How to become a test pilot
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How to become a test pilot?
I know this topic has been done before and as such hope that I do not annoy anybody through repetition, however I would be very appreciative of some advice. I am currently 17 years old, am solo in powered an hoping to be near PPL by the end of the year, and have 100hrs of Gliding and have begun training to become an Instructor. I am attempting to apply to the RAAF as a pilot, however if i do not get in I will do Aerospace Engineering. Which my plan is to during the time at university try to do as much flying as possible, by getting a glider towing endorsement etc. But from then onwards what is the best route? I know hours and experience must be accumulated but in what areas and how? Is it best to try and get experience in many different situations and many different aircraft. Would things such as experience in aerobatics be beneficial. From this point of having the hours and experience built up to a reasonable level, what is the next step?
Any information on this would be greatly appreciated. Also information/descrition of the day to day work of a test pilot would also be appreciated, I have an idea of the tasks preformed but would appreciate some specific information. Thanks in advance.
Tom.
Any information on this would be greatly appreciated. Also information/descrition of the day to day work of a test pilot would also be appreciated, I have an idea of the tasks preformed but would appreciate some specific information. Thanks in advance.
Tom.
I confess that at your title I was on the verge of blowing my moderators whistle and suggesting strongly that you read the half dozen other threads. But, it looks as if you have and are after some more specific advice on different areas.
Firstly, if you are dead-set on becoming a TP, then aero-eng then RAAF is almost certainly your best route. If you get an offer from the RAAF, try talking to them about deferred entry or sponsorship whilst you do the degree. 3 years of Aero + 3 years of gliding, and you're far more likely to pass military flight training anyway. And yes, Aerobatic experience will help you pass your military training.
Secondly, what does a TP do in the day job? Well certain parts of it are fairly standard, going in early for met-brief, checking the notams, and doing a certain amount of "CT", that is general flying to stay a safe and high-ability pilot.
But the main job of testing involves a lot more than just flying. Working in conjunction with an FTE (Flight Test Engineer) - or more likely within a large team of TPs and FTEs, the testing task falls like this:-
- Identify what we're testing, understand it fully
- Plan how it's to be tested
- Analyse and account for all the associated safety risks.
- Plan the specifics of the testing, including crewing, test cards, telemetry use, recording equipment.
- Go and fly it.
- Debrief the sortie(s),extract automated data from the aircraft.
- Work out what it all meant, write a report about it.
- Often, stand up in front of senior management, and explain it all in words of no more than 2 syllables.
The tasks above are shared between TP and FTE, but as a general rule, the FTE will concentrate on the data, technical planning, and reporting issues; the TP will concentrate on the flight safety and flying issues. In the report writing side, a TP will write most of the handling stuff, and the FTE will do most of the performance stuff and graph plotting. (Most FTEs are actually quite accomplished aircrew, and you'll be flying with them in a multi-crew environment and relying upon each other a lot, even in single seaters where the FTE will be there electronically as likely as not).
Speaking as an FTE who became a TP, both are great jobs.
Good luck,
G
Firstly, if you are dead-set on becoming a TP, then aero-eng then RAAF is almost certainly your best route. If you get an offer from the RAAF, try talking to them about deferred entry or sponsorship whilst you do the degree. 3 years of Aero + 3 years of gliding, and you're far more likely to pass military flight training anyway. And yes, Aerobatic experience will help you pass your military training.
Secondly, what does a TP do in the day job? Well certain parts of it are fairly standard, going in early for met-brief, checking the notams, and doing a certain amount of "CT", that is general flying to stay a safe and high-ability pilot.
But the main job of testing involves a lot more than just flying. Working in conjunction with an FTE (Flight Test Engineer) - or more likely within a large team of TPs and FTEs, the testing task falls like this:-
- Identify what we're testing, understand it fully
- Plan how it's to be tested
- Analyse and account for all the associated safety risks.
- Plan the specifics of the testing, including crewing, test cards, telemetry use, recording equipment.
- Go and fly it.
- Debrief the sortie(s),extract automated data from the aircraft.
- Work out what it all meant, write a report about it.
- Often, stand up in front of senior management, and explain it all in words of no more than 2 syllables.
The tasks above are shared between TP and FTE, but as a general rule, the FTE will concentrate on the data, technical planning, and reporting issues; the TP will concentrate on the flight safety and flying issues. In the report writing side, a TP will write most of the handling stuff, and the FTE will do most of the performance stuff and graph plotting. (Most FTEs are actually quite accomplished aircrew, and you'll be flying with them in a multi-crew environment and relying upon each other a lot, even in single seaters where the FTE will be there electronically as likely as not).
Speaking as an FTE who became a TP, both are great jobs.
Good luck,
G
Moderator
Tom,
The RAAF will be very interested in your academic ability when it comes to TP postings. I am presuming that your school results are fine.. if they are not, then you are going to find any serious test flying a bit in the hard basket ... it is a mind skills game more than just stick and rudder skills.
Why don't you do the sensible thing and go through ADFA ? ... do a BTech (sort of a three year cut down Aero Eng degree and, from my observations, not a walk in the park by any means), wings course (and if you scrub off wings course they put you back to finish off the Aero degree before going into an engineering posting), some operational flying and then, with a bit of luck, pick up a TP course and a posting to ARDU.
ADFA is a solid period of training and, for most, a real big culture shock... but if you survive it, you have a very wide range of career options available.
Whichever way you go, best of luck.
The RAAF will be very interested in your academic ability when it comes to TP postings. I am presuming that your school results are fine.. if they are not, then you are going to find any serious test flying a bit in the hard basket ... it is a mind skills game more than just stick and rudder skills.
Why don't you do the sensible thing and go through ADFA ? ... do a BTech (sort of a three year cut down Aero Eng degree and, from my observations, not a walk in the park by any means), wings course (and if you scrub off wings course they put you back to finish off the Aero degree before going into an engineering posting), some operational flying and then, with a bit of luck, pick up a TP course and a posting to ARDU.
ADFA is a solid period of training and, for most, a real big culture shock... but if you survive it, you have a very wide range of career options available.
Whichever way you go, best of luck.
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Thanks for the responses however in my initial post i didnt outline my postion very well. I've sent away an application for ADFA for the degree you mentioned, John however if iam unsucessful in that i was intending on doing the Aerospace engineering as my back up plan and was wondering how to become a test pilot using the civil route, as i know how competitive the ADF is to get into. As far as ADFA goes i dont think it would be less of a culture shock as i have been in the AAFC (Australian Air Force Cadets) for the past 4 years, where i've learnt to fly gliders and am learning to fly powered.
Ghengis, your response was very informative especially about the more specific aspects of the daily job. Some more information on how to become a test pilot in the civillian world would also be greatly appreciated.
The reason i ask questions about being a test pilot is my dad has told me from an early age the best way in life is to find a career you really enjoy rather than looking forward to retirement your whole life and I've always loved airplanes and from what i've read it seems like it would be just that.
Ghengis, your response was very informative especially about the more specific aspects of the daily job. Some more information on how to become a test pilot in the civillian world would also be greatly appreciated.
The reason i ask questions about being a test pilot is my dad has told me from an early age the best way in life is to find a career you really enjoy rather than looking forward to retirement your whole life and I've always loved airplanes and from what i've read it seems like it would be just that.
Nothing wrong with sensible questions (although occasionally a few daft answers have been known to result!). Try the following links:-
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=67580
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=54094
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=35630
http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/ftintro/
http://www.setp.org/
http://www.sfte.org/
G
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=67580
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=54094
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=35630
http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/ftintro/
http://www.setp.org/
http://www.sfte.org/
G
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The military option is the most sensible way to go to become a test pilot for those in Australia. I did it that way and now work in civil industry in the US.
However there are other Australian military options to the RAAF. Both the Army and RAN have test pilots. You will need a minimum of 1000 hours pilot in command of operational flying prior to selection for TP course. All Aussie military TP's are trained overseas at one of the TP Schools - either Empire (UK), USAF (Edwards AFB), USNTPS (Patuxent River, MD) or NTPS (Mojave).
If you have money you could pay your own way through NTPS - it is a civilian school open to anyone (www.ntps.edu) and awards a Masters degree on completion.
You are headed the right way. An engineering degree is desireable but not mandatory. A BSc is fine, particularly if it is in maths or physics.
Good luck. You have a long path to travel.
However there are other Australian military options to the RAAF. Both the Army and RAN have test pilots. You will need a minimum of 1000 hours pilot in command of operational flying prior to selection for TP course. All Aussie military TP's are trained overseas at one of the TP Schools - either Empire (UK), USAF (Edwards AFB), USNTPS (Patuxent River, MD) or NTPS (Mojave).
If you have money you could pay your own way through NTPS - it is a civilian school open to anyone (www.ntps.edu) and awards a Masters degree on completion.
You are headed the right way. An engineering degree is desireable but not mandatory. A BSc is fine, particularly if it is in maths or physics.
Good luck. You have a long path to travel.
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Just wondering if I might be able to get a bit more advice about my situation. My application to ADFA was unsucessful as I was not competative enough, however my tests scores were good enough to change my application to Direct Entry Pilot. In the mean time Iam about to commence a mechanical engineering degree (mechanical because there is a uni very close to home that does it, so i go there for 2 years then get a transfer to finish as aeronautical). At the moment my plans are if i get an offer to join as a DEO Pilot this year then I'd leave the degree, and mabey come back to it later in life, but if I dont then finish the degree before I reapply. Does this sound like a plan?
Another thing is if i cannot get into the RAAF at all, but finish an Aeronautical engineering degree, whilest gaining flying experience in both powered and gliding what is the best way to go about getting into test flying the civillian route? I've got a good idea of how i can get there if I can join the RAAF, but if I cant iam not sure what I can do to increase my chances or just how to get into it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Another thing is if i cannot get into the RAAF at all, but finish an Aeronautical engineering degree, whilest gaining flying experience in both powered and gliding what is the best way to go about getting into test flying the civillian route? I've got a good idea of how i can get there if I can join the RAAF, but if I cant iam not sure what I can do to increase my chances or just how to get into it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Your plan of starting the degree is a good one. Attempting a part-time degree later in life is much more difficult, particularly if you have a family. As Genghis implied, education, flight experience and maturity can only help in getting through military flight training. The last thing you want to do is join as a DEO pilot only to scrub-out shortly after with no back-up plan.
If you want to work as a civilian test pilot, then it will have to be outside of Australia where there are substantial aerospace industries. In that case you will need a degree to get a position. Also you will most probably need a degree to get a work visa, unless you have dual citizenship or marry someone that does!
I recommend you aim for a degree first. If offered a DEO pilot position it would be a tough decision to turn it down. However you would be better off in the long term with a solid education behind you.
If you want to work as a civilian test pilot, then it will have to be outside of Australia where there are substantial aerospace industries. In that case you will need a degree to get a position. Also you will most probably need a degree to get a work visa, unless you have dual citizenship or marry someone that does!
I recommend you aim for a degree first. If offered a DEO pilot position it would be a tough decision to turn it down. However you would be better off in the long term with a solid education behind you.
An interesting conundrum.
If I read you correctly, you can go direct entry pilot, or you can go and do your MechEng / leading to Aero degree - but apparently not both at once. Well, look at it this way, you can't do military flying training in your own time by correspondence course - so frankly go for it. If you fail on that route, your University entrance qualifications will remain valid and you can use them later. If you succeed, there are numerous routes, in most countries, to do the Engineering degree - Mechanical if not aero in your own time later - and if you want to go TP you'll have enough years whilst you're building up experience as a front line pilot to do that.
If you fail on the military flying route, then the standard route to civil TP (apart from being ex-mil) is...
(1) Aero Engineer
(2) Migrate into work as an FTE
(3) Keep your flying up, progress towards CPL
(4) Eventually migrate from FTE who can fly, to TP.
This is a slow route (like 8 yrs +), but all of the steps on the way are interesting, and most of them pay. It was my route in, and I'm sure that of a lot of other people around here.
G
If I read you correctly, you can go direct entry pilot, or you can go and do your MechEng / leading to Aero degree - but apparently not both at once. Well, look at it this way, you can't do military flying training in your own time by correspondence course - so frankly go for it. If you fail on that route, your University entrance qualifications will remain valid and you can use them later. If you succeed, there are numerous routes, in most countries, to do the Engineering degree - Mechanical if not aero in your own time later - and if you want to go TP you'll have enough years whilst you're building up experience as a front line pilot to do that.
If you fail on the military flying route, then the standard route to civil TP (apart from being ex-mil) is...
(1) Aero Engineer
(2) Migrate into work as an FTE
(3) Keep your flying up, progress towards CPL
(4) Eventually migrate from FTE who can fly, to TP.
This is a slow route (like 8 yrs +), but all of the steps on the way are interesting, and most of them pay. It was my route in, and I'm sure that of a lot of other people around here.
G
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How to become a test pilot
After reading all the relevant threads, I am still a bit lost and looking on some personal advice on how to actually go about training to be a TP. I have a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering and a pgdip in aircraft design, ppl and currently studying for my atpls.
From what I understand a course like that costs somewhere around half a million which makes it impossible to pay for. So the only way is being sponsored. To satisfy the entry requirements and if after getting my atpl I was to fly a MRJT for example as a FO, then as CPT, where would I turn for sponsorship? Are there airlines that sponsor pilots to go train for TP?
If you could just drop a line it would be great.
Thanks,
Nick
From what I understand a course like that costs somewhere around half a million which makes it impossible to pay for. So the only way is being sponsored. To satisfy the entry requirements and if after getting my atpl I was to fly a MRJT for example as a FO, then as CPT, where would I turn for sponsorship? Are there airlines that sponsor pilots to go train for TP?
If you could just drop a line it would be great.
Thanks,
Nick
Moderator
With the exception of former military test pilots, who trained within their role in the military, most of the test pilots I know, were so, more because the job found them, rather than them training and looking for the job.
They were very experienced pilots first, and the testing work came along because they had the experience. Lots of hands on experience with maintenance and fabrication is vital, as well as a good grasp of the design requirements for the aircraft type involved
The training, though important, may not always be the entry point to being a test pilot, the experience and flying skill may be.I cannot imagine a civil employer sponsoring the cost of a full flight test course, for other than a very extablished employee. There are short courses, which will get you some training in chunks, and they are more affordable. From my experience, you have to be very familiar, and experienced with flight test, to get the most out of the training - it's a lot from a standing start.
Some jobs are so uncommon, that it is really hard (and/or expensive) to move yourself directly at the point of entry for that position. It does not mean that you cannot do it, but keep an open mind as to other directions from which to approach it.
In the mean time, do lots of flying, in as many differnet aircraft types as you can find. I also found it very worthwhile reading as many books on flight test, and the test pilots. What you can learn from their experience is amazng. Many of the books are listed on another thread here.
Good luck....
They were very experienced pilots first, and the testing work came along because they had the experience. Lots of hands on experience with maintenance and fabrication is vital, as well as a good grasp of the design requirements for the aircraft type involved
The training, though important, may not always be the entry point to being a test pilot, the experience and flying skill may be.I cannot imagine a civil employer sponsoring the cost of a full flight test course, for other than a very extablished employee. There are short courses, which will get you some training in chunks, and they are more affordable. From my experience, you have to be very familiar, and experienced with flight test, to get the most out of the training - it's a lot from a standing start.
Some jobs are so uncommon, that it is really hard (and/or expensive) to move yourself directly at the point of entry for that position. It does not mean that you cannot do it, but keep an open mind as to other directions from which to approach it.
In the mean time, do lots of flying, in as many differnet aircraft types as you can find. I also found it very worthwhile reading as many books on flight test, and the test pilots. What you can learn from their experience is amazng. Many of the books are listed on another thread here.
Good luck....
