Bruce H. Carmichael was raised in the upper peninsula of Michigan, to a mining family. He was introduced to technology at a very early age. He received his Bachelors Degree in Aero Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1944.

Following Naval Service in World War II, he spent over 40 years in industry, working as an applied aerospace and hydrodynamic engineer, specializing in drag reduction with emphasis on both natural and artificially stabilized laminar flow. He assisted leaders in the field such as Dr. August Raspet, Dr. Werner Pfenninger and Dr. Max Kramer.

Bruce has extensive experimental experience in low and high speed flight test, low turbulence wind tunnels, water tunnels, towing basins, deep lakes, and the ocean. He served as Aerodynamics Chairman for the SSA and has been the Sailplane Homebuilders Association (SHA) President for three terms. He has published technical papers for Soaring, Swiss Aero Reiew, Technical Soaring, Sail plane Builder, Sport Aviation, Kitplanes, the TWITT Newsletter and French Experimental.

Bruce participated in the transfer of laminar drag reduction technology from the sail plane community to advanced power planes. Bruce authored a unique technical book "Personal Aircraft Drag Reduction" and also one on ultralight and light self launching sail planes. He owned and flew a Schweizer 1-26 sailplane in the 1950s and 1960s.

Bruce is married and has three grown children, and one grandchild. Hobbies outside of soaring include mountain hiking and aviation history.