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From: cwfmd@yahoo.com
Reply-To: cwfmd@yahoo.com
Subject: definition of an engineering test pilot
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Sadly, there's lots of Hollywood hype and mythology associated with this te=
rm. There is no universal, standard definition, as far as I know.=A0Perhaps=
 in the interest of safety, it would be appropriate to agree on a definitio=
n, for our conversations here. In the military and industry there are strin=
gent standards of experience, training, judgment, proficiency, consistency,=
 reliability,=A0and currency that must be continuously met, to achieve this=
 qualification. It is a matter of peer review and demonstrated competence i=
n both flying skills, engineering, and the ability to clearly communicate a=
nd work with a team, including engineers, maintenance, management, and mark=
eting (in the commercial sectors).=0A=A0This is not the Hollywood dude, adm=
ired for instant, impulsive, "shoot from the hip" behavior. The actual prof=
essional process of flight test would not sell(or even get pitched) as a mo=
vie.=A0 It is a slow cautious deliberative team effort. The flights are car=
efully planned and briefed by the team. The motto at the Naval Test Pilot S=
chool was "plan the flight, fly the plan". Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it=
?=A0 But in reality it's hard to follow, to maintain discipline and the lea=
dership of the team, even when you are repeating a painful data point for t=
he umpteenth time, and maintaining a good attitude about it. (Some hi-G and=
 max touchdown vertical speed data points do hurt, a lot! )=0A>=A0There is =
spirited discussion on this list, and that is good! But without agreeing on=
 a definition of our words, some of these discussions just degenerate into =
meaningless angry exchanges. Next time someone suggests the only qualificat=
ion for a "test Pilot" (tp: lower case)=A0is a sudden impulse to explore "V=
ne", or decides to self-adjust the CFI recommended speeds in the traffic pa=
ttern,=A0please ask these questions. Who else was on the team? Where was th=
e peer review? How long was the (pre/post) briefing? Where are the test car=
ds detailing the procedure?=A0What school and organizations designated this=
 individual as "an engineering test pilot"? If=A0any of these did not happe=
n, then the subject is not a "designated" test pilot, but instead some kind=
 of Hollywood hero follower, writing his own script.=A0 Even for Hollywood,=
 how would the 'pitch' go, for such a scenario? Not well, I think...=0A>=A0=
In the Vne case, it should really be called flutter induced structural fail=
ure testing, without any plan, and it apparently has been demonstrated, bot=
h=A0in thunderstorms, with Spatial Disorientation,=A0and=A0in over gross we=
ight conditions, with passengers unqualified in any way to understand their=
 risk (or death). Getting slow in the pattern is not a reasonable impulsive=
 tp=A0solution. This definition of "Test Pilot"=A0is important because thes=
e two scenarios seem to be the vast majority of causal factors in our commu=
nities' fatalities.=0A>=A0Let's agree not to self designate ourselves as te=
st pilots. Even those of us who were former test (mil or civ/airline)=A0pil=
ots need to remember that without the structure, currency, and team effort,=
 we are sometimes tempted to stray from the discipline required of the prof=
essional. Tom Wolfe coined the term "Right Stuff" in a book about test pilo=
ts. It actually defines a psychological defense mechanism we use to protect=
 ourselves from unfortunate deaths of close colleagues. After the mishap, e=
verybody points out how they knew, "all along",=A0that guy did not have the=
 "right stuff". Hollywood promotes the myth that something like "right stuf=
f" actually exists, but in fact it is just a rather weak psychological defe=
nse mechanism, to explain away the unfortunate mishap, and why "that" won't=
 happen to me. Sometimes, I have observed,=A0the mishap occurs because of a=
 'perfect storm', an alignment of improbable causal factors that the best p=
ilots could not
 solve. Unfortunately, as the mishap investigations show, it is far more co=
mmon to find multiple "pilot error"s as the cause(s). Maybe it was a guy wh=
o fanaticized himself as a Hollywood Hero, following the hero myth. How abo=
ut, instead,=A0a new acronym like "To Engineering Standards Test": TEST Pil=
ot!=0A>=A0We have the resources and the experts, reading this list. None of=
 these standards are inaccessible here, but only the discipline, teams,=A0a=
nd hard work required to maintain=A0such a=A0standard. All of these standar=
ds, in military, civil, and airline aviation,=A0evolved through an evolutio=
nary process, "written in blood". The same could happen here, and save many=
 more lives, especially of the innocent passengers, who often mistakenly tr=
ust their (test?) pilot.=0A>=0A>   
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<html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:ti=
mes new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><var id=3D"yui-i=
e-cursor"></var>Sadly, there's lots of Hollywood hype and mythology associa=
ted with this term. There is no universal, standard definition, as far as I=
 know.&nbsp;Perhaps in the interest of safety, it would be appropriate to a=
gree on a definition, for our conversations here. In the military and indus=
try there are stringent standards of experience, training, judgment, profic=
iency, consistency, reliability,&nbsp;and currency that must be continuousl=
y met, to achieve this qualification. It is a matter of peer review and dem=
onstrated competence in both=0A flying skills, engineering, and the ability=
 to clearly communicate and work with a team, including engineers,=0A maint=
enance, management, and marketing (in the commercial sectors).</div><div st=
yle=3D"font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12p=
t;"><div style=3D"font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; fon=
t-size: 12pt;"><div class=3D"y_msg_container"><div id=3D"yiv795032865"><div=
><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-fam=
ily: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt; background-c=
olor: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style=3D"font-family: times new roman, new =
york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style=3D"font-family: times new =
roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div class=3D"yiv795032865=
y_msg_container"><div id=3D"yiv795032865"><div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, =
0, 0); font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12p=
t; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div>&nbsp;This is not the Hollyw=
ood dude, admired for instant, impulsive, "shoot from the hip" behavior. Th=
e actual
 professional process of flight test would not sell(or even get pitched) as=
 a movie.&nbsp; It is a slow cautious deliberative team effort. The flights=
 are carefully planned and briefed by the team. The motto at the Naval Test=
 Pilot School was "plan the flight, fly the plan". Sounds pretty simple, do=
esn't it?&nbsp; But in reality it's hard to follow, to maintain discipline =
and the leadership of the team, even when you are repeating a painful data =
point for the umpteenth time, and maintaining a good attitude about it. (So=
me hi-G and max touchdown vertical speed data points do hurt, a lot! )</div=
><div>&nbsp;There is spirited discussion on this list, and that is good! Bu=
t without agreeing on a definition of our words, some of these discussions =
just degenerate into meaningless angry exchanges. Next time someone suggest=
s the only qualification for a "test Pilot"=0A (tp: lower case)&nbsp;is a s=
udden impulse to explore "Vne", or decides to self-adjust the CFI recommend=
ed speeds in the traffic pattern,&nbsp;please ask these questions. Who else=
 was on the team? Where was the peer review? How long was the (pre/post) br=
iefing? Where are the test cards detailing the procedure?&nbsp;What school =
and organizations designated this individual as "an engineering test pilot"=
? If&nbsp;any of these did not happen, then the subject is not a "<u>design=
ated</u>" test pilot, but instead some kind of Hollywood hero follower, wri=
ting his own script.&nbsp; Even for Hollywood, how would the 'pitch' go, fo=
r such a scenario? Not well, I think...</div><div>&nbsp;In the Vne case, it=
 should really be called flutter induced structural failure testing, withou=
t any plan, and it apparently has been demonstrated, both&nbsp;in thunderst=
orms, with Spatial Disorientation,&nbsp;and&nbsp;in over gross weight condi=
tions, with passengers unqualified in=0A any way to understand their risk (=
or death). Getting slow in the pattern is not a reasonable impulsive tp&nbs=
p;solution. This definition of "Test Pilot"&nbsp;is important because these=
 two scenarios seem to be the vast majority of causal factors in our commun=
ities' fatalities.</div><div>&nbsp;Let's agree not to self designate oursel=
ves as test pilots. Even those of us who were former test (mil or civ/airli=
ne)&nbsp;pilots need to remember that without the structure, currency, and =
team effort, we are sometimes tempted to stray from the discipline required=
 of the professional. Tom Wolfe coined the term "Right Stuff" in a book abo=
ut test pilots. It actually defines a psychological defense mechanism we us=
e to protect ourselves from unfortunate deaths of close colleagues. After t=
he mishap, everybody points out how they knew, "all along",&nbsp;that guy d=
id not have the "right stuff". Hollywood promotes the myth that something l=
ike "right stuff" actually
 exists, but in fact it is=0A just a rather weak psychological defense mech=
anism, to explain away the unfortunate mishap, and why "that" won't happen =
to me. Sometimes, I have observed,&nbsp;the mishap occurs because of a 'per=
fect storm', an alignment of improbable causal factors that the best pilots=
 could not solve. Unfortunately, as the mishap investigations show, it is f=
ar more common to find multiple "pilot error"s as the cause(s). Maybe it wa=
s a guy who fanaticized himself as a Hollywood Hero, following the hero myt=
h. How about, instead,&nbsp;a new acronym like "<u>To Engineering Standards=
 Test</u>": <u>TEST</u> Pilot!</div><div>&nbsp;We have the resources and th=
e experts, reading this list. None of these standards are inaccessible here=
, but only the discipline, teams,&nbsp;and hard work required to maintain&n=
bsp;such a&nbsp;standard<var id=3D"yiv795032865yui-ie-cursor"></var>. All o=
f these standards, in military, civil, and airline aviation,&nbsp;evolved t=
hrough an evolutionary
 process, "written in blood". The same could=0A happen here, and save many =
more lives, especially of the=0A innocent passengers, who often mistakenly =
trust their (test?) pilot.</div></div></div></div><br><br></div> </div> </d=
iv>  </div></div></blockquote></div></div><br><br></div> </div> </div>  </d=
iv></body></html>
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