Empire Test Pilots School 80 years

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I note that the ETPS Maintenance Test Flying (MTF) course is designed for flight crews selected to carry out MTF as directed under UK Military Aviation Authority Regulations and equivalents.

We used to send all our Op Captains on SAR to do that course because it was very good. There was no flying on it but it was all about risk assessment, awareness and using an incremental approach to achieving test points.

[RubiC Cube]

Think there was also a scheme where the Army trained engineers to fly to do ETPS and then one tour on D Sqn before returning to normal service

[Cornish Jack]

Rubic - when I was on D Sqdn, we had two Army pilots ... one being the fondly remembered Maj (later Col.) Ken Mead, a true gentleman with an extraordinarily varied aviation background. The mix of personnel was both international and inter Service.

[chevvron]

The AAC TP at Farnborough was Capt Andy Warner who became CTP at Eurocopter after he left the service.

[RubiC Cube]

Originally Posted by Cornish Jack

Rubic - when I was on D Sqdn, we had two Army pilots ... one being the fondly remembered Maj (later Col.) Ken Mead, a true gentleman with an extraordinarily varied aviation background. The mix of personnel was both international and inter Service.

suspect that I was way before your time on D, 1980s

[Paying Guest]

Originally Posted by RubiC Cube

suspect that I was way before your time on D, 1980s

Mid 70s I recall both Ken Mead and Wally S. When he and I were in a Gazelle there wasn't much room to spare!

[Cornish Jack]

Originally Posted by RubiC Cube

suspect that I was way before your time on D, 1980s

.. later, than my- July '74 to Jan '78 . The School published a nice little photo-heavy booklet about then. My copy, like so much other 'stuff' went to the North Sea in 'The Storm' !

[BEagle]

I've just been watching the DVD of the original BBC series made in 1986-7.

What a good series - and what a loss ETPS plus Bedford and Farnborough were over the subsequent years.

A very youthful looking LOMCEVAK featured!!

[hunty]

XE601 was sold on the civilian market and operated out of Exeter for a number of years.

[Cornish Jack]

Just a memory flash from D Sqdn days - the School had inroduced the vari-stab Basset and the TPs were given trips to note their impressions. It seems that the Cooper-Harper ratings awarded were markedly different between fixed wing and rotary, the latter, for instance, assessing 6s for f/w 9s. Given the nature of rotary handling a la Sycamore, Whirlwind etc, possibly not surprising !

[hunty]

XL612 also made its way to Exeter, but unfortunately never flew.

[LOMCEVAK]

Hi stitchbitch
I am still around but missing Boscombe greatly

I have flown both PC-21 and T6II PC21 does have BETTER PERFORMANCE AND ALSO HAS A GREAT SYNTHETIC RADAR AND WEAPON DELIVERY CAPABILITY BOTH AIR TO GROUND AND AIR TO AIR (with either a totally synthetic target or datal inked to another PC21 )
it is now 38 of those 80 years since I did the course and 22 years since I went back there on the staff, such a shame that it has now ended for me through no fault of my own and for reasons outside of my control
best regards
DS

[hunty]

Former ETPS Jaguar T-2 XX145 should soon be joining the Boscombe Down aviation collection at Old Sarum, after being gifted by RAF Cosford.

[Bob Viking]

XX145

I had my first ever Jaguar trip in XX145. I was holding with FJTS before starting the JAGUAR OCU.

We went up in three tank fit and equipped with NVGs and climbed close to Boscombe Down to 39000’. Yes you read that right! That was like interplanetary orbit altitudes for a Jaguar. It’s fair to say it took a while to get there.

Anyway, it was the clearest night you could possibly imagine. From overhead BD we could see blinking aircraft strobes at Manchester on one side and Paris on the other. There were also more stars above us than I had ever believed possible.

Anyway, my stargazing experience was brought to a noisy halt as we entered a very gentle turn and the poor old girl spluttered and wheezed and surged both engines. It was fun while it lasted though.

Thankully the TP (Brian48 - you know him very well!) calmly dealt with it in such a way that I barely realised there had been a problem. It was a great way to spend almost two hours though.

I will just add (as I shamelessly swing the lamp) that the next time I flew with NVGs was on my initial dual NVG qualification sortie. We flew up Windermere on a night that was on the very limits of acceptable light levels (2 millilux I believe was the limit). Through rain and low cloud we got to the other end and I was left thinking “WTF was that?!”

BV

[NIREP reader]

Originally Posted by hunty

XE601 was sold on the civilian market and operated out of Exeter for a number of years.

I never really thought the Raspberry Ripple suited 601 and much preferred the grey scheme. Yet the rest of the fleet (bar the Lightning) carried it well. I'll get my coat.

[hunty]

The Jag arrived at the museum today.