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- ArtemDeggy
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Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
Hello! A question. Is it possible to combine the profession of an aircraft designer and at the same time be a test pilot?
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- GalaxyFlyer
- Posts: 12408
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
No, the design side isn’t one person, it’s hundreds. Both sides are intensive full-time jobs. Most test pilots and FTE, however do have inputs and pretty deep knowledge of design and certification. The experimental test tea, is in the low dozens.
Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
Yeah, plenty of professional aero engineers build their own kitplanes and test them. If you're asking how many people at e.g. Airbus or Boeing do systems layouts and then also go and test the planes, I'm not sure.
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- ArtemDeggy
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
GalaxyFlyer wrote:No, the design side isn’t one person, it’s hundreds. Both sides are intensive full-time jobs. Most test pilots and FTE, however do have inputs and pretty deep knowledge of design and certification. The experimental test tea, is in the low dozens.
How old do you have to be to become a test pilot? Is it possible to fly hours as a private pilot and become a test pilot? Sorry if the questions are weird, but I'm a future pilot.
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- GalaxyFlyer
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
Experimental test pilots tend to come from one of military test schools, USAF, USN, RAF, but not exclusively. The demand for them is small and has become a vagabond career moving from program to program. The OEMs only have a small cadre of them and build up the team as a new program comes online. Production test is a different animal with some who have come up thru civil aviation, attended a school like National Test Pilot School in Mojave, CA. Some start out as flight test engineers with engineering backgrounds.
It’s nothing like most people think—not as much flying, lots of following very precise test cards then report writing with data analysis.
It’s nothing like most people think—not as much flying, lots of following very precise test cards then report writing with data analysis.
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- ArtemDeggy
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
Thank you! Last question.
Is it really possible to work as a business jet pilot and an aircraft designer at the same time? I just would like to fly and create in aviation.
Is it really possible to work as a business jet pilot and an aircraft designer at the same time? I just would like to fly and create in aviation.
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- ReverseFlow
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
Generally a test pilot won't be the same person as a design engineer.
For big companies there are literally hundreds to thousands of design engineers working on an aircraft program.
But that said I do know design engineers who fly for charter companies in their spare time.
For big companies there are literally hundreds to thousands of design engineers working on an aircraft program.
But that said I do know design engineers who fly for charter companies in their spare time.
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- ArtemDeggy
- Posts: 24
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
ReverseFlow wrote:Generally a test pilot won't be the same person as a design engineer.
For big companies there are literally hundreds to thousands of design engineers working on an aircraft program.
But that said I do know design engineers who fly for charter companies in their spare time.
that is, charters are business jets? Or part-time?
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- Starlionblue
- Posts: 21730
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
I think you're coming at the question from the wrong angle.
You don't become a test pilot just from getting experience or being a certain age.
Test pilot is a very specialised sub-profession. You don't become a test pilot without extensive experience and test pilot training. More importantly, you have to be in the right place at the right time. Careers can meander and the outcome in five or ten years is seldom completely certain.
You have to have the right preparation and the right opportunities. You can't just apply.
You don't become a test pilot just from getting experience or being a certain age.
Test pilot is a very specialised sub-profession. You don't become a test pilot without extensive experience and test pilot training. More importantly, you have to be in the right place at the right time. Careers can meander and the outcome in five or ten years is seldom completely certain.
You have to have the right preparation and the right opportunities. You can't just apply.
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- ReverseFlow
- Posts: 899
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Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer
ArtemDeggy wrote:ReverseFlow wrote:Generally a test pilot won't be the same person as a design engineer.
For big companies there are literally hundreds to thousands of design engineers working on an aircraft program.
But that said I do know design engineers who fly for charter companies in their spare time.
that is, charters are business jets? Or part-time?
IIRC that was a Cessna Citation/Learjet size a/c charter company that he helped out with in his spare time.
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