Employee of the Quarter: Ted Oesterle - Site Focal-Lead Instructor Pilot

Ted Oesterle

Site Focal-Lead Instructor Pilot

C-130 Aircrew Training System, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia

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The C-130 aircraft is a family affair for Ted Oesterle, who served 20 years in the Air Force as a C-130 mission, instructor, evaluator and acceptance test pilot.

His father flew on C-130s as a flight engineer, and his son Matthew is a C-130J pilot in Little Rock.

“So, we have C-130s in our blood and heritage,” said Oesterle, who now serves as DRG’s site focal at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia supporting the C-130 ATS program.?

His coordination with the prime contractor on any matters from scheduling to maintenance on the C-130 ATS program is exactly what you can ask from a focal.

With the addition of Cheyenne and Minneapolis to the contract, Oesterle helped a newly hired DRG Corporate Program Manager with getting contacts for the site, providing schedules, and providing the inside knowledge of what to expect with each location. Upon learning they were short two pilots and one navigator in Cheyenne, Oesterle took the initiative to work the schedule at his location, so that he would be able to provide pilot and navigator instructors to ensure the success of the Cheyenne site as well as his own.

He traveled to Cheyenne to support while also continuing to oversee operations at Dobbins, with his location still meeting the demands of the Air Force. Soon after, DRG was able to hire a new pilot at Cheyenne, and Oesterle once again volunteered to travel to Cheyenne to begin the training of the new pilot instructor, while meeting the demanding schedule the week he was there, completing the Refresher Training instruction for two crews a day.

With his military experience and 17 years of experience as a C-130 simulator instructor pilot, Oesterle is an asset to DRG who is instrumental to the success of the C-130 ATS Program. He sees problems coming and volunteers to help solve them before they happen.

“The C-130 is an amazing airplane that takes care of its crew and the people who operate it (aircrew and maintenance),” he said. “Hard work and dedication makes your job rewarding, and the C-130 community is a big family that works together.”

?Oesterle grew up in Washington Court House, Ohio, which is located an hour north of Cincinnati. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati and later went on to obtain his master’s degree in operations management from the University of Arkansas.

He has been married to his wife, Stacy, for 23 years and has four kids – Julianne, Matthew, Skylar and Bryson. He also has two grandchildren, Layten and Dylan. He enjoys traveling with his wife and family and watching soccer live or on television.

“My life verse is Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”