Lushin Aviation Consulting · Nationwide Aviation Expert Witness & Litigation Support
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Lushin Aviation Consulting Elliott B. Lushin · Principal & Aviation Expert Witness
Plaintiff & Defense Aviation Litigation Support

Elliott B. Lushin

Available nationwide to plaintiff and defense counsel for independent analysis, Rule 26 expert reports, depositions, and trial testimony on 14 C.F.R. Part 121 commercial airline operations, military fighter and attack operations, flight instruction and student evaluation standards, pilot qualification and career-progression pathways, range and airspace safety operations, and aircraft maintenance program management.

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Elliott B. Lushin — Principal, Lushin Aviation Consulting
Elliott B. Lushin
Aviation Expert Witness · Commercial Airline, Military Flight & Maintenance
28+ Years Aviation Experience · Part 121 Widebody First Officer · Former USMC F/A-18, T-6 Instructor & Maintenance Officer · Retired IN ANG A-10C & Range Safety Officer

At-a-Glance Qualifications

  • ■14 C.F.R. Part 121 Airline Operations (~2,900 Hrs · 5 FAA Type Ratings): Current International Widebody First Officer (A-350); FAA type rated in A-350; A-320; B-757/767; DC-9; ERJ-170/190.
  • ■U.S. Marine Corps (August 2005 – January 2017, Former Active Duty): F/A-18 Pilot, Squadron Flight Officer, Primary Flight Instructor & Student Stage Check Pilot (T-6 Texan II), and School-Trained Aircraft Maintenance Officer.
  • ■Indiana Air National Guard (January 2017 – February 2025, Retired): A-10C Fighter Pilot & Range Safety Officer (RSO — Jefferson Proving Ground & Camp Atterbury).
  • ■Maintenance & NAMP 4790.2 Oversight: Former F/A-18 Powerline (WC 310/330) and Airframes (WC 120/12A–140) Division Officer overseeing NAMP Chapter 10 maintenance safety programs, CSEC work-center audits, and CDI/CDQAR qualification screening.
  • ■Active Litigation & Affiliations: Retained aviation expert witness in Florida Circuit Court litigation (2026–Present); Associate Member, International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI); Affiliate Member, Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association (LPBA).
28+ Years
Total Aviation Experience (Since 1998)
~4,500 Hrs
Total Flight Time (~4,000 Turbine)
~2,900 Hrs
Part 121 Airline Jet (~900 Hrs Instructor)
5 Type Ratings
A-350 · A-320 · B-757/767 · DC-9 · ERJ-170/190
Areas of Expertise

Matters Typically Addressed

Operationally grounded, objective analysis across commercial air carrier, military tactical aviation, general aviation, and aviation maintenance domains.

14 C.F.R. Part 121 Airline Operations & Standard of Care

Evaluation of commercial airline flight crew procedures, international widebody and domestic narrowbody operations, dispatch and operational control, checklist discipline, and regulatory compliance.

Crew Resource Management (CRM) & Human Factors

Analysis of multi-crew coordination, cockpit communication, workload management, situational awareness, and aeronautical decision-making under FAA AC 120-51E and military DAMCLAS frameworks.

Aviation Maintenance & NAMP (4790.2) Program Oversight

Assessment of the maintenance-to-cockpit safety interface, Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2 / NAMP) compliance, Powerline (WC 310/330) and Airframes (WC 120/12A–140) division operations, CDI/CDQAR qualification and inspection standards, Tool Control, FOD Prevention, Hydraulic Contamination, Tire & Wheel Safety, and Corrosion Control.

Military Fighter & High-Performance Flight Operations

Subject-matter expertise in U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18A–D, U.S. Air Force / Air National Guard A-10C, Night Vision Goggle (NVG) and air-ground (JTAC) coordination, and Range Safety Officer (RSO) restricted airspace deconfliction and weapons-release safety authority.

Flight Instruction, Training & Pilot Qualification Pathways

Evaluation of civil (CFI/CFII) and military flight instruction standards, stage checks, pilot progression feasibility, and DoD/DoDMERB and FAA medical and training qualification pathways.

Aviation Maintenance Safety Programs & Organizational Human Factors

Review of aviation maintenance safety programs (NAMP COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2), the maintenance-safety interface, Safety Management Systems (SMS), organizational human factors, SOP compliance culture, and executive accountability systems.

Technical Qualifications

Certificates, Military Service & Education

Verified civil airman certificates, military officer qualifications, and academic credentials.

Civil Certificates & Flight Time

  • FAA Certificate: Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) — Airplane Multi-Engine Land; prior FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI / CFII, 2005, ~100 hours).
  • FAA Type Ratings (5): A-350; A-320; B-757/767; DC-9; ERJ-170/190.
  • 14 C.F.R. Part 121 Experience: Current International Widebody First Officer (A-350); prior Part 121 scheduled operations in A-320, B-757/767, DC-9 (MD-88), and ERJ-170/190 (ERJ-170/175).
  • Flight Hours Summary: ~4,500 Hours Total · ~4,000 Hours Turbine · ~2,900 Hours Part 121 Airline Jet · ~900 Hours Instructor (~800 Military T-6 / ~100 Civil) · ~450 Hours F/A-18A–D · ~150 Hours A-10C.

Military Service, Education & Affiliations

  • U.S. Marine Corps (August 2005 – January 2017, Former Active Duty): F/A-18 Pilot, Squadron Flight Officer, Primary Flight Instructor & Student Stage Check Pilot (T-6 Texan II), and School-Trained Aircraft Maintenance Officer.
  • Indiana Air National Guard (January 2017 – February 2025, Retired): A-10C Pilot and Range Safety Officer (RSO). Completed military career and retired from the Air National Guard in February 2025.
  • Professional Affiliations & Military Award: International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) — Associate Member; Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association (LPBA) — Affiliate Member; Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2013).
  • Education:
    • Master of Business Administration (MBA) — University of West Florida
    • B.S., Professional Aviation Flight Technology — Indiana State University
    • Naval Aviation Maintenance Officer Course (MOS 6002) — U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps (Formal DoD Aircraft Maintenance Officer & NAMP Qualification)
Career Progression

Professional & Military Experience

Lushin Aviation Consulting LLC — Principal
May 2026 – Present
  • Expert witness and consulting practice available nationwide for case review, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony (plaintiff and defense).
  • Retained as aviation expert witness in Florida Circuit Court litigation (2026–Present) evaluating military fighter and commercial Part 121 pilot qualification pathways, DoD/DoDMERB and FAA aviation medical and training standards, and career progression feasibility.
Major Legacy Airline — International Widebody First Officer (A-350)
December 2017 – Present
  • International Widebody Operations (A-350, 2022–Present): Conducts long-haul 14 C.F.R. Part 121 scheduled international ETOPS operations across Asia/Pacific (China, South Korea, Japan), Europe (including North Atlantic Tracks), and South America.
  • Narrowbody & Widebody Fleet Progression (2017–2022): Flew domestic and international scheduled passenger operations across the DC-9 (MD-88), B-757/767, and A-320 fleets through high-density hub, adverse-weather, and oceanic airspace environments.
  • Standard Operating Procedures & Dispatch Evaluation: Executes multi-crew Crew Resource Management (CRM), Threat and Error Management (TEM), Flight Operations Manual (FOM), and Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures; conducts pre-departure flight-release, weather/fuel, and Minimum Equipment List (MEL) / Configuration Deviation List (CDL) airworthiness evaluations with dispatch and line maintenance.
  • Recurrent Qualification & Safety Reporting: Participates in Part 121 Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) Line Operational Simulation (LOFT / LOE) training and Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) / Safety Management System (SMS) safety reporting.
Indiana Air National Guard — A-10C Pilot & Range Safety Officer (RSO)
January 2017 – February 2025, Retired
  • Range Safety Officer (RSO — 113th Air Support Operations Squadron [113th ASOS], Jefferson Proving Ground & Camp Atterbury, Aug 2019 – Feb 2025): Coordinated and deconflicted restricted range airspace for live military aircraft operations; verified aircraft ordnance and laser configurations, briefed range procedures and weather minimums, coordinated with ground JTAC personnel, and held hot/cold range and weapons-release (“Terminate / Abort”) safety authority across the range complex during live-fire and dry passes.
  • A-10C Fighter Pilot (163rd Fighter Squadron [163rd FS], Jan 2017 – Aug 2019): Selected for and flew single-seat A-10C Thunderbolt II attack operations (including day and Night Vision Goggle [NVG] close air support and air-ground JTAC coordination) prior to transitioning to Range Safety Officer duties ahead of the squadron’s aircraft conversion; retired from the Air National Guard in February 2025.
Lushin & Associates (Sandler Training) — Organizational Excellence Facilitator
2020 – 2022
  • Facilitated Sandler Training’s Leadership for Organizational Excellence (OE) curriculum at Lushin & Associates (#1-ranked Sandler Training franchise globally) for executive leadership teams—implementing structured frameworks for standard operating procedure (SOP) formalization, management accountability, performance metrics (“Performetrics”), and the elimination of operational blind spots.
  • Selected by Sandler Systems corporate leadership to lead multiple national discussions for fellow facilitators and franchise leaders on structuring and delivering the Organizational Excellence curriculum—translating complex operational, SOP compliance, and management-accountability frameworks into clear, actionable guidance for executive and lay audiences.
Republic Airways — ERJ-170/190 First Officer
January 2017 – December 2017
  • Conducted 14 C.F.R. Part 121 regional jet scheduled passenger operations (~75 hours in the ERJ-170/175) upon transitioning from active-duty U.S. Marine Corps service until joining Major Legacy Airline in December 2017.
U.S. Marine Corps — F/A-18 Pilot, Primary Flight Instructor & Aircraft Maintenance Officer
August 2005 – January 2017 (Former Active Duty)
  • Primary Flight Instructor, Student Stage Check Pilot & Class Advisor (VT-2, NAS Whiting Field — T-6 Texan II, Aug 2013 – Jan 2017): Logged ~800 military instructor hours training student naval aviators in contact, instrument, formation, navigation, and night operations; served as a Student Stage Check Pilot evaluating student syllabus checkrides; and served as Student Class Advisor outside of flying duties, conducting student training-jacket reviews, tracking syllabus progress, and mentoring student aviators (while concurrently completing a resident MBA).
  • F/A-18 Operations & Squadron Flight Officer (VMFA-314, Aug 2010 – Aug 2013): Flew F/A-18A–D Hornet strike-fighter operations (including day/night NVG and JTAC air-ground coordination) and served as F/A-18 Section Leader (following Officer Commissioning, Naval Flight Training, and F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadron [VMFAT-101] qualification, Aug 2005 – Aug 2010). As Squadron Flight Officer, supervised the squadron scheduling officers, built weekly and monthly flight schedule flows, secured and scheduled range airspace and ranges, and served as the operational liaison with aircraft maintenance to align daily aircraft and ordnance availability with flight-schedule requirements.
  • Powerline Division Officer (VMFA-314 — WC 310 & WC 330, Aug 2010 – Aug 2013): Directed F/A-18 propulsion (F404 twin turbofan engines, secondary power APU/AMAD, and fuel systems), flightline Plane Captain daily/turnaround/launch-and-recovery operations (WC 310), and flightline Support Equipment (WC 330) under the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2 / NAMP), overseeing the Plane Captain Qualification, High-Power/Low-Power Engine Turn Qualification, Aircraft Fuel Surveillance, Navy Oil Analysis (NOAP), and Support Equipment (SE) Training & Licensing programs.
  • Airframes Division Officer (VMFA-314 — WC 120, 12A, 12B, 12C, 13A, 13B & 140, Aug 2010 – Aug 2013): Directed F/A-18 metallic and composite structures (WC 12A), 3,000 PSI hydraulic systems, flight-control actuators, landing/arresting gear, and brakes (WC 12B), corrosion control and coatings (WC 12C), Aviation Life Support Systems (WC 13A), ejection seat/egress and environmental control systems (WC 13B), and Phase maintenance (WC 140), overseeing the Hydraulic Contamination Control, Aircraft Tire & Wheel Safety, Corrosion Prevention & Control, Egress/Explosive System Checkout, Aviator’s Breathing Oxygen (ABO), and ALSS programs.
  • Division NAMP Compliance, Qualification & Maintenance Safety Oversight (NAMP Ch. 3, 7 & 10): Executed NAMP Division Officer responsibilities (§ 3.4.7), including vetting, personally interviewing, and endorsing division candidates for designation as Quality Assurance Representatives (QARs), Collateral Duty QARs (CDQARs), and Collateral Duty Inspectors (CDIs) (§ 7.4.9); leading CSEC Work Center compliance audits and root-cause corrective actions (§ 10.7); reviewing technician MATMEP/ASM qualification jackets (§ 10.1) and certifying non-delegable Support Equipment operator licenses (§ 10.16); and enforcing division-wide Tool Control (TCP), Foreign Object Damage (FOD) Prevention, HAZMAT, and Technical Directive (TD) compliance.
Publications & Technical Commentary

Selected Publications & Case Analyses

Operational frameworks and technical briefings on crew resource management, military and commercial flight standards, and maintenance quality assurance.

Multi-Crew Coordination & Aeronautical Decision-Making (FAA AC 120-51E & DAMCLAS)

Comparative analysis of civil Part 121 Crew Resource Management (CRM) standards and U.S. Naval Aviation (Navy / Marine Corps) DAMCLAS decision-making frameworks (Assertiveness, Mission Analysis, Communication, Leadership, Adaptability, and Situational Awareness) in high-workload cockpit environments.

Read Week 1 CRM Case Analysis on LinkedIn →

NAMP (COMNAVAIRFORINST 4790.2) Division & Maintenance Safety Oversight

Evaluating the maintenance-to-cockpit safety interface across Powerline (WC 310/330) and Airframes (WC 120/12A–140) division operations, CDI/CDQAR qualification and inspection compliance, Tool Control, FOD Prevention, Hydraulic Contamination, Tire & Wheel Safety, and Corrosion Control.

View Firm Updates on LinkedIn →

Military & Part 121 Pilot Qualification Pathways & Regulatory Standards

Objective evaluation of pilot training progression, stage-check standards, DoD / DoDMERB and FAA Part 67 medical certification pathways, and Part 121 air carrier qualification requirements for damages and causation analysis.

Download Full Curriculum Vitae (PDF) →

Direct Attorney & Brokerage Contact

Case Intake & Conflict Checks

Available to plaintiff and defense counsel nationwide for initial conflict checks, case evaluations, Rule 26 expert reports, depositions, and trial testimony. Please include the jurisdiction, parties involved (for conflict screening), and key case deadlines in your initial inquiry. Current Fee Schedule, Retention Agreement, and Form W-9 provided immediately upon conflict clearance.

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Principal Consultant Elliott B. Lushin
Firm Entity Lushin Aviation Consulting LLC
Direct Phone (812) 240-5483
Email [email protected]
Location Columbus, Indiana · Available Nationwide
Directories & Profiles LinkedIn Profile · SEAK Directory (#22141)