How to become an Experimental Test Pilot?

[inspiringpilot96]

I am not interested in being a pilot in the military but I posted my thread here because I suspect military guys here would probably know a little more about the test pilot field since most of it is military. I'm looking into becoming a civilian experimental test pilot without military experience. Is this possible or are civilians only Production Test Pilots? What civilian companies hire civilians to become experimental test pilots? I like flying and designing aircraft and space ships so I thought about combining it all. I plan to major in Mechanical Engineering and do well and may pursue a master's or PhD. While in college, I will work on fixed wing and rotary ratings if I can. My long term goal is to eventually become an Astronaut. Its lofty, but I'm giving it a shot and go to my backup plans, which are to get into the airlines if things don't work.

This thread contradicts a previous thread I made earlier but I changed my plans and not interested in the military.

 

[Low&Slow]

A long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, before the internet existed, I was an engineering student seriously interested in becoming a professional flight test engineer. The more I learned about it and myself though, the more I realized it wasn't really for me.
I met some really famous test pilots and also met current, not so famous flight test engineers at Cessna, Boeing, Piper, and Bombardier as well. I looked at the industry and, at the time, the aviation industry was not doing well. Engineers were being layed off, nobody was hiring flight test engineers or flight test pilots.
I was told that I would have to fly a desk in a cubicle for probably at least five years before they would even consider me for a flight test engineer position. Still, I received encouragement from people I developed a professional acquaintance with in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) to pursue it.
After getting a job as an engineer, I decided it's not for me. I really enjoyed engineering as a major in school, but doing it as a job was miserable for me. YMMV.
Anyhow, yes, it's completely possible to do as a civilian. I would recommend you contact SETP and talk with them for more information. They might even have industry contacts you can talk with about it.
You will need to ensure you attend a college with a curriculum that meets the prerequisite requirements of the industry and flight test schools such as the National Test Pilot School. Not all engineering schools are the same.
Though it sounds contradictory to everything I've just told you, I am still interested in aircraft design and experimental flight testing, just not as a career. I've found an outlet at EAA to quench that thirst. I am going to build a Bearhawk to my specifications, flight test it, record the data, and develop my own POH for it.

 

[ahw01]

I got interested in flight test during the job hunt around a year back, from the teaching perspective. Get a masters In aeronautics and that's a good stepping stone. Contacts never hurt, so Boeing, Qinetiq, BAe systems etc. network!

 

[///AMG]

If your end goal is being an astronaut, since at least the late 1970's, having a background in test flying (or even flying at all) has been statistically much less important. Not saying test pilot can't happen for purely civilian folks (that's what the National Test Pilot School is for, if you have someone to pay for it), but if your main attraction is astronaut, I'd focus your efforts on school, doctoral work, research that might be useful for future space expeditions, etc. "Nauga" on this forum spent years as a civilian flight test engineer, albeit working on projects for NAVAIR (military, USN aviation test), so I'm sure he will chime in with more info.

 

[gotWXdagain]

You could start by buying a Cherokee and sawing off a portion of the wing.

 

[mikecweb]

Check your PMs.

 

[hook_dupin]

It's completely possible to be a civilian test pilot without any military experience. In fact, this is how most test pilots come up.

All the big aerospace firms have test pilots. A movement in the industry is the "consulting" model where a flight test firm contracts to an aerospace firm much like business consultants or outside legal counsel.

I know a few Test Pilot School graduates and even a few astronaut selects now...

 

[Flying Saluki]

I am not interested in being a pilot in the military but I posted my thread here because I suspect military guys here would probably know a little more about the test pilot field since most of it is military. I'm looking into becoming a civilian experimental test pilot without military experience. Is this possible or are civilians only Production Test Pilots? What civilian companies hire civilians to become experimental test pilots? I like flying and designing aircraft and space ships so I thought about combining it all. I plan to major in Mechanical Engineering and do well and may pursue a master's or PhD. While in college, I will work on fixed wing and rotary ratings if I can. My long term goal is to eventually become an Astronaut. Its lofty, but I'm giving it a shot and go to my backup plans, which are to get into the airlines if things don't work.

This thread contradicts a previous thread I made earlier but I changed my plans and not interested in the military.

I work for a civilian test flight company, and I can tell you that all but one of our test pilots were former military, and all of them (including the civilian) went through a Test Pilot School.

There is a civilian school, the NationalTest Pilot School, but the cost is $970,000.

I am not interested in being a pilot in the military but I posted my thread here because I suspect military guys here would probably know a little more about the test pilot field since most of it is military. I'm looking into becoming a civilian experimental test pilot without military experience. Is this possible or are civilians only Production Test Pilots? What civilian companies hire civilians to become experimental test pilots? I like flying and designing aircraft and space ships so I thought about combining it all. I plan to major in Mechanical Engineering and do well and may pursue a master's or PhD. While in college, I will work on fixed wing and rotary ratings if I can. My long term goal is to eventually become an Astronaut. Its lofty, but I'm giving it a shot and go to my backup plans, which are to get into the airlines if things don't work.

This thread contradicts a previous thread I made earlier but I changed my plans and not interested in the military.

If you've got $970,000 lying around...

https://www.ntps.edu

 

[ahw01]

Time for a stupid question. Does being a flight engineer help with flight test engineering?

The reason I ask is that flight testing tends to be divided into flight dynamics and aero systems.

There aren't many left but they are definitely systems experts, which may or may not help...

 

[Flying Saluki]

The short answer is "No" because the two have nothing to do with each other. A Flight Engineer is a system operator; someone who ensures that the right amount of fluid, gas, or current gets to the appropriate system at the appropriate time at the appropriate pressure. They are called an engineer by virtue of the fact that they are essentially operating an engine.

A Flight Test Engineer is a designer; someone responsible for planning a flight test or series of flight tests. They prepare test plans, oversee the buildup of the aircraft to the proper configuration, work with the flight test instrumentation engineers to ensure that the necessary sensors and recording systems are installed to capture the required data parameters, and prepare the maneuver-by-maneuver plan for each test flight.

 

[av8tr1]

Maybe it’s just me but I feel like a test pilot every time I take some of our aircraft up.

 

[Soku39]

Maybe it’s just me but I feel like a test pilot every time I take some of our aircraft up.

Same here, wish I could get credit.

 

[Low&Slow]

You could start by buying a Cherokee and sawing off a portion of the wing.

...or by flying at ERAU. (too soon?)