Flight Test Engineering PhDs
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Joined: Sep 2025
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From: England
Flight Test Engineering PhDs
Do PhDs in flight test engineering exist in the UK? Specifically along the lines of improving flight test techniques for both manned and unmanned aircraft? Or is all this type of research typically undertaken in industry and most PhDs are only available in academic fields reasonably closely aligned to FT (flight control systems, numerical modelling, etc.)?
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Joined: Feb 2000
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From: UK
Yes, but they are very rare. I can only think of two people who could presently supervise one. Mike Bromfield at the University of Birmingham, and Guy Gratton at Cranfield University. I'm confident that if you contacted either they'd be happy to talk about it. They're both Senior Members of the Society of Flight Test Engineers, both have relevant PhDs themselves, and both are still active professionally.
G
G
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2025
Aviation Qualifications: Non-Aircrew
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: England
Yes, but they are very rare. I can only think of two people who could presently supervise one.
Mike Bromfield at the University of Birmingham, and Guy Gratton at Cranfield University.
I'm confident that if you contacted either they'd be happy to talk about it. They're both Senior Members of the Society of Flight Test Engineers, both have relevant PhDs themselves, and both are still active professionally.
G
Mike Bromfield at the University of Birmingham, and Guy Gratton at Cranfield University.
I'm confident that if you contacted either they'd be happy to talk about it. They're both Senior Members of the Society of Flight Test Engineers, both have relevant PhDs themselves, and both are still active professionally.
G




