Standard EASA Cat. 2 Certified Course

Test Pilot – Lead Flight Test Engineer

Duration

Approximately 22 weeks

Schedule & Cost

Refer to Professional Course Schedule & Cost Page

Course Description

The course is designed to meet the EASA Category 2 Test Pilot and Lead Flight Test Engineer level 2 requirements. The Course Course is a subset of the Traditional Professional Course.
This course is designed to demonstrate techniques to evaluate fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for FAA/EASA certification. Training includes flight time in various aircraft/helicopters. Performance, flying qualities, systems, and the accompanying FAA/EASA certification procedures are emphasized.
The content of the course is in compliance with EASA regulations AMC1 FCL.820 Flight test rating and EASA Part 21 Lead Flight Test Engineers. NTPS is EASA Approved Organization (EASA.ATO.0027).
Graduates of this 22 weeks course are prepared to perform EASA Category 2 Flight Test privileges as per EASA Part 21.
All students start with a three-week module of general topics and then join the applicable phase. Course subjects are taught in modular form, generally one week of academics followed by 1-3 weeks of flight demonstrations, test planning, data collection and analysis, and reporting.
Each student will:

receive over 200 hours of ground training, which include (but are not limited to) lectures, laboratories, exercises, simulations, and examinations;
receive approximately 60 hours of flight test training in more than 10 different aircraft, including aircrafts certificated in accordance with CS-25/CS-29 standards or equivalent airworthiness codes.

Two versions are available: Fixed Wing or Rotary Wing.
There is an option to add-on 3 weeks for T&E 4105 Modern Flight Controls and Variable Stability aircraft
The modules are listed below:

Fixed Wing	Rotary Wing
T&E 4001 Fundamentals of Flight Test	T&E 4001 Fundamentals of Flight Test
T&E 4003 Capstone Project	T&E 4003 Capstone Project
T&E 4101 FW Performance Flight Testing I	T&E 4111 RW Performance Flight Testing I
T&E 4102 FW Performance Flight Testing II	T&E 4112 RW Performance Flight Testing II
T&E 4103 FW Flying Qualities Flight Testing I	T&E 4113 RW Flying Qualities Flight Testing I
T&E 4104 FW Flying Qualities Flight Testing II	T&E 4114 RW Flying Qualities Flight Testing II
T&E 4008 Introduction to Systems Testing	T&E 4008 Introduction to Systems Testing

Master’s Degree Program

Students who complete the Standard EASA Cat 2 Certified Course will have completed some of the required modules (36 out of the 48 credits required) for the Master’s Degree Program and can graduate with one of the two master’s degrees in the Fixed Wing Professional or Rotary Wing Professional Track upon completion of remaining credits.
The National Test Pilot School is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and approved by the State of California's Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). The Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering program is also accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria.

Prerequisites

A minimum of 750 hours of pilot-in-command time (pilots only)
A bachelor’s degree in math, science, or engineering (or equivalent military academy)
Medically qualified to perform flight duties.
Non-native English speakers must pass a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 70.