Flight Test Engineering Short Course is designed for professionals who:
- wish to boost professional development and cannot attend the one year long Flight Test Engineer Professional Course
- are already working in the flight test field and want to enhance their flight test engineering skillset
- are currently engineers or flight test support personnel requiring practical experience in aircraft performance, stability and control, handling qualities, avionic testing, as well as a working knowledge of FAA and military specifications pertaining to piloted aircraft
- wanting a jumpstart for a master’s degree (12 Continuing Education Units)
- are newcomers to the field or experienced personnel returning to the field and Flight Test Managers and support personnel newly assigned to a systems flight test program.
The certificate is awarded to students who successfully complete the following courses:
- T&E 4001 Fundamentals of Flight Test (2 weeks)
- T&E 4002 Test Management / Operational Test and Evaluation (1 week)
- T&E 4007 or T&E 4017 Introduction to FW/RW Performance & Flying Qualities Flight Testing (2 weeks)
- T&E 4008 Introduction to Systems Testing (2 weeks).
Flight Test Engineering short course will:
- describe the role of the test pilot and flight test engineer along with an explanation of the different types of flight test including R&D, DT&E, and OT&E
- detail the requirements process and the typical test management issues such as budget management, contractor business environment, schedule management, resources planning, and test item configuration control.
- cover the Report Writing guidelines, Human Factors and Cockpit Evaluation, Test Planning, Risk Management, Safety in Flight Test, Data Analysis, Certification Standards.
- Introduce the key concepts of performance, stability and control and handling qualities, system testing, flight test instrumentation data handling, as well as a working knowledge of FAA and military specifications pertaining to piloted aircraft
- explain the flight test techniques of performance, flying qualities, avionics flight that will provide students with a firm understanding and background necessary to participate immediately in any flight test program upon return to their respective organizations.
- Provide practical in-flight tests: the students participate in several flights as flight test engineers, gathering data for post-flight analysis. The students will learn how to present their findings and recommendations on both mission suitability and regulatory compliance in an oral report to the staff.
Pre-requisites
There are no formal prerequisites for attendance at this course. Familiarity with algebra and personal computer operation (including word processing, spreadsheet, and chart making) are helpful.