HYSKY Adds Toronto Metropolitan University Graduate Instructor to H2 Aircraft Certification Short Course Faculty
- HYSKY Society
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
HYSKY Society announced that Adam A. Bakos, P.Eng., PMP has joined the instructor roster for the H2 Aircraft Certification Short Course, an intensive online program running August 26 through September 11, 2025. The six-session course equips regulators and industry teams to navigate the certification of hydrogen-powered aircraft across both eVTOL and fixed-wing programs, with a practical focus on liquid hydrogen systems, electric and fuel-cell propulsion, continuing airworthiness, and policy harmonization.
HYSKY created this course to answer a pressing question facing advanced air mobility and next-generation regional aviation: how do developers and authorities build a common, credible certification path for hydrogen aircraft before large fleets arrive. Over three weeks, the program distills current practice, known regulatory pathways, and emerging consensus from standards bodies into clear playbooks that teams can apply immediately. The course is fully online, live every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Central, and each session is recorded for all registrants. Participants receive the slide decks and reference materials after every class.
Why Adam A. Bakos strengthens this faculty
Adam Bakos brings a blend of front-line authority oversight, OEM airworthiness leadership, and university teaching that is rare in hydrogen aviation today. He is a Professional Engineer in Ontario with 15 years in aerospace spanning Airworthiness Procedures, Aircraft Type Certification, Product Integrity, and International Regulatory Affairs. Adam serves as a Project Certification Manager at Transport Canada Civil Aviation, providing a regulator’s perspective on what credible evidence and engagement look like throughout the lifecycle of a certification program. Earlier, he was a Senior Engineering Specialist and Section Team Lead in the Airworthiness Department for the Global Platforms at Bombardier, where he shepherded complex compliance portfolios in a multi-disciplinary environment.
Adam also teaches the Aircraft Type Certification and Airworthiness course at Toronto Metropolitan University, translating day-to-day certification realities into structured learning for graduate students and industry professionals. He earned a B.A.Sc. (2008) and M.A.Sc. (2011) in Aerospace Engineering from TMU, a Project Management Certificate from the University of Toronto, and attained P.Eng. (2014) and PMP (2016) credentials. In 2021 he became an internationally recognized Professional Engineer with Engineers Canada and a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. In the H2 Aircraft Certification Short Course, Adam will contribute case-driven instruction and live Q&A on type certification strategy, airworthiness evidence planning, and the regulator–industry interface for hydrogen programs.
A faculty built for both regulators and developers
Alongside Adam, HYSKY has assembled a group of instructors who have helped shape advanced air mobility and hydrogen integration:
Mike Hirschberg, Executive Director Emeritus, Vertical Flight Society and Principal, H2 Advisors, LLC, is widely recognized for catalyzing the global eVTOL movement and for initiating industry collaboration on hydrogen vertical flight. Mike will co-teach the foundational session on regulatory frameworks and early engagement strategies, grounding the course in the real history and trajectory of certification across FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada contexts.
Danielle McLean, Founder and CEO of HYSKY Society, leads HYSKY’s programs connecting hydrogen and aerospace communities. Danielle brings a builder’s perspective to certification alignment and will co-teach the opening module, focusing on how industry can present credible technical cases to authorities and structure evidence for propulsion, fuel, and safety systems.
Bill Spellane, former COO of Alaka’i Technologies and a leader in hydrogen eVTOL development, teaches the Certification of Electric and Fuel Cell Propulsion Systems session. His instruction focuses on SC E-19 applicability, fuel-cell integration challenges, hazard analysis, and lessons from real flight demonstrators and program reviews.
Dr. Sayem Zafar, ABT Systems, has more than a decade of hands-on experience designing hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains for fixed-wing UAVs, eVTOL UAVs, and multi-rotor platforms. He teaches the LH₂ storage and fuel systems module and the ground handling and operations module, covering crash safety, insulation and venting, refueling certification, fire safety, and emergency procedures.
Dr. Eva Maleviti, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the MSc in Aviation and Aerospace Sustainability. She covers continuing airworthiness, MRO, licensing, and then leads the capstone session on standardization and future policy directions, bringing experience from ISO, ICAO programs such as CORSIA, and industry ESG frameworks.
This team balances regulatory leadership, OEM execution, research, and education. The result is a course where regulators and developers learn a shared language and leave with checklists, templates, and examples they can lift directly into their programs.
H2 Aircraft Certification Course schedule and scope
The H2 Aircraft Certification Short Course is structured to move from strategy to systems to operations, then into the long-tail obligations of continued airworthiness and the road ahead for standards.
Schedule at a Glance
Date | Time (CDT) | Topic | Instructor |
Tues. Aug 26, 2025 | 12-2 PM CDT | Standards Development: Working Groups Influencing Hydrogen Aircraft Certification | Mike Hirschberg |
Thurs. Aug 28, 2025 | 12-2 PM CDT | Certification of Electric and Fuel Cell Propulsion Systems | Dr. Sayem Zafar |
Tues. Sept 2, 2025 | 12-1 PM CDT | Certification Foundations and Regulatory Framework | Adam Bakos |
Tues. Sept 2, 2025 | 1-2 PM CDT | Certification of LH2 Storage and Fuel Systems | Bill Spellane |
Thurs. Sept 4, 2025 | 12-2 PM CDT | Ground Handling and Operational Certification | Dr. Sayem Zafar |
Tues. Sept 9, 2025 | 12-2 PM CDT | Continuing Airworthiness, MRO, and Licensing | Dr. Eva Maleviti |
Thurs. Sept 11, 2025 | 12-2 PM CDT | Standardization and Future Policy Directions | Dr. Eva Maleviti |
Who should attend H2 Aircraft Certification
This course is designed for:
Aircraft OEMs and startups working on hydrogen eVTOL or fixed-wing platforms.
Compliance leads, DERs, DOA teams, chief engineers, and safety engineers who own certification planning and evidence generation.
Regulators and delegated organizations who want an organized view of the technology, its risks, and the credible ways to demonstrate compliance.
MRO leaders and maintenance program designers who need to anticipate hydrogen’s impact on training, licensing, and safety.
Program managers responsible for aligning engineering and operations with regulatory expectations.
Participants can join from anywhere. The sessions are online, interactive, and the recordings are provided to every registrant, so a conflict on a single day does not mean losing content.
Registration and pricing
Course dates: August 26 to September 11, 2025
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Central
Format: Live online, with recordings and materials included
Tuition: $500 public
HYSKY Connect VIP price: $200 with a 60 percent member discount
Registration closes: August 23, 2025
Join HYSKY Connect VIP: https://connect.hysky.org/
HYSKY recommends early registration to secure access and to receive pre-course reading materials. Teams can register multiple participants and are encouraged to enroll cross-functional pairs of engineer plus compliance lead or developer plus regulator for best results.
What makes this course different
First, it is focused on hydrogen. Many aviation short courses cover electric propulsion at a high level. Few go deep on liquid hydrogen tanks, cryogenic hazards, fuel-cell balance-of-plant, and the ground infrastructure that certification authorities will expect to see managed. Second, it is constructed for both sides of the table. Regulators gain a structured understanding of emerging hydrogen architectures and evidence patterns. Developers get a view into how authorities reason about safety, what a credible test program looks like, and where early engagement saves time. Third, it is delivered by people actively shaping the space. The instructors have shepherded programs, built vehicles, influenced policy, taught at universities, and supported technical communities that defined the eVTOL and hydrogen conversation.
Outcomes you can expect
By the end of the series, attendees will be able to:
Describe the current certification landscape for hydrogen aircraft and where special conditions and policy are evolving.
Build a practical evidence plan that ties hazards and requirements to test and analysis.
Identify the major integration risks for LH₂ tanks, venting, thermal management, and electrical systems.
Prepare a credible refueling and ground-safety plan that aligns with airport or vertiport requirements.
Outline a continuing airworthiness and maintenance training approach tailored to hydrogen systems.
Map a standards and policy roadmap for near-term approvals and future harmonization.
About HYSKY Society
HYSKY Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to decarbonizing aviation with hydrogen. Through programs including FLYING HY, H2Hub Summit, HYSKY Monthly, HYSKY Pod, and HYSKY Connect, HYSKY convenes engineers, regulators, researchers, and operators to accelerate the path to zero-emission flight. The H2 Aircraft Certification Short Course sits at the center of that mission, providing a neutral, practical venue where builders and authorities can learn together.
Media contact
Danielle McLean
Founder and CEO, HYSKY
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