Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) Course
Course Description
The course consists of classroom lectures to teach basic flight test principles, concepts, and processes. The classroom instruction is reinforced by two demonstrations and two project flights, which are designed to provide “hands-on” experience in flight testing. A final student project further reinforces classroom instruction. During the final project, students use operational requirements documents to plan, flight test, and report on how well an aircraft or system can meet mission needs. OT&E student projects in previous classes have included both fixed wing and rotary wing, for air vehicle and avionics systems evaluations.
Military
This course develops a “customer-centric” view of testing by providing an overview of current OT&E philosophies, processes, concepts and issues. Specifically the course provides an understanding of how OT&E fits into the acquisition process, the interrelationships of DT&E and OT&E, how test objectives are derived from user requirements, and the importance of relating test results to mission requirements. The course is extremely beneficial to anyone involved in OT&E; to DT&E testers who interface with OT&E; and to Program Office personnel, Program Managers and Test Managers whose programs are subject to OT&E and who would need to certify a system ready for OT&E. The course is continually updated to make it consistent with current US Department of Defense guidance.
Foreign and Civil
The course is adaptable to foreign government personnel and to civil airline pilots, engineers, and managers who are in a position to evaluate a new aircraft or system for their government or company, who need to work with the manufacturer to define special mission or customer requirements, and who must evaluate resulting modifications to ensure an operationally viable aircraft.
Subjects Covered
The Acquisition Process
Performance & Handling Qualities Test
DT&E and OT&E Philosophy and Processes
Techniques
User Requirements Process
Overview & Laboratory Exercise
OT&E test criteria development
Test Crew Resource Management
Test Planning and Data Concerns
Crew Station Evaluation Techniques
Risk Management and Test Safety
Workload Assessment Techniques
Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability
OT&E Lessons Learned
Testing Integrated Systems
Course Information
The OT&E course is offered four times each year, at least one OT&E course is conveniently scheduled in series with the two-week Avionics Systems Testing course. This sequence allows customers to combine OT&E training with Systems training if desired. This course and others may be offered at the customer’s location. Please review the OT&E Joining Instructions (PDF) prior to joining. Call for more details.