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National Test Pilot School Graduation December 2019
On Friday December 13th, 2019 The National Test Pilot School celebrated the graduation of the Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer Professional Course 2019A. The graduation culminates an intensive year of academics and flight test training in aircraft performance, handling qualities, and systems. The graduates were: Flight Lieutenant Dylan Banning, Royal Australian Air Force; Captain Waldo Britz, Australian Army; Captain James Flawith, Australian Army; Flight Lieutenant Andrew Gill, Royal Australian Air Force; Flight Lieutenant David Kennedy, Royal Australian Air Force; Major Raz Rosenberg, Israeli Air Force. The graduates were awarded Experimental Flight Test or Flight Test Engineering Certificates and Masters’ degrees in Flight Test and Evaluation or Flight Test Engineering. The graduates will return to their home countries and start their careers in flight testing. The National Test Pilot School also celebrated Mr. Jacob Varnus for completing the NTPS Graduate Assistant Program. Jacob received a Flight Test Engineering Certificate and Master’s Degree in Flight Test Engineering and has accepted a position with the Space Ship Company, right here in Mojave.
The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) is a not-for-profit civilian educational institution located and incorporated in the State of California. The School was established in 1981 to meet the flight test training needs of both the US and international aerospace communities. NTPS students and customers come from a variety of backgrounds including military organizations, aerospace industry, governments, certification agencies, and even private citizens. NTPS is accredited by ABET, the first test pilot in the world to be certified by European Aviation Safety Agency, and is recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
The mission of the National Test Pilot School is to educate and train military and civilian aviation personnel so that each graduate increases flight test competency, improves flight test and aviation safety, and enhances the aerospace profession world-wide. Our mission is primarily accomplished through our professional courses and master’s programs that provide graduate level flight test education and training to test pilots and flight test engineers who learn to safely and effectively plan, execute, and report on flight test programs for their military or civilian organizations. Our mission is further accomplished through NTPS' continuing education programs, flight test-related research programs, and flight test support activities that increase competency, safety, and the breadth of knowledge in the aviation and flight test professions.
Sir George Edwards / Sir Ralph Robins / Sir Charles Masefield (National Aerospace Library Sound Archive)
For your information a historic 1973 sound recording of Sir George Edwards HonFRAeS in which he recollects on the how the British aircraft industry evolved during his long career in aviation has just been added to the National Aerospace Library Sound Archive - a real 'Who's Who' of aviation personalities and historical subjects based on original recordings held in the Library's archives - and is now available to listen to via the Royal Aeronautical Society's SoundCloud web-site :-
The specific link to the video / sound recording is (just click on the arrow button to 'Play'):-
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-classic-lecture-series-looking-ahead-with-hindsight-by-sir-george-edwards-hon-fraes/
Sir George Edwards' lecture has been released alongside recordings of the 1997 Inaugural Whittle Lecture lecture by Sir Ralph Robins in which he discusses the legacy of Sir Frank Whittle and a 1997 lecture by Sir Charles Masefield in which reviews the future direction of European aerospace collaboration beginning with his personal selection of the 16 most significant aircraft platforms in aviation history.
Annual Flight Test Seminar Hosted by ITPS
ITPS hosted the Annual Flight Test Seminar on 12-13 December 2019. It was a great event well attended and fully in the spirit of sharing experiences and lessons learned in different flight test programs.
Click the link below to read the full article on the event!
https://www.skiesmag.com/news/londons-itps-hosts-international-flight-test-community/
Col. Joe Kittinger HonFRAeS interview (National Aerospace Library Sound Archive)
For your information a video recording of an extended interview with Col. Joe Kittinger HonFRAeS on his extraordinary career in the field of flight testing and aeromedical research including his August 16 1960 parachute descent from 102,800 ft at the edge of Space from the Excelsior III high-altitude balloon has just been added to the National Aerospace Library Sound Archive - a real 'Who's Who' of aviation personalities and historical subjects based on original recordings held in the Library's archives - and is now available to listen to via the Royal Aeronautical Society's SoundCloud web-site :-
The specific link to the video / sound recording is (just click on the arrow button to 'Play'):-
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-video-an-interview-with-col-joe-kittinger-hon-fraes/
The interview with Col. Kittinger - which was specially arranged for the National Aerospace Library Sound Archive - has been released alongside recordings of a 1995 lecture by Sir Peter Masefield in which he recollects on the work of the Brabazon Committees and their impact on the development of postwar British civil aviation and a 1997 lecture by Alan Mulally providing his personal insights into future development of the world aerospace industry.
Read more: Col. Joe Kittinger HonFRAeS interview (National Aerospace Library Sound Archive)
SETP 63rd Annual Symposium - Photo Gallery and VideoCasts Now Available
The video podcasts for the 63rd Annual SETP Symposium are now available to view in the Member's Only section of the SETP website.
You will need your username and password to access the podcasts. Click HERE to log in.
Click HERE to view the photo gallery for the Annual Symposium.
October 2019, President's Message
To the Society,
I am honored to serve this amazing society and its diverse members.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about—and discussing with many of you—how to use my short year in this office. I’ll quickly address three things I often find myself returning to.
First, I intend to address the concept of “Lessons Learned” to encourage our members to go beyond just sharing their lessons with conference audiences. I believe that lessons are only truly learned when the learner changes the processes that left the lesson unlearned. When I’m at a conference, I want to hear about—and reward—the concrete actions presenters took to ensure that their lessons would stay learned.
Second, the loss of Julian Nott—a good friend and SETP member—has kept me thinking: What is a “Test Pilot?” You see, Julian was solely a balloon pilot, yet he was clearly a test pilot. What is it that makes a test pilot when it apparently isn’t a particular set of motor skills? It feels like the answer is, “I know it when I see it,” but this is not a basis for rational decision-making. I would like to find a durable definition of “test pilot.” One that can survive in our rapidly-changing aerospace industry.
Finally, one of the most important characteristics of a test pilot is a strong sense of ethics. I would like to explore creating an SETP Code of Ethics to capture and share the ethical lessons that our members have learned.
Each of these areas will be addressed by a separate working group. If you are interested in being involved, please let me know by emailing me at “This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..”
To all of you, thank you so much for your mentorship, your fellowship, and your trust. I am committed to making the most of this year by making our society better in substantive ways, but the Society of Experimental Test Pilots is what it is because of the membership and what we all do! Please stay active and involved and help us grow into the future.
“Evil” Bill Gray (F)
SETP President
Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert de La Ferte / Air Marshal Sir Victor Goddard / Sir Geoffrey de Havilland (National Aerospace Library Sound Archive)
For your information historic sound recordings of a 1963 lecture by Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert de La Ferte recollecting the airmen of the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, of a 1964 lecture by Air Marshal Sir Victor Goddard providing his personal insights into the first 50 years of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force and a recording of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland recalling how he designed the D.H 1, D.H.2 and the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.1 aircraft have just been added to the National Aerospace Library Sound Archive - a real 'Who's Who' of aviation personalities and historical subjects based on original recordings held in the Library's archives - and are now available to listen to via the Royal Aeronautical Society's SoundCloud web-site :-
The specific links to the recordings are (just click on the arrow button to 'Play'):-
A quick link to the historic lectures and speeches available so far (including Sir Frederick Handley Page, Igor Sikorsky, Jeffrey Quill, Peter Twiss, Charles H. Gibbs-Smith, Andrew Brookes, Silvius Dornier, Sir Richard Glazebrook, Commander Graeme Rowan-Thomson, Keith Hayward, Sir Dermot Boyle, Philip Wills, Chris Yeo, Captain John Cecil Kelly-Rogers, Col. Al Worden, Peter Hearne, Sir George Edwards, Captain John Cecil Kelly-Rogers, John Farley, A. W. 'Bill' Bedford, H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, Christopher Bartlett, Andy Sephton, Dr. Ron Smith, A. R. Collar, Sir Vernon Brown, Air Commodore F. R. 'Rod' Banks, L. S. Snaith and Mike Hirst) is:-
https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-podcast/sets/classic-lecture-series