Message from the President

July 2024, President Message

Since my last message I attended all but one symposia and presented the SETP overview brief which starts with our founding:

“In the fall of 1955, a few civilian test pilots working at Edwards met for lunch at a local café. After some stimulated mediation they began discussing the idea of forming an organization for the purpose of disseminating information between test pilots for their mutual education and safety. Going to work as an experimental test pilot every day is not the best assurance that one will come home every night. At best, it is a hazardous business. Anything that would reduce the inherent risk was desirable. The fellows talked about establishing an organization wherein they could help each other by exchanging information on problems experienced and techniques developed on the job. This, so that each pilot would not have to learn every lesson the hard way. A sharing of personal experiences in connection with every aspect of flight testing was their objective. It was decided to proceed with the idea. Some very dynamic men solved the organizational problems so remarkably fast that by 1957 The Society of Experimental Test Pilots was an entity and very shortly staged an awards banquet of high quality. Since then almost every person who has played an important role in aviation or extra-atmospheric exploration has joined as a member and a considerable number have been awarded Honorary Fellowships. With a membership of nearly 1500 test pilots today [1978, 2479 in 2024], it would be almost impossible to name the pilot of any major international aircraft or space program without naming a member of the Society. That small nucleus from the desert air base grew in number and stature until they gained international recognition and made their mark in the aerospace world. Governments listen, industry cooperates, the services applaud and laymen stand in awe when test pilots perform. They know their flying and they know their aircraft. They also know that their dedication to excellence has contributed to the technological advancement and the welfare of mankind!”

These words come from GEN Jimmy Doolittle from SETP’s history book of our first 20 years published in 1978. The Society’s founders were driven by a deep passion to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation of test pilots promoting safety and now in 2024, 67 years later, that passion continues. However, as new technology emerges we need to stay relevant and forward-thinking to maintain prestige and deliver value to the Society and its members, including corporate members.

What is a test pilot? The answer is no longer straight forward. Thanks to the great work of the Constitution and SOP Committee headed by Greg Lewis (F) and Membership Committee headed by Al Peterson (F) we have a new Standard Operating Procedure focused on clearly defining the criteria for becoming a full member. The membership guidelines focus on answering 3 questions: Does the applicant have the necessary knowledge? Is the applicant currently engaged in a qualifying role? Has the applicant been actively engaged for the minimum time? Not long after I took over as President when I was asked by at least one WSO (Weapon Systems Operator) whom I fly F/A-18s and EA-18Gs with at Pax River, “When are you going to let us into your Society? We are just as much at risk as you!” Good question. Is it time to expand our membership envelope? About 15 years ago there was a very heated discussion about opening up membership to Weapon System Operators (WSOs) or UAV pilots. Article III of the Constitution states membership is restricted to “All persons who are engaged as pilots of manned aerospace vehicles in the practice of …flight testing.” Without a Constitutional amendment, the membership is thusly restricted but that should not prevent the exchange of ideas, communication and promotion of flight test safety with other flight test professionals at our symposia. Hence we have made efforts to collaborate with SFTE and AIAA and all SETP symposia are open to the public.

My goals as President include bolstering outreach, robust symposia and volunteerism as our industry transforms at a rapid pace. A success story of the Educational Outreach Committee on the SETP Foundation was that of Anthony Nunez who received a full scholarship to Stanford, where he plans to study engineering. Anthony notes his experience at the SETP Annual Symposium as inspiring him in his journey, with thanks to the SETP Foundation’s mentorship with STEM outreach. Need help with conducting STEM activities? Great tools can be found on the SETP website here: Educational Outreach (setp.org). Each of us has the ability to inspire more youth to pursue careers in aviation and in the flight test profession. Consider spearheading an outreach event this year and add to the SETP Foundation’s success.

I attended 7 symposia and saw over 50 diverse presentations with great attendance, particularly at the 53rd European Section Symposium in Lucerne, Switzerland. The notable trend is more presentations are focused on electric powered/vertical lift, unmanned or remotely pilot vehicles and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in aerospace vehicles. The oldie but goodies never lose their value however, particularly when it comes to first flight. We need more papers for Cockpit magazine. We need more presentation submissions. A lot is happening in the flight test world that is not being shared because many companies are reluctant to allow members to share their ideas in a public forum and impose burdensome, overly complicated public release/disclosure requirements, not that mine is one of them. Do not let bureaucracy get in the way of sharing important lessons learned. Corporate bean counters want to know why they are funding SETP activities. Tell them the ideas we share are for the mutual benefit of all and for the professional development of their test pilots. Refer them to Jimmy Doolittle’s historical background I recited from our history book above.

Finally, I want to thank the members of the 2023-2024 Board of Directors, Committees, Foundation, Scholarship Foundation, Flight Test Safety Committee, symposia chairs and presenters for volunteering their time and efforts for the betterment of the Society. I especially want to thank the SETP headquarters staff: Laurie, Tammy, and Susan and welcome Jasmine. These four squared away ladies are what keeps our Society running! And to all the past Presidents who provided me with timely advice, most of which was useful, I salute you. See you all in Anaheim!

I want to hear from you directly. Email me your ideas, requests, and funny memes and I will respond within 48 hours! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fly safe. Be active. Inspire the next generation of test pilots.

John “Toonces” Tougas (AF)
President, SETP
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.