Flight Test Rating

[GipsyMagpie]

For those who are looking to be compliant with EASA before next year and gaining a Flight Test or Flight Test Instructor rating, may I point out the terms of conversion are now in CAP804 part 1 section 4P. The key bit is you need to be CPL/IR which is of course not new news.

[sycamore]

Not sure about the `English` interpretation;ie Flight Test may mean an LPC/LST/Skills test on a Student,etc.
A `Test Flight` means means a flight to Test the aircraft/systems,etc,so it should be done by a `Test Pilot`,in simple terms...
Too many Sections/Parts/subparts to be a clear ,concise,accurate document...maybe that`s the game..

[GipsyMagpie]

Test Pilot Rating would be much nicer

[Genghis the Engineer]

Sticking to the much older requirement where an authority simply assessed a pilot for a particular programme based upon their overall experience and qualifications, rather than creating an unnecessary "flight test" rating never called for by anybody but the authority itself would have been nicer still.

I blame the French.

G

[JOE-FBS]

To allay some possible concerns, doing some digging into this for work, CAP 804 seems clear that this rating does not apply for MTO mass below 2000 kg.

For the rating, CAP 804 refers a couple of times to flight test categories defined in Part 21. I have run searches in Part 21 and the AMC (which is of course not the law, only an acceptable means not the only means of compliance) and cannot find these definitions. Am I being blind or is CAP 804 referencing the wrong thing?

[Skeeve]

Its the "new" Appendix XII for Part-21, see the NPA here:
NPA 2008-20 | EASA (http://easa.europa.eu/document-library/notices-of-proposed-amendments/npa-2008-20)

Unfortunately, it's still in the rulemaking process (going for 6 years now), providing some CAA's to question if they can issue any FT rating at all, as the relevant link to Part-21 is "missing".

[JOE-FBS]

Thanks Skeeve I have now read that NPA and it explains a lot of what EASA has had us doing for our DOA which I could not explain from the existing legislation or GM / AMC.

[JOE-FBS]

There is also a draft change to Part 21 here:

Opinion 07/2013 | EASA (http://easa.europa.eu/document-library/opinions/opinion-072013)

but I cannot work-out when it may be implemented.

[JOE-FBS]

Ah, it was implemented in July 2015 by Commission Regulation EU 2015-1039:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:JOL_2015_167_R_0001&from=EN

[John Farley]

Sticking to the much older requirement where an authority simply assessed a pilot for a particular programme based upon their overall experience and qualifications, rather than creating an unnecessary "flight test" rating never called for by anybody but the authority itself would have been nicer still.


Isn't that the truth.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I was at a meeting in the Netherlands last week where I learned that the Dutch national authority is now actually issuing this rating.

I'm not sure if anybody else is yet?

G

[ExV238]

Yes, the UK CAA is issuing them!

[ahwalk01]

I'm still not sure if it's worth converting to EASA, especially with the bilaterals still to be concluded.

Is anyone running a training course to this end?

Alex.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Yes, the UK CAA is issuing them!

You don't have a pointer to any published procedures do you? I can't see anything on CAA's website.

G

[ExV238]

You don't have a pointer to any published procedures do you?

Yes, CAP804 Part I.

In my case I provided my original course graduation certificate, logbook evidence of flying on the course, end of course report and logbook evidence of current test flying. Plus (of course) my EASA licence and the rating application form. I also provided evidence of instructional flying, for a Flight Test Instructor Rating.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Thanks for that ExV.

G

[flaretoland]

Does anyone have any detailed knowledge on this ? I hold ICAO licenses and would like to work in flight test in Europe. I have a TPS background, 6000 hrs tot/2000 PIC Airbus.

Firstly, is it possible to get a Easa "validation" based on an ICAO license and put a Cat 2 / 1 flight test rating on it? How would I go about that?

If I had to convert to a Easa ATPL, with my experience, do I need to do all 14 exams or would there be some credit or reduced exam requirements for experienced airline crew?

Thanks.

[Natstrackalpha]

Blame the French or the Belgians or any one else in EASA land. For those of the old CAA (despite its faults) issued said licence for Test Pilot - based on experience on type and flying hours on type. Still got mine. Not sure if they do it now though (have a need for a Test Pilot for CRS/CofA as there is not the requirement for this type of Test Flight any more - under the new EASAry once an aircraft comes out of the hangar after a rip roaring CofA there is no longer a need to send someone up to see if all the bits are stuck on properly and that the aircraft performs according to the paperwork re: RoC, VNE, Stall sp, and the many others of the performance Test Flight. Maybe if something drops off or goes bang then (EASA) will dictate should be a Test Pilot to Test fly the post maintenance aircraft after all. Which there probably will be now that I have written this and that it will be all over the internet as a reslt.

@ flaretoland - Hi, Flare, You want to contact the ETPS its at qinetiq or something equally French sounding, anyway, they used to do and probably still do Test Pilot Courses for many overseas and pilots and other air forrces send their chaps and chapesses to complete the course. If you go on the right course you can test fly anywhere in the world. You don`t have to change your Canadian ATPL to a UK one unless you are planning on being employed in the UK by a UK company. There are different levels of Test Pilot - their are those who conduct Certificate of Airworthiness Test Flights after major maintenance like a CofA and also Production Aircraft Test flying thos aircraft which have never flown before - which is probably the most exciting and challenging. Anyway, contact them and they will advise you on the requirements for foreeign pilots or at least, direct you to the right place in the UKCAA http://www.etps.qinetiq.com/ bon chance

Had thought about going to the ETPS to get the very same authorization on my ticket - but be about £23,000 worse off - its only money. LOL.

[JOE-FBS]

I imagine that it is far too obscure a thing to be commercially available, certainly a quick Google revealed nothing useful except to remind me to return to this thread, but does anyone know please of a Flight Test Engineer's logbook that is available to buy? We are standing up (for want of a better phrase) a team of FTEs and it would be a useful thing if we each had a dedicated logbook.