Dr Pio Fitzgerald holding his UL Alumni Award

Dr Pio Fitzgerald, the youngest of five boys, was raised in Killarney Co. Kerry. Pio first developed an interest in aviation when traveling to New York at the age of 5 with his parents, Denis and Esther. From that moment on, he knew that his future lay in the aviation world and set his sights on working for The Boeing Company. 

Pio graduated from the University of Limerick in 1999 with an Honours Degree (Bachelor of Engineering) in Aeronautical Engineering. While a student at UL, he spent his Co-Op in the U.S. working as a Flight Test Engineer for Boeing in Seattle. After graduating from Cranfield University (UK) with a Masters of Science in Flight Dynamics, Pio worked for an engineering consultancy company, Stirling Dynamics (in Bristol, England and Seattle) for 3 years. In that period of time, he also completed a PhD at Cranfield University on the topic of landing unmanned airplanes on aircraft carriers. 

By 2005, Pio had returned to Boeing where within months, he formed and lead the team that developed the primary flight control laws for the 747-8F and 747-8 airplanes. In 2010, he and his group were assigned to look at a problem that arose when a design crisis, an unwanted subtle vibration, emerged in the wing of the company’s new 747-8F freighter aircraft. The problem was simple while the solution was not. Pio and his team had to find a way to get rid of the vibration or the entire wing risked being scrapped and a new one designed, with all the attendant costs, delays and reduced performance. The result of the team’s work was the development of the Outboard Aileron Modal Suppression (OAMS) system and Pio took personal delight in being able to give this system a name which reflects his proud Irish upbringing by sounding like the ancient Irish script, Ogham. 

In recognition of his work, Pio was named Boeing Commercial Airplanes Engineer of the Year for 2010, beating thousands of other Boeing engineers from around the world for the prestigious honour. This was a huge accomplishment especially as Pio was just 33 at the time. According to Prof Michael McCarthy, Chair of Aeronautical Engineering at UL, Pio and his team created "their own piece of aerospace history by developing a way to damp out a problem vibration in the new 747-8 without any physical redesign of the aircraft.” He adds "this accomplishment has already been compared to the legendary ‘Sutter Twist solution’ delivered four decades ago when a similar design crisis faced the original version of the 747”. 

Today, The Boeing Company is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defence systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing is the prime contractor for the International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing provides products and support services to customers in 150 countries and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales. Boeing also has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 170,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries. This represents one of the most diverse, talented and innovative workforces anywhere. 

Pio is currently Boeing’s Programme Integration Manager for 747-8. Mr Bruce A. Dickinson, Vice President at Boeing recently said of him: "Pio has made a very special and powerful impact in his relatively short time at The Boeing Company.  His work furthers the safety and product integrity of the flying public, and his passion for aviation, engineering, and "doing the right thing” is contagious.  When I want to get something done, when I have a technical problem to solve, or a philosophical issue to overcome, Pio is often my first call.  It is for this multitude of reasons that he is deserving of the award at your prestigious university." 

A qualified commercial pilot, in his spare time Pio enjoys flying light airplanes. Away from aviation, Pio enjoys running, reading, traveling and spending time with his family and friends. 

In March, 2012, Pio returned to his alma mater as a guest of the UL Alumni Association to deliver the 4th UL Alumni Lecture to a wide audience of alumni, students, faculty, staff and wider community.