Eric 'Bud' Heidhausen

Cheeks is a retired Marine Corps Fighter Pilot with 21 years of service (2001). He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980. In addition to his limited acting career he has written one book, "The Sinking Castle". He provided script technical assistance for flying scenes in Hard Knox and played the role of Robert Conrad's Radar Intercept Officer in the F-4S Phantom. He has flown over 20 types of aircraft and has over 3300 flight hours. His primary tactical aircraft were the F-4 Phantom and the F/A-18 Hornet. He is two time recipient of a Meritorious Service Medal among his other awards/certifications. Military service - VMFAT-101, VMFA-333, 2nd Light Armored Vehicle Battalion, VFAT-106, VMFA-251, OPNAV 3B/5B, VMFA(AW)-533, VMFA-122, and MCAS Beaufort, SC. Since 2001 he directs research and development efforts for the Defense Department at the University Research Foundation in Greenbelt MD, and is the company's security officer and research test and safety pilot.. He has two patents for ordnance/gunfire detection, location and identification and in 2015-16 he had 4 provisional patents. He is married to Carol Heidhausen since 1984 and has two children and two grandchildren. His daughter is the Theater Director for Archbishop Spaulding High School in Maryland, and his son has acted as the male lead in several independent short features filmed in Philadelphia where he works as a Business IT professional.