Annual Symposium & Banquet

63rd Annual Symposium & Banquet - Hotel Reservations

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is pleased to announce the

63rd Annual Symposium & Banquet

25-28 September 2019

The Grand Californian Hotel ~ Anaheim, California

Hotel reservations are now being accepted for SETP's Annual Symposium & Banquet!  We recommend that you book a room early to ensure you receive the group rate, even if you are uncertain of your attendance.  You can always cancel the room if necessary (please review the hotel cancellation policy).  The last day to book a room at the group rate is 4 September 2019 unless the block sells out prior to this date.

You may purchase discounted tickets to the theme parks with the hotel links listed below. Tickets are valid from 09/20/2019 through 10/01/2019.

Our ticket store closes at 9:00 PM PST on 09/22/2019 and we will NOT sell tickets at the Registration Desk.

Active Duty or DoD Employees: This year's government block will be located at the Disneyland Hotel.  Please click HERE to book your room at this rate if you are active duty military or a DoD employee.  I.D. will be required at the time of check-in.

To book a room at the group rate for The Paradise Pier or The Grand Californian Hotel, please click HERE.



More information on the events and pricing will be available when the registration site opens in mid-June. Check this site often for updates.

We hope to see you in Anaheim!  If you have any questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

63rd Annual Symposium & Banquet - Call for Papers

THE SOCIETY OF EXPERIMENTAL TEST PILOTS

63^rd SYMPOSIUM & BANQUET

The Grand Californian Hotel
Anaheim, California

25-28 September 2019

CALL FOR PAPERS

Since 1957, professionals in the international flight test community have gathered at the annual “S&B” to exchange lessons learned, focus on new and emerging concepts, and engage in the pursuit of enhanced flight test safety and efficiency. The foundation for this endeavor has always been the presentation of technical papers from Society members and the flight test community at large. Whether you’re a flight test “gray beard,” a newly minted TPS grad, or someone in between, we all have something to contribute. Many of your lessons learned (and relearned) are germane to why our Society exists, and should be submitted for consideration at this year’s event. Please share your knowledge, share your issues, share your solutions.

Papers for the 2019 Symposium will be selected on the basis of their potential to educate and enlighten attendees. Technical content is paramount; tailor your submission to provide value to a diverse international audience. 

Presented papers are eligible for one of three different awards.  The first is the Ray Tenhoff award which was established in 1962 to recognize the most outstanding technical presentation.  The second is the η "Eta" Award which recognizes the presenter or presenters whose presentation demonstrates how new or refined test techniques, imaginative data collection and processing, novel approaches, more efficient support equipment, fixtures, etc. resulted in better execution of the test program, balanced with risk and mindful of safety.  Finally, there is a new award this year.  The Javier Arango Memorial Award was established in memory of Javier Arango.  Javier was a renowned authority on World War 1 Aircraft and aircraft collector who died in the crash of a replica biplane in 2017. This award recognizes the individual or individuals who share a similar passion for aviation history and the connection between pilot and aircraft.  The Award is given to the presenter or presenters whose presentation at the Annual Symposium has a significant historical or Human Machine Interface (HMI) focus.  To qualify as a historical presentation the material should be about events, aircraft or people whose relevance or focus took place greater than 25 years before the current date.  The winners for all these awards are determined by a panel of judges at the completion of the annual Symposium. More information can be found at www.setp.org/awards/criteria/.

Manuscripts will be gratefully accepted for online publication, but are not required to be selected.  However, it is often challenging to tell your full story in the time allotted and a written paper will often compliment the important message you have for the Society with additional details and insight.  The Society recognizes the amount of work required to prepare a paper, so manuscripts do not need to be submitted until 4 November 2019.  Please consider submitting a manuscript for publication to tell the whole story, should you be selected to present.

PLEASE NOTE:  PAPERS MUST BE TECHNICALLY ORIENTED, NOT SALES ORIENTED.  AVOID DIRECT REFERENCE TO COMPETING SYSTEMS.

Abstracts should provide, in no more than 150 words, both the one or two critical ideas or lessons you hope your audience will remember and how your lessons will be explained and/or defended in the presentation. The deadline for abstract submission is 7 June 2019. Titles should not exceed ten words.  Each technical presentation selected is given a 30-minute slot, which includes time for any questions/discussion from the audience.  

Please feel free to contact Stuart “Chia” Rogerson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any questions regarding content, themes, judging, or process.

Email abstracts to:

Attn:  Stuart “Chia” Rogerson (AF) - Symposium Chairman

C/O SETP Headquarters – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.