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Why Choose NTPS?

The National Test Pilot School offers the best total flight test education and training in the world.  NTPS is located in and uses the finest flight test area in the United States, the R-2508 Complex used also by Edwards AFB and China Lake NAS.  NTPS has modern facilities employing the latest technologies including specialized laboratories, simulators, ranges, and telemetry systems.  Many of the more than thirty aircraft operated by NTPS are instrumented for flight test training and no other school utilizes the variety of specially acquired aircraft to support flight test training.  Flight simulators are used to bridge the gap between the classroom and the cockpit to allow students to explore, practice, and ask questions about flight test techniques before flying in the aircraft.  NTPS has a diverse and extremely experienced staff of instructors.  NTPS instructors come from the top test organizations in the US and around the globe averaging more than 15 years of flight test experience and more than 10 years of flight test instructional experience.

NTPS is the leader in innovative and customized total flight test training in the world.  Innovations include:

  • The first accredited test pilot school in the world
  • The first test pilot school in the world to achieve EASA ATO Certification
  • The first civilian test pilot school.
  • The first to offer the professional course in modules to improve the student learning experience and to support continuous professional development.
  • The first test pilot school to confer Masters degrees.
  • The first to offer Pre-TPS courses to help students prepare/ramp-up for the very demanding professional course.
  • The first test pilot school to make Systems Testing 50 percent of the professional course curriculum.
  • The first test pilot school to transition to predominantly electronic course material delivery.
  • The first test pilot school to develop and certify an Optionally Piloted Aircraft and implement it into the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Curriculum.

Facilities

The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) complex is located at Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California, very close to Edwards, AFB. Mojave airport houses many civilian flight test organizations and has been designated the Mojave Civilian Flight Test Center.

The National Test Pilot School has in place a joint use agreement between the USAF and the USN to use the airspace and ranges of R2515 and the MOA 25 08 on a non-interference basis.

The NTPS complex currently consists of six buildings.  The school hangar and classroom facility totals 42,400 square feet, two maintenance hangars for jet aircraft repair, each 13,600 square feet and a helicopter and propeller aircraft maintenance facility of 15,000 square feet.  In addition to the buildings mentioned above, additional storage areas totaling 19,600 square feet for aircraft parts is leased from Mojave airport.

The school building has six classrooms, numerous faculty offices, student work areas, briefing rooms, two lounges, conference rooms, library, simulator rooms, multiple computer-based data analysis facilities, telemetry ground station, operations room and administrative sections, showers, lockers and a racquetball court.

Faculty Qualification and Experience

The NTPS employs a full-time professional staff, complemented by part-time academic and flight instructors. 

First Name Speciality Highest Degree TPS Graduate Years Flight Test Experience Years TPS Instructor Flight Hours
Adam Francki TP Instructor MS US Air Force Test Pilot School 5 1 4,600
Andrea Pingitore TP Instructor MS US Naval Test Pilot School 7 2 2,500
Brian Morrisette OT&E Instructor MS -- 4 1 6,100
Bruce Wilder FTE Instructor MS US Air Force Test Pilot School 21 8 1,400
Greg Lewis TP Instructor MS US Air Force Test Pilot School 43 30 10,160
Fabian Machado TP Instructor MBA Brazillian Air Force Test Pilot School 11 5 3,500
Jason Paquin TP Instructor BS Empire Test Pilot School 13 4 4,300
Jeff Trang TP Instructor MS US Naval Test Pilot School 32 0 5,500
Jeremy Sequeira FTE Instructor BS ETPS 13 1 400
Jim Brown TP Instructor MBA US Air Force Test Pilot School 36 7 9,925
John Norton Academic Instructor MBA -- 5 11 8,200
Johnathan Knaul TP Instructor PhD EPNER 15 1 4,500
Juan Rodriguez Academic Instructor PhD -- -- 1 --
Luca Campello TP Instructor MS EPNER 15 7 2,500
Matteo Brambila TP Instructor MS US Naval Test Pilot School 4 1 1,500
Mike Schwamm OT&E Instructor MS USAF Fighter Weapons School 20 2 12,000
Russ Stewart TP Instructor MS US Air Force Test Pilot School 47 26 10,100
Vikrant Sharma Academic Instructor MS NTPS 8 1 --
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