James Thurman

James Thurman is a retired naval aviator, aerospace engineer, systems engineer, aircraft owner, and entrepreneur. As the Founder and CEO of Portal Aircraft Company (PAC), he leads the development of a revolutionary family of gas-turbine-powered VTOL aircraft designed for long-range, high-endurance operations with minimal maintenance and maximum survivability.

Under his leadership, PAC has achieved major technical and programmatic milestones:

- DARPA ERIS “Awardable” Status: PAC was technically vetted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under its Extensible Robust Intelligent Sensing (ERIS) program and designated “Awardable,” authorizing direct government contracting.
- U.S. Army xTechSearch 9 Winner: Selected from a field of over 850 companies, PAC was named one of 24 winners in the Army’s prestigious innovation competition.
- Upcoming Phase I SBIR Contract: The xTechSearch 9 award positions PAC for a Phase I SBIR contract slated to begin January 2026.

PAC is executing this work in collaboration with Texas A&M University, which provides engineering, analysis, prototyping support, and integration testing.

Drawing on his experience as a Naval Aviator and Tomahawk Missile Controller, James combines hands-on operational insight with technical depth in systems engineering and aerospace design. His mission is to bridge academic research, defense innovation, and entrepreneurial agility to deliver practical, survivable, next-generation air mobility solutions for both defense and civilian applications.