, he was Director of Undergraduate Studies in Aerospace Engineering at Penn State, and spent much of his time throughout his career advising and working with students. A highlight of his career was helping several teams receive awards in the National General Aviation Design Competition sponsored by NASA and the FAA. His passion was making sure his students were successful. As such, several student groups presented him with trophies in appreciation for his dedicated devotion to his craft of teaching.
During his tenure at PSU, he authored several book including The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics, a McGraw-Hill aviation series best-seller, books on performance flight testing, and an engineering textbook. He also authored over 60 articles relating to aeronautical engineering.
A pilot since 1952, and owner of several planes, he was an instrument-rated commercial pilot, a glider pilot, and a certified flight and ground instructor. Throughout his life, he was a fixture at the University Park airport and thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent with fellow pilots. He served for 20 years as a FAA-designated Aviation Safety Counselor and spoke at numerous FAA safety seminars and other aviation gatherings. He was frequently interviewed by newspapers and TV stations on current aviation events. In 2005, he was given the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award by the FAA.
He was an associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, and a past member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the National Transportation Research Board. He held a number of national awards for educational achievement from AIAA, ASEE, and SAE, as well as local awards for outstanding teaching and advising from both Penn State and Embry-Riddle Universities.
He has no surviving family members.
Graveside services will be held Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 1:00 pm in the Dillsburg Cemetery-Mountain Road, located at the intersection of Rt. 15 South and Mountain Road, Dillsburg. A memorial service will be held in State College in the future.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to a charity of your choice in Skip's name.
An online guestbook can be signed at www.cocklinfuneralhome.com