L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Dayton. He is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the US Air Force Test Pilot School. As a test pilot he has over 6200 hours in 64 types of aircraft. He is widely traveled and has spent long periods in Europe and Central America. He is a prolific writer and a dynamic speaker who has published and presented over 40 papers and articles in international forums and journals. L. D. Alford lives and writes in Wichita Kansas, where his sheltie, Chino, keeps away stray birds and aircraft.

Biography provided by the author, April 2010.