Ed Barnes
Principal Electromagnetic Effects Engineer
Ed Barnes is a HIRF, lightning, and EMC certification specialist with more than 30 years of EMC engineering experience and 20 years in commercial and military aerospace E3 design, test, and certification. He previously served as an FAA HIRF and Lightning Designated Engineering Representative for 14 CFR Part 23 and Part 25 aircraft.
Ed Barnes is a HIRF, lightning, and EMC certification specialist with more than 30 years of EMC engineering experience, including 20 years of electromagnetic environmental effects (E3) design, test, and certification work on commercial and military aerospace programs. He previously held FAA Designated Engineering Representative authority for HIRF and lightning on 14 CFR Part 23 and Part 25 aircraft.
Ed's certification experience covers HIRF (§25.1317), indirect effects of lightning (§25.1316), direct effects (§25.581), fuel system lightning protection (§25.954), P-static, and PED tolerance. He has written E3 certification plans, design control plans, electrical structure network plans, and HIRF and lightning safety assessments for clean-sheet programs including supersonic transports, eVTOL aircraft, regional jets, and business aircraft. His program history includes Sierra Space, Boom Supersonic, Archer Aviation, Aerion, Mitsubishi Aircraft, Embraer, and Textron Aviation, working with the FAA, EASA, ANAC, and JCAB.
He has particular depth in composite airframes. At Aerion he developed a patented current return network for the AS2 that removed more than 700 lb of aircraft weight. He has also defined lightning zoning per SAE ARP5414 and built direct effects test matrices for composite panels, fasteners, and lightning strike protection schemes.
Before moving to aircraft-level certification, Ed spent over a decade as an equipment-level EMI design lead on avionics for Boeing, Airbus, and military rotorcraft platforms. He worked to RTCA DO-160, MIL-STD-461, Boeing D6-16050-4, and Airbus ABD0100.1.8, and achieved first-time qualification pass rates above 98 percent.
Ed has served on the SAE AE-4 committee as task group lead for the ARP1870A revision covering bonding and grounding in composite aircraft, and on the SAE AE-2 lightning committee subgroup for AIR7257 on VTOL lightning protection. He began his career in the U.S. Air Force as a phased array radar technician and electronics maintenance supervisor.
Ready to move your program forward?
Tell us about your certification basis, aircraft program, or staffing need. We'll follow up within one business day.