Duke Valentour

Duke Valentour is an Industrial Engineer and Systems Engineer at Ball Aerospace/BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. Ball Aerospace, now known as Space & Mission Systems, designs and delivers space-related technologies focused on national security, intelligence, and civilian missions.

Duke holds a Commercial Pilot License and is a Certified Flight Instructor. His interest in aviation was influenced by his grandfather, who encouraged his early passion for flying.

At Ball Aerospace, Duke examines engineering workflows to determine cycle and process times in assembly and fabrication operations. He leads projects to improve processes in Research and Development, Production, and Depot Programs for Optical Systems. He performs root cause analyses to identify issues and develops solutions to enhance production. Duke regularly works with production technicians to implement improvements.

He interned at Ball Aerospace in 2020 and was hired full-time afterward. In 2024, Duke was promoted to his current role. That same year, Ball Aerospace became part of BAE Systems.

Jonathan Wayne Valentour’s love for aviation began during childhood visits to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton, Ohio, with his grandfather, Colonel Wayne Basset. These experiences sparked his passion for flying. While interning at Ball Aerospace in 2021, Jonathan passed his private pilot check ride and earned his instrument rating by the end of 2023.

In early 2024, Jonathan began working toward his commercial pilot license, completing it later that year and earning his flight instructor license. He also started as a tow pilot and flight instructor at Mile High Gliding, a glider towing company at Boulder Airport.

Duke has a Commercial Pilot License with an Instrument Rating and is a Certified Flight Instructor. He holds endorsements for complex airplanes, high-performance aircraft, tailwheel operations, and glider towing. With about 800 flight hours, including 250 in tailwheel aircraft and 10 in complex airplanes, Duke has experience flying various aircraft. He has been a flight instructor at Journeys Aviation and a tow pilot at Mile High Gliding, providing flight and ground instruction.

Regarding his education, Jonathan attended Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, where he played baseball and football. His football team reached the state playoffs during his sophomore, junior, and senior years. In 2017, he enrolled at Ohio State University in Columbus and earned a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Systems Engineering. While at OSU, Jonathan was the Business Development Lead for the Buckeye Space Launch Initiative from 2020 to 2021.

While at Ohio State, Duke worked at the Ball Packaging facility, where he became aware of Ball Aerospace. Through persistence, he secured an internship with the company, which started his career in aerospace engineering.

Jonathan Wayne Valentour volunteers with the Young Eagles program through the Experimental Aircraft Association. This program offers free introductory flights to young people aged 8 to 17 to encourage interest in aviation. Jonathan provides pre-flight briefings, takes youth on flights, and holds post-flight question sessions. His involvement reflects his wish to share his passion for flying, inspired by his grandfather and father.

Outside of aviation and engineering, Duke enjoys hiking and skiing. He values the physical challenges and connection with nature that these activities offer. His love of the outdoors complements his passion for flying, allowing him to appreciate landscapes from the ground and the sky.