Neal Daniel Lanning

Neal Daniel Lanning is a veteran FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and aviation professional with nearly four decades of flight experience. Based in the Baltimore-Washington region, Lanning serves the aviation community through his work at Martin State Airport (KMTN) in Middle River and Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK). He is uniquely qualified with Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificates and Flight Instructor ratings (CFI/CFII/MEI) for both airplanes and rotorcraft. Throughout his career, Lanning has accumulated thousands of flight hours, specializing in complex, high-performance aircraft and advanced pilot certifications.

In addition to his examining duties, Lanning brings over 26 years of leadership experience as the president of an aviation management and maintenance company. This dual background in operations and maintenance provides him with a comprehensive view of aviation safety, which he shares as a dedicated FAASTeam Service Provider. Known for a rigorous and educational approach to checkrides, he emphasizes a strong safety mindset by integrating practical lessons from historical accidents into his evaluations. His expertise across both fixed-wing and rotary-wing categories has made him one of Maryland’s most respected and versatile pilot examiners.