Survey - Test Pilot and FTE Licensing
There's a healthy debate going on in the "Test Flying .v. Flight Testing" thread which has led to a debate on the subject of whether TPs and FTEs should be licensed to practice.
So, since Pprunepost doesn't allow poll's any more, what I propose to do is simply ask the questions and let everybody post their answers. I suggest that detailed discussion is left to the other thread, since that will keep this easy to read. To avoid any accusations of trying to bias the debate, or even another well-deserved roasting from Lomcevac, I'll leave my own response to later - but will admit now that I have views !.
So, questions to the crewroom:-
(1) Should TPs be licenced?
(a) Only for military flight-test
(b) Only for civil flight test
(c) Both
(d) Neither
(2) Should FTEs be licensed?
(a) Only for military flight-test
(b) Only for civil flight test
(c) Both
(d) Neither
(3) If there were a licence.
(a) Should it be based entirely upon TPS graduation
(b) Should it be based entirely upon experience
(c) Should it require both
(d) Should it be based upon a sliding scale allowing for a range of combinations of TPS training, and professional experience.
(4) If there were a licence?
(a) Should it be totally separate to type qualifications.
(b) Should it be related to individual type qualifications.
(By this I mean, should a TP or FTE simply be licensed as a TP/FTE and be allowed to practice on any type that they are licensed / employed to work on (a), or should this licence be only for particular aircraft classes (b).)
(5) Should there be an independently administered exam system ?
(a) Only for non-TPS graduates
(b) Only for civil practice
(c) For everybody
(d) No.
I've made an asssumption here, which is that military TPS graduates have passed quite enough exams to practice in the military environment, and no further exam system would be considered appropriate. If anybody disagrees with me on this, by all means say so.
Wade in folks.
G