Systems Professional Course
Test Pilot – Flight Test Engineer
Duration
24 weeks
Schedule & Cost
Course Description
The Systems Professional Course is a subset of the Test Pilot -Traditional Professional Course. This course is designed to equip experienced pilots and engineers with the knowledge and practical experience to safely plan, conduct and report on flight test programs with emphasis in system testing. All students start with a three-week module of general topics and then join the applicable phase. Course subjects are taught in modular form, generally one week of academics followed by 1-3 weeks of flight demonstrations, test planning, data collection and analysis, and reporting.
Each student will:
- receive over 350 hours of ground training, which include (but are not limited to) lectures, laboratories, exercises, simulations, and examinations;
- receive approximately 40 hours of flight test training.
The modules are listed below:
Master’s Degree Program
Students who complete the Performance and Flying Qualities Professional Course will have completed some of the required modules (40 out the 48 credits required) for the Master of Science Program and can graduate with one of the two master’s degrees in the Fixed Wing Professional or Rotary Wing Professional Track upon completion of remaining credits.
The National Test Pilot School is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and approved by the State of California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). The Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering program is also accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria.
Prerequisites
- A minimum of 750 hours of pilot-in-command time (pilots only)
- A bachelor’s degree in math, science, or engineering (or equivalent military academy)
- Medically qualified to perform flight duties.
- Non-native English speakers must pass a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 70.