This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2009) |
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.
History
Test flying as a systematic activity started during the First World War, at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in the United Kingdom. An "Experimental Flight" was formed at the Central Flying School. During the 1920s, test flying was further developed by the RAE in the UK, and by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in the United States. In the 1950s, NACA was transformed into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA. During these years, as work was done into aircraft stability and handling qualities, test flying evolved towards a more qualitative scientific profession. In the 1950s, test pilots were being killed at the rate of about one a week,[citation needed] but the risks have shrunk to a fraction of that because of the maturation of aircraft technology, better ground-testing and simulation of aircraft performance, fly-by-wire technology and, lately, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to test experimental aircraft features. Still, piloting experimental aircraft remains more dangerous than most other types of flying.
At the insistence of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first American astronauts, the Mercury Seven, were all military test pilots, as were some of the later astronauts.
The world's oldest test pilot school is what is now called the Empire Test Pilots' School (motto "Learn to Test – Test to Learn"), at RAF Boscombe Down in the UK. There are a number of similar establishments over the world. In America, the United States Air Force Test Pilot School is located at Edwards Air Force Base, the United States Naval Test Pilot School is located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland and EPNER (Ecole du Personnel Navigant d'Essai et de Reception – "School for flight test and acceptance personnel"), the French test pilot school, is located in Istres, France. There are only two civilian schools; the International Test Pilots School in London, Ontario, and the National Test Pilot School, a not-for-profit educational institute is in Mojave, California. In Russia, there is a Russian aviation industry Fedotov Test Pilot School (founded 1947) located in Zhukovsky within the Gromov Flight Research Institute.
Qualifications
- Understand a test plan
- Stick to a test plan by flying a plane in a highly specific way
- Carefully document the results of each test
- Have an excellent feel for the aircraft and sense exactly how it is behaving oddly if it is doing so
- Solve problems quickly if anything goes wrong with the aircraft during a test
- Cope with many different things going wrong at once
- Effectively communicate flight test observations to engineers and relate engineering results to the pilot community, thus bridging the gap between those who design and build aircraft with those who employ the aircraft to accomplish a mission
- Have an excellent knowledge of aeronautical engineering to understand how and why planes are tested.
- Be above-average pilots with excellent analytical skills and the ability to fly accurately while they follow a flight plan.
Test pilots can be experimental and engineering test pilots (investigating the characteristics of new types of aircraft during development) or production test pilots (the more mundane role of confirming the characteristics of new aircraft as they come off the production line). Many test pilots would perform both roles during their careers. Modern test pilots often receive formal training from highly-selective military test pilot schools, but other test pilots receive training and experience from civilian institutions and/or manufacturers' test pilot development programs (see list of test pilot schools).
Notable test pilots (partial list)
- Milburn Apt, first U.S. Air Force test pilot to fly faster than Mach 3
- Eric "Winkle" Brown, flew more aircraft types than any other pilot
- Scott Crossfield, chief test pilot at North American Engineering
- David P. Davies, chief test pilot for the UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Tony LeVier, chief engineering test pilot at Lockheed Corporation
- Chuck Yeager, first pilot to break the sound barrier in level flight
- Fernando Alonso, former Head of Airbus Flight Test
- Hanna Reitsch, WWII German aviator and test pilot
- 'Mutt' Summers, first to fly the Supermarine Spitfire
- Alex Henshaw, WWII British test pilot, air racer and author
- Aleksandr Fedotov, first Soviet pilot to reach Mach 3
- Vladimir Ilyushin, first Soviet pilot to fly the Su-27
- Viktor Pugachev, first public performer of the Cobra maneuver
- Anatoly Kvochur, Soviet/Russian test pilot known for aerobatics in Su-27 and MiG-29
- André Turcat, French test pilot and first to fly the Concorde
- Brian Trubshaw, first British pilot to fly the Concorde
- Svetlana Savitskaya, Soviet/Russian test pilot, cosmonaut and politician
- Toktar Aubakirov, Soviet test pilot first Kazakh in space
- Geoffrey de Havilland, first to fly the Mosquito
- Pavel Vlasov, Soviet/Russian test pilot known for aerobatics in MiG-29OVT
See also
- List of aerospace flight test centres
- The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
References
Notes
- Léon Lemartin (Ai. 1899)
- Stinton, Darrol. Flying Qualities and Flight Testing of the Airplane. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., 1996, p. 265
- Знаменская, Наталья, ed. (2002). ШЛИ со временем [ShLI in Time] (in Russian) (2 ed.). Жуковский: ООО "Редакция газеты "Жуковские вести". p. 400.
Bibliography
External links
- The Society of Experimental Test Pilots
- Society of Flight Test Engineers
- Wilson, George C. Flying the edge: the making of Navy test pilots. Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1557509255.
- Memorial website for test pilots who died in flying accidents in the UK
- Flight list of display and test pilots at 1957 Farnborough air show
- The Scott Crossfield Foundation
- Website on Erich Warsitz (world's first jet pilot)
This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations April 2009 Learn how and when to remove this message A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers known as flight test techniques Leon Lemartin the world s first professional test pilot under contract to Louis Bleriot in c 1910Jimmy Doolittle in 1928 with his Curtiss R3C 2 around the time he pioneered blind flyingChuck Yeager and the Bell X 1 first test pilot to break the sound barrier at Mach 1 in 1947Neil Armstrong and the North American X 15 after a research test flight in 1960HistoryTest flying as a systematic activity started during the First World War at the Royal Aircraft Establishment RAE in the United Kingdom An Experimental Flight was formed at the Central Flying School During the 1920s test flying was further developed by the RAE in the UK and by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics NACA in the United States In the 1950s NACA was transformed into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA During these years as work was done into aircraft stability and handling qualities test flying evolved towards a more qualitative scientific profession In the 1950s test pilots were being killed at the rate of about one a week citation needed but the risks have shrunk to a fraction of that because of the maturation of aircraft technology better ground testing and simulation of aircraft performance fly by wire technology and lately the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to test experimental aircraft features Still piloting experimental aircraft remains more dangerous than most other types of flying At the insistence of President Dwight D Eisenhower the first American astronauts the Mercury Seven were all military test pilots as were some of the later astronauts The world s oldest test pilot school is what is now called the Empire Test Pilots School motto Learn to Test Test to Learn at RAF Boscombe Down in the UK There are a number of similar establishments over the world In America the United States Air Force Test Pilot School is located at Edwards Air Force Base the United States Naval Test Pilot School is located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Maryland and EPNER Ecole du Personnel Navigant d Essai et de Reception School for flight test and acceptance personnel the French test pilot school is located in Istres France There are only two civilian schools the International Test Pilots School in London Ontario and the National Test Pilot School a not for profit educational institute is in Mojave California In Russia there is a Russian aviation industry Fedotov Test Pilot School founded 1947 located in Zhukovsky within the Gromov Flight Research Institute QualificationsUnderstand a test plan Stick to a test plan by flying a plane in a highly specific way Carefully document the results of each test Have an excellent feel for the aircraft and sense exactly how it is behaving oddly if it is doing so Solve problems quickly if anything goes wrong with the aircraft during a test Cope with many different things going wrong at once Effectively communicate flight test observations to engineers and relate engineering results to the pilot community thus bridging the gap between those who design and build aircraft with those who employ the aircraft to accomplish a mission Have an excellent knowledge of aeronautical engineering to understand how and why planes are tested Be above average pilots with excellent analytical skills and the ability to fly accurately while they follow a flight plan Test pilots can be experimental and engineering test pilots investigating the characteristics of new types of aircraft during development or production test pilots the more mundane role of confirming the characteristics of new aircraft as they come off the production line Many test pilots would perform both roles during their careers Modern test pilots often receive formal training from highly selective military test pilot schools but other test pilots receive training and experience from civilian institutions and or manufacturers test pilot development programs see list of test pilot schools Notable test pilots partial list Milburn Apt first U S Air Force test pilot to fly faster than Mach 3 Eric Winkle Brown flew more aircraft types than any other pilot Scott Crossfield chief test pilot at North American Engineering David P Davies chief test pilot for the UK Civil Aviation Authority Tony LeVier chief engineering test pilot at Lockheed Corporation Chuck Yeager first pilot to break the sound barrier in level flight Fernando Alonso former Head of Airbus Flight Test Hanna Reitsch WWII German aviator and test pilot Mutt Summers first to fly the Supermarine Spitfire Alex Henshaw WWII British test pilot air racer and author Aleksandr Fedotov first Soviet pilot to reach Mach 3 Vladimir Ilyushin first Soviet pilot to fly the Su 27 Viktor Pugachev first public performer of the Cobra maneuver Anatoly Kvochur Soviet Russian test pilot known for aerobatics in Su 27 and MiG 29 Andre Turcat French test pilot and first to fly the Concorde Brian Trubshaw first British pilot to fly the Concorde Svetlana Savitskaya Soviet Russian test pilot cosmonaut and politician Toktar Aubakirov Soviet test pilot first Kazakh in space Geoffrey de Havilland first to fly the Mosquito Pavel Vlasov Soviet Russian test pilot known for aerobatics in MiG 29OVTSee alsoList of aerospace flight test centres The Right Stuff by Tom WolfeReferencesNotes Leon Lemartin Ai 1899 Stinton Darrol Flying Qualities and Flight Testing of the Airplane American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc 1996 p 265 Znamenskaya Natalya ed 2002 ShLI so vremenem ShLI in Time in Russian 2 ed Zhukovskij OOO Redakciya gazety Zhukovskie vesti p 400 Bibliography Hallion Richard P Test Pilots Frontiersmen of Flight Washington DC Smithsonian Press 1988 ISBN 978 0874745498 Warsitz Lutz THE FIRST JET PILOT The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz Pen and Sword Books Ltd England 2009 ISBN 978 1 84415 818 8External linksThe Society of Experimental Test Pilots Society of Flight Test Engineers Wilson George C Flying the edge the making of Navy test pilots Naval Institute Press 1992 ISBN 1557509255 Memorial website for test pilots who died in flying accidents in the UK Flight list of display and test pilots at 1957 Farnborough air show The Scott Crossfield Foundation Website on Erich Warsitz world s first jet pilot
