Performance and Flying Qualities Professional Course
Course Description
One Performance and Flying Qualities Course is offered each year. The Performance and Flying Qualities course is aligned with the Professional Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer Course and with the exception of the final project and field trip are coincident. That is, pilots and engineers in this course attend the same academic classes and fly many of the same exercises as the students in the applicable portion of the Professional Course. Emphasis is placed on Federal Airworthiness Regulations, the Joint Airworthiness Regulations and military standards for piloted aircraft. Safety in flight test is stressed in all aspects of the courses.
The Performance and Flying Qualities Course is 26 weeks long. The course is held each year from July to December. The last two weeks of the course are devoted to a student-planned evaluation of the performance and flying qualities of an aircraft they have not previously flown. There are seven modules in the course:
|
Fixed Wing Modules |
Rotary Wing Modules |
| Introduction to Flight Test Static Stability & Control PEC, Takeoff & Landing, Prop Cruise Dynamic Stability, Spins, CLHQ Propulsion, Jet Cruise, Energy Flight Controls and Simulation Loads and Flutter |
Introduction to Flight Test Rotor Control, Static & Dynamic Stability PEC, Hover, Vertical Climb, Level Flight Perf Control Response, Engine Out, Low Speed Propulsion, Climb/Descent, T/O & Landing Perf Flight Controls and Simulation |
Pre-requisites
All students: English language proficiency. Non-native English speakers must pass a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Pilots: A minimum of 750 hr of pilot-in-command time and a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent military academy) in math, science or engineering.
Engineers: A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent military academy) in math, science or engineering, plus medically qualified to perform flight duties.
Accommodations
The course fee includes accommodations in a fully furnished two-bedroom apartment. All utilities are included except the telephone.