Why Train at the National Test Pilot School?
The National Test Pilot School offers the best value in flight test training in the world. NTPS is located and uses the best 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 and simulators, weapons ranges and telemetry systems. Many of the more than thirty aircraft operated by NTPS are instrumented for flight test training and no other school owns the variety of specially acquired aircraft to support flight test training. Flight simulators are used to bridge the gap between classroom and cockpit to allow students to explore flight environments that cannot be safely duplicated in flight. The NTPS flight instructors have an average of twenty (20) years flight test experience and an average of ten (10) years of test pilot instructional experience at various test pilot schools.
NTPS is the leader in innovative and customized total flight test training in the world. Innovations include:
- The first to offer an alternative to military test pilot schools.
- The first to offer the professional course in modules to improve the student learning experience and to support continuous professional development.
- The first in conferring professional and academic Master level degrees.
- The first to offer Pre-TPS courses to help bridge the gap to a very demanding course.
- The first to make avionics systems testing 50 percent of the professional course content, following feedback from our customers.
Faculty Qualification and Experience
The NTPS employs a full time professional staff. The full time staff is complimented by ten (10) part time academic and flight instructors. All are highly experienced.
|
Name |
Specialty |
Highest Degree |
TPS Graduate |
Years Flight Test Experience |
Years TPS Teacher |
Flying Experience |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greg Lewis |
TP |
MS |
yes |
32 |
21 |
>8,300 |
|
Al Peterson |
TP |
ScD |
yes |
15 |
1 |
>4,000 |
|
Mike Hill |
TP |
MS |
yes |
16 |
6 |
>7,300 |
|
Bob McShea |
FTE |
BS |
no |
28 |
16 |
>1,375 |
|
Yannis Tsolekas |
TP |
BS |
yes |
11 |
4 |
>3,500 |
|
Ed Solski |
TP |
BS |
yes |
18 |
11 |
>6,720 |
|
Terry Donovan |
TP |
PhD |
yes |
36 |
22 |
>8,400 |
|
Mark Swaney |
FTE | MS | yes | 22 | 5 | >5,200 |
|
Russ Stewart |
TP |
MS |
yes |
34 |
23 |
>8,700 |
|
Ken Clarke |
TP |
MSC |
yes |
27 |
24 |
>3,000 |
|
Lester Ingham |
FTE | PhD | yes | 17 | 3 |
>500 |
|
Steve Cherry |
TP |
MS |
yes |
33 |
20 |
>4,200 |
|
Chuck Antonio |
TP / Aeromedical | MD | no | 36 | 12 | >5,000 |
|
Nigel Speedy |
TP | BS | yes | 10 | 4 | >4,300 |
|
Nicola Pecile |
TP | MS | yes | 10 | 2 | >4,800 |
|
Ilan Arush |
FTE | MS | yes | 21 | 2 | >900 |
|
John Norton |
TP | MS | no | 5 | 2 | >6,500 |
|
Chris McElroy |
FTE | MS | no | 18 | 1 | >7,500 |
|
Ryan Olson |
FTE | MS | yes | 2 | 1 | >1,250 |
Facilities
The National Test Pilot School (NTPS) complex is located at Mojave Airport in 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 2508 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.
Conclusions
The breadth and depth of flight test training offered at the National Test Pilot School is unique, covering civil and military certification, avionics systems flight testing, as well as the more classical subjects of stability and control and performance.