U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is the Air Force's very advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilot
s, flight test engineer
s, and flight test navigators
to carry out tests and evaluations of new aerospace weapon systems and also other aircraft of the U.S. Air Force. This school was established on 9 September 1944 as the Flight Test Training Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
(AFB) in Dayton, Ohio
. To take advantage of the uncongested skies and the usually superb flying weather, the test pilot school was officially moved to its present location at Edwards Air Force Base
in the northwestern Mojave Desert
of Southern California
on 4 February 1951.
The Test Pilot School was created to formalize and standardize test pilot training in order to reduce the high accident
rate during the 1940s and increase the number of productive test flights. In response to the increasing complexity of aircraft and their electronic systems, the school added training programs for flight test engineers and flight test navigators. Between 1962 and 1972, the test pilot school included astronaut training for armed forces test pilots, but these classes were dropped when the U.S. Air Force manned spaceflight
program was suspended. Class sizes have been uniformly quite small, with recent classes having about twenty students. The school is a component of the 412th Test Wing
of the Air Force Materiel Command
(AFMC).
at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station
, Maryland
, to learn flight testing techniques from U.S. Naval aviators. Also, the USAF Test Pilot School has an exchange program with the Empire Test Pilots' School
at Boscombe Down, England
, and the EPNER
(École du Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Réception), the French Test Pilot's School.
Although the United States Armed Forces had been evaluating aircraft since Lt. Benny Foulois flew with Orville Wright in 1909, the designation of "test pilot" was not formally applied until a group of McCook Field
pilots was assigned to a flight Testing Squadron at Wright Field
during World War I
. Test pilot selection was a seemingly indiscriminate process yielding a mix of experienced pilots who had volunteered for the task, flight instructors who were simply assigned to the job, and the occasional officer fresh from flying school. One of the latter, Lt. Donald Putt, who would later rise to the rank of Lieutenant General, recalled:
Test pilot training was nearly as informal as the selection process with most material directed toward the aeronautical engineers who supervised the tests. Reports and texts of this time provided little guidance regarding how tests should be flown. The best training for test pilots came from practical experience gained while flying as observers and hangar-talk tutorials from other pilots. A test pilot was not expected to have a formal engineering background. He was simply to follow the instructions on the test card and fly the airplane appropriately. Setting the standard to overcome this condition were test pilots such as Jimmy Doolittle
. While at McCook Field, Doolittle served as a test pilot
but was given leave to earn both master of science and doctoral degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. Today, most test pilot
s have advanced degrees in engineering.
Inspired by the RAF
's Empire Test Pilots' School
(ETPS), Colonel Ernest K. Warburton, chief of the Flight Test Section at Wright Field
, set about changing the role and status of flight testing in the Army Air Forces
. His goals for the flight test community were standardization and independence, which were later realized with the establishment of the Air Technical Command Flight Test Training unit on 9 September 1944 and the independent Flight Test Division in 1945. The AAF
now had a formal program of study to train young pilots to become flight test professionals. Under the command of Major Ralph C. Hoewing, the Flight Test Training Unit's curriculum included classroom sessions covering performance flight test theory and piloting techniques. The students then put theory into practice with performance evaluations on the AT-6 Texan trainer. Shortly after the first class graduated, the school was redesignated the Flight Section School Branch with an increased focus on academic theory. In 1945, the school moved to Vandalia Municipal Airport (now the Dayton International Airport
), after which it was redesignated the Flight Performance School and placed under the command of Lt. Colonel John R. Muehlberg who became the first to carry the title "Commandant
". Under Muehlberg, who in 1944/45 had attended the second course at the newly-established ETPS in England, the school increased its fleet with P-51s, B-17s and B-25s and expanded the curriculum to include a separate four-month stability and control course in addition to the existing performance course. In 1946, the test pilot school was moved again to nearby Patterson Field and Colonel Albert Boyd
was assigned as Chief of the Flight Test Division. Col. Boyd
profoundly influenced both the school and the character of its future AAF test pilots with his insistence on precision flying skills and discipline. A graduate of the school in 1946, Major Bob Cardenas
, later summarized Col. Boyd
's influence:
Frequent bad weather and increased air traffic congestion at Wright-Patterson
often prevented students from completing their course work on time. In addition, most Air Force (incl. the USAAF) airplanes were by then being manufactured and tested by contractors on the West Coast of the United States
. For these and other reasons, Col. Boyd
began the transfer of all flight test operations, including the test pilot school, to Muroc Army Air Field in the desert of southern California
. The school continued operations at Patterson Field, and 1947 saw the first USAF class and the first class to fly jets. The Lockheed
P-80 Shooting Star
would provide jet performance training at the school until 1954.
In 1949, this school was renamed the Air Material Command Experimental Test Pilot School, and the soon-to-be Brigadier General
Boyd assumed command of Muroc Air Force Base. Boyd chose Major John Amman, an instructor at the school, to go to Muroc, AFB, and implement the details of the school's move westward. On 8 December 1949, Muroc AFB was renamed the Edwards Air Force Base
in honor of Glen Edwards
, TPS class 45, who was killed in the crash of the Northrop YB-49
Flying Wing bomber. Captain Edwards, who had recently earned a Master of Science
degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton
, typified the new breed of test pilot
of which Cardenas had written — one who combined the talents of a highly skilled pilot with the technical expertise of an engineer. Amman completed his work and on 4 February 1951 the school was officially transferred to Edwards Air Force Base
. The enormous dry lake bed, extremely long runways, and clear weather would serve the USAF and the school well as aircraft performance continued to increase.
The Test Pilot School was housed in an old weather-beaten wooden hangar along the flight line of what became known as South Base. Although the quarters were spartan, the weather was superb with only two flying days lost due to weather in the first seven months of operation. Taking advantage of the calm morning air, students started the day flying missions to collect test data. Afternoons were spent in the lecture hall and evenings devoted to reducing data from the day's flights. Data reduction was dull and labor-intensive, requiring the student to transcribe information recorded on film or oscillograph
paper and perform calculations by hand or slide rule
. Once reduced, the data was woven into a report that summarized the test and the student's conclusions. Some students were not prepared for the rigorous academics and had to be dropped from enrollment. This situation improved in 1953 when the school was moved out of Air Research and Development Command which allowed the selection boards to draw from a much larger, USAF-wide, pool of applicants rather than just the local test squadrons.
Although changes to the curriculum could be made quickly, acquisition of aircraft for the school remained a perennial challenge for the school's staff. The T-33 Shooting Star
arrived in 1953 and became a staple for the students over the next 23 years. Additional aircraft were added during the 1950s, including the F-84 Thunderjet
, F-86 Sabre
, F-100 Super Sabre
, B-57 Canberra
, and F-102 Delta Dagger
— the school's first delta-winged airplane. In 1955, the school was renamed the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Pilot School, and a year later, moved into its present location on the Main Base facility. This new building, built at a cost of $156,000, was the first and only structure designed specifically for the purposes of the school.
In 1956, the school chose an official emblem, featuring a slide rule in front of the silhouette of a climbing jet, and a motto, Scientia est Virtus — Latin for "Knowledge is Power". The new logo emphasized the school's role in preparing students with both the technical theory and flying skills indispensable for evaluating modern aircraft. The new logo also replaced the unofficial badge of Dr. Howland Owl, a character from the popular Pogo comic strip, that appeared on the noses of many of school's airplanes.
Between 1962 and 1975, the test pilot school expanded its role to include astronaut training for armed forces test pilots. Thirty-seven TPS graduates were selected for the U.S. space program, and twenty-six earned astronaut's wings by flying in the X-15
, Gemini
, Apollo, and Space Shuttle
programs.
On 21 May 2009 a T-38 Talon
from the test pilot school on a training flight crashed 12 miles north of Edwards AFB, killing the student pilot Major Mark Paul Graziano and severely injuring the student navigator Major Lee Vincent Jones. An accident investigation determined that the crash was caused when the aircraft's rudder operating mechanism disconnected the flight controls from the rudder actuators and caused the rudder to deflect 30 degrees to the left. This induced an uncontrollable yaw and a resulting roll, causing the aircraft to depart controlled flight, a condition that is unrecoverable in the T-38. The report stated that contributing factors to the crash were a structural fatigue failure or structural break in a critical component or bolt, and a maintenance error in which a nut or cotter pin did not properly secure a bolt connecting two critical components. Citing two historical cases of rudder failure, the report concluded that maintenance error was the more likely cause. The investigation concluded that "insufficient supervisory oversight and a lack of discipline of the training process" in the Maintenance unit existed in relation to the mishap aircraft.
. Although not an official prerequisite for the position, most commandants are themselves graduates of the test pilot school.
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
s, flight test engineer
Flight test engineer
A Flight Test Engineer is an engineer involved in the flight testing of prototype aircraft or aircraft systems.-Overview:The Flight Test Engineer generally has overall responsibility for the planning of a specific flight test phase, which includes preparing the test plans in conjunction with other...
s, and flight test navigators
Flight officer
The title flight officer was a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces where it was an air force warrant officer rank. It was also an air force rank in several Commonwealth nations where it was used for female officers and was equivalent to the rank of flight lieutenant...
to carry out tests and evaluations of new aerospace weapon systems and also other aircraft of the U.S. Air Force. This school was established on 9 September 1944 as the Flight Test Training Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
(AFB) in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. To take advantage of the uncongested skies and the usually superb flying weather, the test pilot school was officially moved to its present location at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in the northwestern Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
on 4 February 1951.
The Test Pilot School was created to formalize and standardize test pilot training in order to reduce the high accident
Accident
An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...
rate during the 1940s and increase the number of productive test flights. In response to the increasing complexity of aircraft and their electronic systems, the school added training programs for flight test engineers and flight test navigators. Between 1962 and 1972, the test pilot school included astronaut training for armed forces test pilots, but these classes were dropped when the U.S. Air Force manned spaceflight
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
program was suspended. Class sizes have been uniformly quite small, with recent classes having about twenty students. The school is a component of the 412th Test Wing
412th Test Wing
The 412th Test Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.-Overview:...
of the Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Materiel Command
Air Force Materiel Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. AFMC was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command....
(AFMC).
Mission
The mission of the USAF Test Pilot School is to produce highly-adaptive, critical-thinking flight test professionals to lead and conduct full-spectrum test and evaluation of aerospace weapon systems. Performing this mission allows the school to fulfill the vision of being the world’s premiere educational and training center of excellence for theoretical and applied flight test engineering.Selection process
- Admission into the USAF TPS is clearly extremely competitive, with thousands of pilots to select from. The best and the brightest of the available thousands compete to attend this School. It is not uncommon for potential students to have been alternates two or three times before being accepted.
- civilians are also permitted and encouraged to apply for the long course program
- Prospective students should provide AF Form 1711, USAF Test Pilot School Application, plus additional forms specific to a) USAF Pilot/Navigator, b) Experimental FTE, and c) Civilian applicant for the selection board.
- Experimental FTE and civilian applicants are required to undergo a flying Class III physical prior to the TPS selection board
- Applications must be received by Special Flying Programs Section HQ AFPC/DPAOT3 no later than 45 days before the selection boards meets. USAF selection boards are held once a year at the Headquarters of the Air Force Personnel Center. The boards are normally held in November and the board selects the TPS two classes for the next year. It is at this point that AFIT-TPS students, and students for foreign TPS schools are also selected. The USAF TPS Commandant Chairs the Chair of the Board. Board members consist of a HQ AFPC Colonel, and at least a majority of the board members must be TPS graduates (Majors or Lieutenant Colonels) who are standing flight test squadron commanders. The AFMC/DO selects board members.
Admission requirements
As of July 2009, the admission requirements for application to the USAF TPS are:| Course | Time in Service | Education | Experience | Physical Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | ≤ 10 years | B.S. Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on... in Engineering, Math, or Physics (GPA > 2.5) |
750 hours or Instructor Pilot (IP) in a major weapon system 12 months Aircraft Commander (AC) in a major weapon system or the equivalent in non-weapons systems, such as transports or reconnaissance planes (e.g. SR-71) |
|
| Navigator | ≤ 10 years | B.S. in Engineering, Math, or Physics (GPA > 2.5) | 500 hours or Instructor Navigator (IN) in a major weapon system or the equivalent in non-weapons systems, such as transports or reconnaissance planes (e.g. RC-135) |
|
| Engineer | ≤ 8 years | B.S. in Engineering, Math, or Physics (GPA > 2.8) A technical M.S. degree Master of Science A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:... desired |
≥ 2 years in 13XX, 14NX, 21AX, 21CX, 21LX, 21MX, 33SX, 61SX, 62EX, 63AX Civilian: ≥ 2 years in Test & Evaluation |
- Grade Point Average (GPA) is on a 4.0 scale.
- Air Force standards for flying duty are defined in Air Force Instruction 48-123, Volume 3, Attachment 4.
- Air Force Specialty CodeAir Force Specialty CodeThe Air Force Specialty Code is an alphanumeric code used by the United States Air Force to identify an Air Force Specialty . Officer AFSCs consist of four characters and enlisted AFSCs consist of five characters. A letter prefix or suffix may be used with an AFSC when more specific identification...
s listed for engineers include:- 13XX—Operations: Space, Missile, Command and Control
- 14NX—Operations: Intelligence
- 21AX—Logistics: Aircraft Maintenance
- 21CX—Logistics: (not found)
- 21LX—Logistics: Logistician
- 21MX—Logistics: Munitions and Missile Maintenance
- 33SX—Support: Communications and Information
- 61SX—Acquisition: Scientist
- 62EX—Acquisition: Developmental Engineer
- 63AX—Acquisition: Acquisition Manager
Exchange program
From time to time, students are selected to attend different test pilot schools in an exchange program between test cultures. Toward this end, students can be sent to the Naval Test Pilot SchoolUnited States Naval Test Pilot School
The United States Naval Test Pilot School , located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Maryland, provides instruction to experienced United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and foreign military experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test...
at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station Patuxent River
"Pax River" redirects here. For the river, see Patuxent River.Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States Naval Air Station located in St. Mary's County, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to the U.S...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, to learn flight testing techniques from U.S. Naval aviators. Also, the USAF Test Pilot School has an exchange program with the Empire Test Pilots' School
Empire Test Pilots' School
The Empire Test Pilots' School is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type...
at Boscombe Down, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and the EPNER
EPNER
EPNER, is the French test pilot school, based at the Istres Le Tube Airbase, France. One of the four main test pilot schools in the western hemisphere, EPNER maintains close links with the other three schools; The Empire Test Pilot's School ; The United States Air Force Test Pilot School and The...
(École du Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Réception), the French Test Pilot's School.
Course of Study
- The USAF Test Pilot School curriculum is designed to grant a Masters of Science degree in Flight Test Engineering through the Air Force's Air University at the end of the 48-week course. Students are required to take all of the 20 offered courses in order to graduate. This is a total of 50 credit hours for the 48-week course. Each of the four phases is broken down into three or four main lecture courses, plus their associated flight laboratoryLaboratoryA laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
work or flight simulatorFlight simulatorA flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
work, and actual practice flights. To graduate from the USAF TPS, a student must be in good standing and satisfactorily complete all academic tests, all oral and written reports, all of the required flight missions, and also complete comprehensive pre-graduation written and oral evaluations with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. - Accreditation from the American Council of Education (ACE) has been in effect since July 1974 (last updated in July 1998) to recommend selected coursework for transfer credit to other higher educationHigher educationHigher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
institutions. - At graduation, the Commandant usually presents the following awards
- Liethen-Tittle Award to the experimental test pilot graduate with the best overall record for outstanding performance and academic excellence.
- R.L. Jones Award to the outstanding experimental test navigator or experimental flight test engineer graduate with the best overall record for outstanding performance and academic excellence.
Curriculum
- There are two classes held a year, each 48 weeks each (aka long class). There are 3 tracks that students can apply for: Experimental Test Pilot (ETP), Flight Test Engineer (FTE), or Flight Test Navigator (FTN). The upper class is called the senior class, while the lower class are called the juniors, determined by what point they are at in their studies at TPS. The class size at TPS varies. Over the past few years there have been over 20 TPS students per class.
- 4 main subdisciplines taught by the USAF TPS Education Division:
- Performance
- Flying Qualities
- Systems
- Test Management
- TPS also offers short courses in the following areas
- Aerospace Vehicle Test Course
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight Test Engineering
- Electronic Warfare Flight Test Engineering
- Test Management
- Equations of Motion
- Propulsion
- Senior Executive Course
- Organization of the class uses the following chain of command
- Commandant—TPS Commander
- Deputy Commandant—TPS Deputy Commander
- Class Leader— assigned by the front office based on seniority and academic curriculum to assist the student population
- Students
- Facilities include
- two fully functional Control Rooms
- RADAR and Electro-Optics Labs
- Variable-Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft or VISTAF-16 VISTA|-See also:-External links:* * * * *...
- student library
- 100 airborne laboratories over the course of the academic year from Mig-15 to B-2
Early years
McCook Field
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927...
pilots was assigned to a flight Testing Squadron at Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Test pilot selection was a seemingly indiscriminate process yielding a mix of experienced pilots who had volunteered for the task, flight instructors who were simply assigned to the job, and the occasional officer fresh from flying school. One of the latter, Lt. Donald Putt, who would later rise to the rank of Lieutenant General, recalled:
Test pilot training was nearly as informal as the selection process with most material directed toward the aeronautical engineers who supervised the tests. Reports and texts of this time provided little guidance regarding how tests should be flown. The best training for test pilots came from practical experience gained while flying as observers and hangar-talk tutorials from other pilots. A test pilot was not expected to have a formal engineering background. He was simply to follow the instructions on the test card and fly the airplane appropriately. Setting the standard to overcome this condition were test pilots such as Jimmy Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
. While at McCook Field, Doolittle served as a test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
but was given leave to earn both master of science and doctoral degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. Today, most test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
s have advanced degrees in engineering.
At Wright-Patterson AFB
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's Empire Test Pilots' School
Empire Test Pilots' School
The Empire Test Pilots' School is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type...
(ETPS), Colonel Ernest K. Warburton, chief of the Flight Test Section at Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....
, set about changing the role and status of flight testing in the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. His goals for the flight test community were standardization and independence, which were later realized with the establishment of the Air Technical Command Flight Test Training unit on 9 September 1944 and the independent Flight Test Division in 1945. The AAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
now had a formal program of study to train young pilots to become flight test professionals. Under the command of Major Ralph C. Hoewing, the Flight Test Training Unit's curriculum included classroom sessions covering performance flight test theory and piloting techniques. The students then put theory into practice with performance evaluations on the AT-6 Texan trainer. Shortly after the first class graduated, the school was redesignated the Flight Section School Branch with an increased focus on academic theory. In 1945, the school moved to Vandalia Municipal Airport (now the Dayton International Airport
Dayton International Airport
James M. Cox Dayton International Airport , also referred to as simply Dayton International Airport, is a public airport located nine miles north of the central business district of Dayton, a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The airport is situated in Vandalia and it is owned and...
), after which it was redesignated the Flight Performance School and placed under the command of Lt. Colonel John R. Muehlberg who became the first to carry the title "Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
". Under Muehlberg, who in 1944/45 had attended the second course at the newly-established ETPS in England, the school increased its fleet with P-51s, B-17s and B-25s and expanded the curriculum to include a separate four-month stability and control course in addition to the existing performance course. In 1946, the test pilot school was moved again to nearby Patterson Field and Colonel Albert Boyd
Albert Boyd
Albert Boyd was a pioneering test pilot for the United States Air Force. During his 30 year career, he logged over 23,000 hours of flight time, flying an astounding 723 military aircraft...
was assigned as Chief of the Flight Test Division. Col. Boyd
Albert Boyd
Albert Boyd was a pioneering test pilot for the United States Air Force. During his 30 year career, he logged over 23,000 hours of flight time, flying an astounding 723 military aircraft...
profoundly influenced both the school and the character of its future AAF test pilots with his insistence on precision flying skills and discipline. A graduate of the school in 1946, Major Bob Cardenas
Robert Cardenas
Robert L. "Bob" Cardenas is a retired Brigadier General of the United States Air Force.-Childhood and adolescence:He was born in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. When he was five, his family moved to San Diego, California. He excelled in Mathematics and Physics in high school...
, later summarized Col. Boyd
Albert Boyd
Albert Boyd was a pioneering test pilot for the United States Air Force. During his 30 year career, he logged over 23,000 hours of flight time, flying an astounding 723 military aircraft...
's influence:
Heading West
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
often prevented students from completing their course work on time. In addition, most Air Force (incl. the USAAF) airplanes were by then being manufactured and tested by contractors on the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. For these and other reasons, Col. Boyd
Albert Boyd
Albert Boyd was a pioneering test pilot for the United States Air Force. During his 30 year career, he logged over 23,000 hours of flight time, flying an astounding 723 military aircraft...
began the transfer of all flight test operations, including the test pilot school, to Muroc Army Air Field in the desert of southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The school continued operations at Patterson Field, and 1947 saw the first USAF class and the first class to fly jets. The Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
P-80 Shooting Star
P-80 Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed in 1943 as a response to the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter, and delivered in just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying but...
would provide jet performance training at the school until 1954.
In 1949, this school was renamed the Air Material Command Experimental Test Pilot School, and the soon-to-be Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Boyd assumed command of Muroc Air Force Base. Boyd chose Major John Amman, an instructor at the school, to go to Muroc, AFB, and implement the details of the school's move westward. On 8 December 1949, Muroc AFB was renamed the Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
in honor of Glen Edwards
Glen Edwards (pilot)
Glen Edwards was a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and is the namesake of Edwards Air Force Base.Edwards was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, where he lived until 1931. At age 13, his parents moved the family to California, settling in Lincoln, northeast of Sacramento...
, TPS class 45, who was killed in the crash of the Northrop YB-49
Northrop YB-49
The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered heavy bomber aircraft developed by Northrop shortly after World War II. Intended for service with the U.S. Air Force, the YB-49 featured a flying wing design...
Flying Wing bomber. Captain Edwards, who had recently earned a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, typified the new breed of test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
of which Cardenas had written — one who combined the talents of a highly skilled pilot with the technical expertise of an engineer. Amman completed his work and on 4 February 1951 the school was officially transferred to Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
. The enormous dry lake bed, extremely long runways, and clear weather would serve the USAF and the school well as aircraft performance continued to increase.
Edwards Air Force Base
Oscillograph
An oscillograph is an instrument for measuring alternating or varying electric current in terms of current and voltage. There are two instruments that are in common use today:*Electromagnetic oscillograph*Cathode-ray oscilloscope...
paper and perform calculations by hand or slide rule
Slide rule
The slide rule, also known colloquially as a slipstick, is a mechanical analog computer. The slide rule is used primarily for multiplication and division, and also for functions such as roots, logarithms and trigonometry, but is not normally used for addition or subtraction.Slide rules come in a...
. Once reduced, the data was woven into a report that summarized the test and the student's conclusions. Some students were not prepared for the rigorous academics and had to be dropped from enrollment. This situation improved in 1953 when the school was moved out of Air Research and Development Command which allowed the selection boards to draw from a much larger, USAF-wide, pool of applicants rather than just the local test squadrons.
Although changes to the curriculum could be made quickly, acquisition of aircraft for the school remained a perennial challenge for the school's staff. The T-33 Shooting Star
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
arrived in 1953 and became a staple for the students over the next 23 years. Additional aircraft were added during the 1950s, including the F-84 Thunderjet
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
, F-86 Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, F-100 Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, B-57 Canberra
B-57 Canberra
The Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, and F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
— the school's first delta-winged airplane. In 1955, the school was renamed the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Pilot School, and a year later, moved into its present location on the Main Base facility. This new building, built at a cost of $156,000, was the first and only structure designed specifically for the purposes of the school.
Between 1962 and 1975, the test pilot school expanded its role to include astronaut training for armed forces test pilots. Thirty-seven TPS graduates were selected for the U.S. space program, and twenty-six earned astronaut's wings by flying in the X-15
North American X-15
The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and...
, Gemini
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....
, Apollo, and Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
programs.
On 21 May 2009 a T-38 Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
from the test pilot school on a training flight crashed 12 miles north of Edwards AFB, killing the student pilot Major Mark Paul Graziano and severely injuring the student navigator Major Lee Vincent Jones. An accident investigation determined that the crash was caused when the aircraft's rudder operating mechanism disconnected the flight controls from the rudder actuators and caused the rudder to deflect 30 degrees to the left. This induced an uncontrollable yaw and a resulting roll, causing the aircraft to depart controlled flight, a condition that is unrecoverable in the T-38. The report stated that contributing factors to the crash were a structural fatigue failure or structural break in a critical component or bolt, and a maintenance error in which a nut or cotter pin did not properly secure a bolt connecting two critical components. Citing two historical cases of rudder failure, the report concluded that maintenance error was the more likely cause. The investigation concluded that "insufficient supervisory oversight and a lack of discipline of the training process" in the Maintenance unit existed in relation to the mishap aircraft.
Commandants
The commanding officer of the USAF test pilot school is better known by the title of CommandantCommandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
. Although not an official prerequisite for the position, most commandants are themselves graduates of the test pilot school.
Notable alumni
TPS has produced many notable alumni including astronauts, record-setting aviators, and senior Air Force leaders.See also
- Test Pilot SchoolTest Pilot SchoolThere are several test pilot schools and around the world, formed after the example of the original Empire Test Pilots' School in the UK. All have similar missions: to train already experienced pilots to test new and experimental aircraft. Many test pilot school graduates in the U.S...
- United States Naval Test Pilot SchoolUnited States Naval Test Pilot SchoolThe United States Naval Test Pilot School , located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Patuxent River, Maryland, provides instruction to experienced United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and foreign military experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test...
- National Test Pilot SchoolNational Test Pilot SchoolThe National Test Pilot School is a civilian test pilot school located at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. The school attracts students primarily from commercial aircraft manufacturers and military air forces...
- Empire Test Pilots' SchoolEmpire Test Pilots' SchoolThe Empire Test Pilots' School is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type...
- EPNEREPNEREPNER, is the French test pilot school, based at the Istres Le Tube Airbase, France. One of the four main test pilot schools in the western hemisphere, EPNER maintains close links with the other three schools; The Empire Test Pilot's School ; The United States Air Force Test Pilot School and The...