About the Founder

Ed is a native of Pensacola who completed a distinguished 33 year military career retiring as a Navy Rear Admiral. He followed this with a successful 20 year career in the aerospace industry serving as president and CEO of multiple companies both private and public. Ed recently retired as President and CEO of Vertex Aerospace and continues to serve in multiple industry advisory positions to include trustee, Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Ed is a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of West Florida and Pensacola Junior College. 

Rear Admiral Boyington holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida, Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School, and a Master of Science degree in National Resource Management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College, Naval Test Pilot School, member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a designated Acquisition Professional. He has been recognized as a distinguished graduate by Pensacola Junior College and the University of West Florida and is a Trustee with the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

 Rear Admiral John E. Boyington, Jr. began his military career as an Army warrant officer flying helicopter gunships during the Vietnam Conflict. He was commissioned via the Navy’s Aviation Officer Candidate School in January 1973 and received his “Wings of Gold” in December 1973.

Operational tours include VP-56 deployed to Sigonella, Sicily and Keflavik, Iceland; Department Head tour with VP-4 in Barbers Point, Hawaii, serving as Safety, Maintenance and Operations Officer deploying to Diego Garcia and Adak, Alaska; Executive Officer of VP-31.

Command experience includes tours as Commanding Officer VP-50, Commander, Patrol Wing ONE, Japan, Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Force SEVENTH Fleet (CTF 72), Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Force FIFTH Fleet (CTF 57), Commander, Iceland Defense Force (Joint Sub-unified Command) and Island Commander Iceland (NATO), Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Force Atlantic, Commander, Mine Warfare Command, Commander Navy Region South, and Chief of Naval Air Training.

Shore and staff tours include P-3 flight instructor in VP-30, fixed and rotary wing test pilot and project officer for the E-2, S-3, P-3, UH-1 and C-12 aircrafts, as well as NASA’s QSRA and Tilt Rotor aircraft flight-test programs. His Washington, DC tours include, Chief Engineer for Maritime Patrol Aircraft Naval Air Systems Command and Maritime Patrol Requirements Officer staff of the Chief of Naval Operations (N88).

Rear Admiral Boyington has flown more than 600 armed combat missions in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, and Kosovo. He is rated as a Navy Jet, Helicopter, and Prop Aviator and has 8,500 flight hours in more than 92 different types of aircraft. His decorations include: Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star, Bronze Star (combat “V”), Meritorious Service Medal (two gold stars), Air Medals (25) numerous service ribbons and the Icelandic Order of the Falcon with Commander’s Cross presented by the President of Iceland.

John “Ed” Boyington, Jr. was named President and CEO of Vertex Aerospace, LLC in June 2018. From 2015 to 2018, he served as President of L-3 Vertex Aerospace

where he was responsible for the successful execution of a complex portfolio of aviation programs with global reach across a broad customer base.

Within L-3, Mr. Boyington held multiple senior leadership positions from 2003 to 2009 including President of L-3 Vertex, Waco Site Executive, Senior Vice President of Federal Programs, and President of L-3 Flight International. He was Vice President and General Manager at DRS Technologies in Herndon, VA, from 2009 to 2013, and President and CEO at Galaxy Technologies from 2013-2015.