Test pilot is a person who flies new aircraft to test them for safety. There are two kinds of test pilots—experimental test pilots and production test pilots.
Experimental test pilots
test the performance capabilities of newly designed aircraft. They become the first people to fly such aircraft. These pilots test the performance limits, called the flight envelope, of an aircraft by subjecting it to greater-than-normal flight stresses. Most experimental test pilots have at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering, mathematics, or one of the physical sciences. The majority have also attended a military test-pilot school. Experimental test pilots know what to expect from a new aircraft’s design and what problems to anticipate. Most of these pilots have several thousand hours of flying time and can react calmly and quickly to unexpected situations.
Many astronauts and cosmonauts formerly served as experimental test pilots. Chuck Yeager, an American experimental test pilot, became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.
Production test pilots
test factory-produced aircraft before the aircraft are delivered to customers. These pilots make sure that the aircraft’s engines, flight controls, and mechanical systems are functioning properly. The design of the aircraft has already passed through the experimental flight-testing phase. Production test pilots typically have a strong understanding of aircraft mechanics.
