Meet the Development Team

Assen Andonov Founder & CEO

At thirteen Assen built his first airplane, started gliding at 15, parachute jumping at 17 and flying powered aircraft at 18. At 23 he co-founded a company that designed and manufactured numerous types of airplanes. At 25 he started a company for B2B imaging solutions that grew to become the market leader in the field. For the last two and a half years he’s been developing the Wasp T1 VTOL personal aircraft. This aircraft is significantly more energy efficient and safe than all known competition. Assen is also a commercial pilot and a former management consultant, well versed in growing businesses and actualizing dreams.

George Nanev, Chief Designer

George has been fascinated by fast machines since early childhood. Not just the performance but the passion their shape and livery evoked. He got into motorsport at the age of 13 and has recently founded his own team – Superlime Racing. An avid entrepreneur, Georgi has also founded a very successful service business and has organized multiple public and promotional events. With an eye for aesthetics and high end design, George is the driving force behind Assen Aero’s passionate products and the A2 Flying Bike’s stunning appearance. As a passionate doer, he never sits still, always sketching, always thinking, he is like a force of nature to be reckoned with and his goal is nothing short of a world class product design every time.

Georgi Petrov, Hardware Engineer

Georgi Petrov has a PhD in computer and communication system engineering at the New Bulgarian University. He has over 15 years of experience in embedded systems and data acquisition systems based on micro controllers (PIC/AVR/ARM), medical electronics (ECG/EEG/PPG), digital signal, image and video processing. Currently he works as Head of the Department of Telecommunications at New Bulgarian University. He has expertise in the designing of digital and analog hardware, VHDL/Verilog system design, embedded systems programming on C and assembler, real-time operating systems, GP-GPU programming, telemetry and telematic systems.

Dr. John Gibson, Electrical Engineer

As the Electrical Engineer of Assen Aeronautics, Dr. John Gibson, obtained his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona, FL and recently his Doctorates in Electrical Engineering from Florida International University in Miami, FL. Gibson’s dissertation focused on radio frequency antenna engineering and polymer material science, allowing him to publish multiple journal and conference papers and be awarded 2 fellowships. Outside of academia, Gibson is a member and producer for the Miami-based hip hop band Apt.5, and part owner of a Capoeira academy, teaching Brazilian martial arts to both kids and adults. Over the summer, Dr. John Gibson’s will be relocated to Fairborn, Ohio, where he will work at the Air Force Research Laboratory as an electronics engineer, building countermeasure systems to protect military planes and helicopters from missiles.

William Shaw, Technical Systems

William joined the United States Air Force at 17 as an F-16 Integrated Systems Specialist. Kadena AB on Okinawa, Japan, and Osan AB in Korea were two of his overseas assignments. He started flying general aviation aircraft while overseas with the base’s aero clubs. After 22 yrs of service, working A-10, F-16, F-111, F-4, and F-117 aircraft, he retired from the military. In 2006, William continued his Federal Service with the FAA as an Airways Transportation System Specialist maintaining communication, navigation, radar, and automation equipment for the National Airspace system. His passion for aviation and safety is inspiring. He is currently restoring a 1947 Republic Seabee

Gary Rowland, Flight Test Engineer

Involved in all types of technology over the years. From electronics and communications including radar and electronic warfare in the British Royal Navy to design engineer in the field of radio control helicopters.

First involved in “Drones” in 1974 whilst in the Navy, Gary is now a design engineer and researcher in the “Autonomous Platforms” Dept of the Institute of Mechanics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Alongside his work in the Institute he also owns a company training mentors and teachers how to take Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths ( STEAM), to students. steampowered.team

A sound knowledge of Aerodynamics, flight control and flight time in fixed wing and rotary craft, together with experience racing motorcycles makes Gary a firm choice as one of our “test pilots”.

Nick Shisnenkov, Software Engineer

During his years at the University of Sofia studying theoretical physics, Nick was involved in multiple on-campus activities including an early research in neural network simulations in the context of complex problem solving, numerical methods and simulations of dynamic systems. His passion for programming led him to further his studies in Information technologies at New Bulgarian University. To support himself while studying, he started developing games and interactive apps for the web early on. Due to the high demand for interactive experiences his practice rapidly expanded in to a successful software development and consultancy business catering blue chip clientele of the Fortune 500s since 2003.