John Phillip Mellor

John Phillip "JP" Mellor is a distinguished FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and aviator based at the Terre Haute Regional Airport (KHUF) in Indiana. With over 30 years of experience in general aviation, Mellor holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and is a Gold Seal Flight Instructor with Single-Engine, Multi-Engine, and Instrument ratings. Beyond his role as an examiner for Private, Commercial, and Instrument certificates, he is an accomplished airshow performer with a surface-level waiver for T-6 solo aerobatics and serves as a pilot for the Commemorative Air Force, flying historic aircraft such as the B-25 Mitchell, TBM Avenger, and C-45 Expeditor.

Mellor’s professional background is uniquely dual-pathed; outside the cockpit, he serves as a Professor and the Department Head of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a PhD from MIT, his previous career includes roles at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit and as a software engineer at Rockwell-Collins. This extensive technical and academic foundation informs his rigorous approach to flight safety and Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM). He is widely recognized for his commitment to high standards and his ability to integrate complex engineering principles with practical flight proficiency.