This is where the competition gets tough. A technical degree is highly desirable, and many applicants have advanced engineering degrees. Favorable endorsements from previous commanding officers also figure prominently into the selection process. Only one of every eight Air Force pilots who apply are accepted. For the Navy, it's one in nine including Naval Flight Officers. The Army and Marine Corps have their own test pilot school selection processes with average acceptance/application ratios of one in seven and one in twelve, respectively.
The Navy trains the Army and most Marine test pilots, but the Navy and Air Force schools usually have an exchange test pilot student from the other's service in most classes. These schools, along with the British and French military test pilot schools, conduct an 11-month course. Anyone who's taken the course, however, would probably attest to the fact that enough material is covered in those 11 months to fill a multi-year curriculum. Admission to these schools is not open to the public.
The National Test Pilot School in California and International Test Pilot School in England offer a variety of flight test courses both for pilots and flight test engineers (FTEs). National accepts civilians, but most of their students come from foreign military, government, and aircraft companies. National likes to see at least 1,000 hours of flight time from its test pilot applicants.
General Aviation
Graduating from a formal test pilot school is often a prerequisite for being hired as a test pilot by many of the larger aircraft companies, but this is not always the case. Cessna, for example, does not hire test pilots. To achieve that status the pilot must first earn the opportunity through years of successful flight test engineering work. FTEs must have an engineering degree and flight experience. A pilot certificate is preferred. The progression typically includes ground work, then airborne work at an FTE station in the rear of the airplane, then the right seat, and finally the promotion to test pilot and left seat privileges. An FTE has probably amassed at least 2,500 flight hours (2,000 of which would be flight test experience) by the time he (or she) is considered for promotion.
Most Cessna test pilots are not ex-military, but Eric Fiore came to Cessna from a test pilot position at Fairchild Aircraft, and had nine years as an Air Force jet pilot before that. He worked his way up as an FTE to the left seat testing the Citation X. Along the way he had to demonstrate his FTE skills, strong piloting skills, and successful test management skills. He says the typical Cessna test pilot - there are 12 - flies about 400 hours per year. Cessna promotes an FTE to test pilot about once every three years on average. Salary is roughly equivalent to captain's pay for the type aircraft the pilot is testing.
Only a third of the flight testing is concerned with the airplane's flying qualities and performance. About two-thirds of the testing Fiore does is systems-related. Flight management, avionics integration, navigation, autopilot, etc. comprise the majority of the flight test work.
Fiore's advice to aspiring test pilots is - get a solid engineering foundation and as much flight experience as possible in a variety of aircraft types.
New Certification
Hans Oesch is the lead test pilot for the Lancair Columbia, the four-place airplane loosely based on the company's successful Lancair ES kitplane. His work is developmental, ensuring compliance with Federal Aviation Regulation Part 23 certification requirements.
Oesch, who has an master's degree in mechanical engineering, came to Lancair specifically for this project. He's not a graduate of a formal test pilot school, but he attended a 10-week course at National Test Pilot School. He began his career as an FTE for Pilatus, working mostly on their PC-9 turboprop trainer. Between Pilatus and Lancair he has been involved with several certification projects including the Diamond Dimona motorglider, Diamond proof of concept for the Katana, Stemme S10VC Sensor Platform, Grob EGRETT high altitude research aircraft (as FTE and chase pilot), and the FFA AS 202/32TP turboprop trainer.
For the Columbia program he flies every kind of flight test. While the Columbia's systems are not as sophisticated as a business jet, they nevertheless must operate correctly. Most of his test work involves the airplane's flying qualities, performance, and pilot-airplane interface issues. From Vx and Vy determinations to appropriate control stick forces, to spin resistance demonstrations, Oesch does it all.
It's difficult to match the excitement of taking a new airplane from design through certification and production, but there can be drawbacks. Flight time is one. Oesch may fly several test hops a day for two months, then sit on the ground while the company incorporates corrections and improvements in the prototype. In his nearly two years at Lancair, Oesch has flown approximately 220 flight test hours on the Columbia. He flies about one hour for every 10 hours spent on the ground in preparation, analysis, and design support. To remain proficient, he flies other aircraft in his spare time.
Oesch's advice to the aspiring test pilot is that an engineering background is essential. Learn the test pilot job as an FTE, because the working relationship of the pilot-engineer team is crucial. Fly as much as possible in as many different aircraft types as you can. And don't be afraid of the unusual career path. Just keep working toward your goal.
FAA
In his capacity at Lancair, Oesch works closely with the FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) in Seattle. The FAA has 28 test pilot positions around the country for both fixed wing and rotary wing test pilots. Jim Acree is an FAA test pilot at the ACO in Forth Worth.
Acree's background includes a number of years flying in the Navy, some of which was spent on the staff of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. The FAA does not insist on a test pilot school grad, but 75 percent of FAA test pilots have that experience. Competition for these jobs is stiff. Openings are rare, and generally come about when a test pilot retires - about once every other year.
The FAA test pilot's job is usually to take a "second look" at an airplane or system change. He samples various regulatory requirements after an aircraft company submits the engineering data indicating its aircraft is in compliance with the FARs. On some occasions, an FAA test pilot might fly along with company test pilots, performing concurrent testing instead of a second look. Certain low risk tests, such as function and reliability testing, fall into this category. He may also accompany the factory test team during other events that are difficult or prohibitively expensive to perform twice. Such concurrent testing requires a waiver from the ACO.
Certification of a new design comes along every now and then, but most of an FAA test pilot's flying is system-related. Acree's job includes compliance verification of the FARs for new installations and design changes of various aircraft components and systems. Examples include flight management systems, navigation systems, ground proximity warning systems, traffic collision avoidance systems, controls, and displays.
This workload generally nets Acree about 100 hours per year of official flight-test time. He maintains his proficiency in various airplane types as necessary when test flights are infrequent.
Acree's advice to the aspiring test pilot - have a strong engineering background and gather as much flight experience as possible in a variety of aircraft types. For the FAA test pilot position, aircraft industry experience is desirable and graduation from a military test pilot school is a plus.
It's Not About Setting Your Hair on Fire
The name of the flight test game is risk reduction. You'll fly no unplanned low passes or victory rolls following a successful test series. You just do the job, analyze the data, and learn from the results.
Today, flight test incorporates careful planning, preparation, and professional execution. The days (or at least the myth) of kick the tires and light the fires have long since passed, and it's probably no coincidence that so have the unacceptably high mishap rates. An adage posted on a wall at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School succinctly states the test pilot's philosophy - "Plan the flight. Fly the plan."
Whether your route to a test pilot's job is through the military, an aircraft company, or some convoluted career path, it's a long haul. But so is the path to an airline job. Test pilots face challenges not found elsewhere in the aviation business. Successfully meeting those challenges provides the test pilot with a sense of achievement and professional gratification that is hard to match anywhere.
Ed Kolano is a former U.S. Marine aviator, a graduate of and former military and civilian instructor at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
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