Mahdi Amani Estalkhkuhi is an aerospace engineer and PhD Student in Aerospace Engineering at Gebze Technical University. His doctoral project, “Artificial Intelligence-Based Automated Landing System for VTOL UAVs under Motor-Failure Conditions,” focuses on autonomous landing, fault-tolerant control, flight dynamics, guidance, and intelligent decision-making for VTOL UAVs operating under degraded propulsion conditions.

He completed his MSc in Aerospace Engineering, Flight Dynamics and Control, at K. N. Toosi University of Technology, where he worked on adaptive robust control for a tilt-wing aerial vehicle. His technical background includes nonlinear and adaptive control, flight dynamics, navigation systems, simulation-based verification, and aerospace system modeling.

Before beginning his PhD, Mahdi spent more than five years as a Senior Member of the Attitude and Orbit Determination and Control Systems (AODCS/ADCS) office at the Space Research Institute in Tehran, Iran. There, he worked as a satellite control and navigation systems engineer and researcher, contributing to LEO satellite AODCS design, SIL/PIL/HIL testing, sensor and actuator verification, telemetry analysis, Mission Control Centre operations, and FDIR implementation.

Outside engineering, Mahdi is a member of the professional Kyokushin Karate School, Jalaiyan Karate Dojo, and has achieved national and provincial rankings. He is an enthusiastic UFC follower, passionate about trail running, and enjoys spending time in nature.