Why Train at the National Test Pilot School?

The National Test Pilot School offers the best total flight test education and training in the world.  NTPS is located in and uses the finest flight test area in the United States, the R-2508 Complex used also by Edwards AFB and China Lake NAS.  NTPS has modern facilities employing the latest technologies including specialized laboratories, simulators, ranges, and telemetry systems.  Many of the more than thirty aircraft operated by NTPS are instrumented for flight test training and no other school utilizes the variety of specially acquired aircraft to support flight test training.  Flight simulators are used to bridge the gap between the classroom and the cockpit to allow students to explore, practice, and ask questions about flight test techniques before flying in the aircraft.  NTPS has a diverse and extremely experienced staff of instructors.  NTPS instructors come from the top test organizations in the US and around the globe averaging more than 15 years of flight test experience and more than 10 years of flight test instructional experience.

NTPS is the leader in innovative and customized total flight test training in the world.  Innovations include:

  • The first accredited test pilot school in the world
  • The first test pilot school in the world to achieve EASA ATO Certification
  • The first civilian test pilot school.
  • The first to offer the professional course in modules to improve the student learning experience and to support continuous professional development.
  • The first test pilot school to confer Masters degrees.
  • The first to offer Pre-TPS courses to help students prepare/ramp-up for the very demanding professional course.
  • The first test pilot school to make Systems Testing 50 percent of the professional course curriculum.
  • The first test pilot school to transition to predominantly electronic course material delivery.
  • The first test pilot school to develop and certify an Optionally Piloted Aircraft and implement it into the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Curriculum.

Faculty Qualification and Experience

The NTPS employs a full-time professional staff, complemented by part-time academic and flight instructors.  

Name

Specialty

Highest

Degree

TPS

Graduate

Years Flight Test

Experience

Years TPS

Instructor

Flying

Experience

Adam Francki

TP Instructor

MS

US Air Force Test Pilot School

5

1

4,600

Andrea Pingitore

TP Instructor

 MS

US Naval Test Pilot School 

7

 2

2,500 

 Bruce Wilder

FTE Instructor

 MS

US Air Force Test Pilot School 

21

 8

1,400 

Dennis Rippy

TP Instructor

MS

US Naval Test Pilot School 

10

 2

 3,200

 Fabian Machado

TP Instructor 

MBA 

Brazilian Air Force Test Pilot School 

11 

 5

3,500 

 Greg Lewis

TP Instructor 

MS 

US Air Force Test Pilot School 

43 

30

10,160 

 Ilan Arush

FTE Instructor 

 MS

US Naval Test Pilot School 

33 

12

1,200 

 Jason Paquin

TP Instructor 

 BS

 Empire Test Pilot School

13 

4

 4,300

Jim Brown 

TP Instructor 

 MS

US Air Force Test Pilot School 

36

7

 9,925

John Norton 

Academic Instructor 

 MS

--- 

5

11 

8,200 

 Juan Rodriguez

Academic Instructor  

 PhD

--- 

---

---

 Luca Campello

TP Instructor  

 MS

EPNER 

15

 7

 2,500

 Matteo Brambilla

TP Instructor  

 MS

US Naval Test Pilot School 

1,500 

 Pat Garman

TP Instructor    

MBA 

US Naval Test Pilot School 

 

 

 

 Russ Stewart

TP Instructor  

 MS

US Air Force Test Pilot School 

 47

 26

10,100 

 Scott Marshall

OT&E  Instructor  

 MA

---

 40

5,300 

Facilities

hanger-blue.jpg

The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) complex is located at Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California, very close to Edwards, AFB.  Mojave airport houses many civilian flight test organizations and has been designated the Mojave Civilian Flight Test Center.

The National Test Pilot School has in place a joint use agreement between the USAF and the USN to use the airspace and ranges of R2515 and the MOA 2508 on a non-interference basis. Classroom-3

The NTPS complex currently consists of six buildings.  The school hangar and classroom facility totals 42,400 square feet, two maintenance hangars for jet aircraft repair, each 13,600 square feet and a helicopter and propeller aircraft maintenance facility of 15,000 square feet.  In addition to the buildings mentioned above, additional storage areas totaling 19,600 square feet for aircraft parts is leased from Mojave airport.

 

The school building has six classrooms, numerous faculty offices, student work areas, briefing rooms, two lounges, conference rooms, library, simulator rooms, multiple computer-based data analysis facilities, telemetry ground station, operations room and administrative sections, showers, lockers and a racquetball court.

Conclusions

The breadth and depth of flight test training offered at the National Test Pilot School is unique, covering civil and military certification, avionics systems flight testing, as well as the more classical subjects of stability and control and performance.