The Mojave, California-based National Test Pilots School is the largest civilian organisation of its type in the world, offering up to 32 unique courses for pilots and flight-test engineers ranging from one-week introductory subset modules to a one-year course on performance and flying qualities, as well as systems.
Established in 1981, the school is enjoying the fruits of a major course restructuring exercise in 1999, which has boosted student intake over the past four years, says NTPS deputy director Greg Lewis.
The biggest changes were made to the "Professional Course", which was divided into two main phases instead of three, thereby allowing more time to be given to systems training. This reflected a growing need for systems flight-test expertise fostered by the increasing number of civil and military upgrade programmes and almost immediately resulted in a doubling of enrollment in the Professional Course.
Although the full-year course is still offered, and continues to provide a large percentage of the school's annual intake, Lewis says the changes make the NTPS more flexible to meet the wider needs of the aerospace industry.
"Many of our corporate customers, such as EADS, Singapore Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries, for example, can't always afford to have people here for the full year in terms of time and cost. So we are seeing them moving more frequently to the half-year courses."
As well as dividing the course into two standalone subparts, the individual major subject areas were also offered as short courses. "We also have three basic introductory courses on avionics systems, operational test and evaluation and one on performance and flying qualities - either for fixed or rotary wing," says Lewis.
The course restructuring exercise was accompanied by on-going additions to the school's extensive and eclectic test fleet and upgrades to facilities and the telemetry (TM) control room.
The latter has been totally enclosed, with a raised floor as well as dedicated electrical power, environmental control and radio system to provide control room training to students working with the TM-equipped Atlas/Aermacchi MB326M Impala.
The fleet of around 36 active aircraft has been bolstered by the arrival of a Rockwell Sabreliner 60 to support US Federal Aviation Administration test-flight training courses and provide a Part 25-class aircraft for Professional Course performance and flying qualities evaluations. The aircraft, which has also been integrated into the avionics systems modules, has been modified with the NTPS-standard instrumentation system and will play a key role in supporting the FAA's flight-test training, which has been contracted exclusively to the school for the past 11 years, adds Lewis.
Other types include two former South African Air Force DouglasC-47TP Turbo-Dak re-engined maritime patrol aircraft, one of which is equipped with surveillance radar and forward-looking infrared (FLIR).
The fleet also includes several smaller piston fixed-wing aircraft, ranging from the Cessna 150/152 and de Havilland Canada Chipmunk to the Beech 33, 35, 76A and Piper PA-28. Medium fixed-wing aircraft include the twin piston-engined de Havilland DH-104 Dove and turboprop-powered Swearingen SA-226T Merlin III, fully instrumented to study flight dynamics.
The varied helicopter fleet includes two Bell OH-58C Kiowas and a 212/UH-1N, as well as a Hughes 500, Sikorsky S-55 and two ex-German air force Eurocopter BO105s.
Aside from the Impala, the fast-jet fleet consists of ex-Danish air force Saab J/SK-35XD Drakens. Four are two-seat versions used by the school, while a further two single-seaters are hired to companies that require a fast-jet testbed for new or upgraded systems. The NTPS's single Morane-Saulnier MS760A Paris Jet has been grounded because of a shortage of engine parts.
The school has made no secret of long-term plans to acquire newer fast jets such as the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet and even the Lockheed Martin F-16. However, for the moment, Lewis describes the current line-up as a "pretty robust fleet". But the school's biggest asset remains its shared access to the massive R2508 restricted airspace complex, which runs away to the north and east of Mojave for around 185km (100nm).
GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Source: Flight International
