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Walter W. Hollis Award for Lifetime Achievement in Test & Evaluation to Honorable Bob Behler (F)

Mike Rabens (F), Chair of the NDIA Industrial Committee on Test and Evaluation, and Jeff Bilco, NDIA T&E Division Chair, presented the Walter W. Hollis Award for lifetime achievement in Test and Evaluation to the Honorable Bob Behler (F) on 1 November at the NDIA Systems and Mission Engineering Conference. Bob entered the Air Force in 1972, attended USAF Test Pilot School, flew the SR-71 and 65 other types of aircraft, commanded the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, the 9th Operations Group, and the 9th Reconnaissance Wing before serving in many Pentagon roles, retiring as a Major General. Afterwards he became one of the leading voices for Software and Cyber Test and Evaluation at Johns Hopkins University Applies Physics Lab, MITRE Corporation, SRC, Inc., and finally as COO and Deputy Director of Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute before being appointed by the president as Director, Operational Test & Evaluation for the Dept of Defense, a position he held for 3 years. He was one of only two test pilots and SETP members to serve as Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, the other being Honorable Jack Krings (F).  As you can see in the picture, Bob is very much alive and well, and says he intends to continue to support our nation's Defense. His test philosophy can be summed up as "Veritas - seek the truth". Asked why we test, his response: "We test to minimize the maximum regret". A most worthy individual for this award, which is presented by NDIA in the name of Walter W. Hollis to honor his dedicated and long-standing service in the field of Test & Evaluation. In 1980, Walt was appointed as the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for Operations Research. In this position, he proudly served the Army and this country, leading the Army T&E and analysis communities for 26 years until his retirement in 2006, but his reach was well beyond the Army. In fact, he was affectionately known as the grandfather of T&E. 

ITPS Canada Goes 100% Carbon Neutral with Partnership of LivClean

London, Ontario- ( November 19, 2022) - ITPS Canada is proud to announce a pledge to be 100% carbon neutral for 2022 and beyond

To help achieve the company's environmental goals, ITPS (International Test Pilots School) has partnered with LivClean, a top-ranked carbon offset retailer. Through the partnership, ITPS's carbon offset purchase will support the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project, located inside the traditional territories of the Haida Nation, British Columbia, Canada, and home to the largest remaining intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world.

"It's time for us all to take responsibility. Our partnership with LivClean and the Great Bear projects means ITPS Canada's carbon emissions from flying will be completely offset, making us the first test pilot school in North America to be 100% carbon neutral," says Giorgio Clementi, President of ITPS Canada. "This demonstrates ITPS is committed to climate action in aviation."

Read more: ITPS Canada Goes 100% Carbon Neutral with Partnership of LivClean

October 2022, President Message

Dear SETP member,

As we begin the Society’s 67^th year, I want to thank you, on behalf of the entire 19-member Board of Directors and 12 standing committees, for the honor of serving you. The elected officers and appointed Technical Advisors, Section Representatives and committee chairs will be working several initiatives meant to increase the value of SETP to our international members and to our industry. The publicly visible results of these efforts fall into the categories past, present and future.

Past
From our earliest days, the charter members imagined a museum. The Society now has a critical mass of tangible history that needs to be properly preserved, protected, and displayed. Through the SETP Foundation Historical Committee, we will finalize our commitment to the Bob Hoover Library and Education Center and begin archiving items in earnest. This will further aide preparations for our 75^th Anniversary celebrations in 2030.

Present
Our strength is in our geographic sections where ideas and lessons can be exchanged organically in social settings. While increasing SETP communications via social media and video conferencing are necessary in our modern world, nothing replaces the face-to-face interactions of mixing testers in a room. Partnering with SFTE chapters, we’ll get back to smaller, more frequent, and less planning-intensive gatherings. Where there is a need, we’ll encourage the formation of new sections.

Future
Our influence on youth and the test pilots and engineers of tomorrow is measurable. Through the SETP Foundation Education and Mentoring Committee, we look to codify our STEM outreach activities with the Foundation providing the funding and the sections providing the muscle. As systems advance and airframe flight sciences become more rare, the Constitution and SOP Committee will look for ways to open the aperture so that the Membership Committee can allow modern test pilots a level of membership in our Society.

SETP continues to be a leader in the aerospace industry, but we mustn’t rest on our successes. Your participation is critical as we re-invigorate our Society and make small adjustments to keep up with the times. Your Board of Directors looks forward to your input.

Brian Sandberg (F)

2022-2023 SETP President

66th Annual S&B Award Winners and 2022 Fellow Class

Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award

(Sponsored by Symbolic Displays)

For the Best Technical Paper published in Cockpit during the Past Year

“On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) Flight Test How NOT to Conduct a Campaign”

James E. “JB” Brown, III (F), National Test Pilot School

Read more: 66th Annual S&B Award Winners and 2022 Fellow Class