TPS's Test Management Program brings real-world projects to classroom

  • Published
  • By Kenji Thuloweit
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  

United States Air Force Test Pilot School students endure a rigorous schedule where they have to balance intense academics while flying a wide variety of aircraft.

Another portion of the 11-month course is the Test Management Program, a six- to eight-month project that gives the students hands-on experience and oversight of a real test program.

"Test pilot students are able to, in a more controlled environment, do exactly what they would do after graduation," said Col. Noel Zamot, USAF TPS commandant. "We seek out to do real-world test programs."

The graduation requirement serves as a thesis project and authorizes students to be awarded a masters degree.

Generally, there are six students assigned to one project and responsibilities are assigned by the instructors.

"In the last 15 or 20 years the Test Management Program has gotten a lot more focus," said Colonel Zamot. "We have four parts to the curriculum: performance, flying qualities, systems and test management. The test management part, which encompasses everything we do in the curriculum, has really been focused on because we realize our graduates need to operate essentially independently when they leave."

The TPS can either solicit test projects from outside agencies or the school can be asked to conduct the projects.

These test management projects are relatively inexpensive to the customers due to TPS's wide range of resources and personnel.

One of the unique projects is the Basic Envelope Air Refueling Control Laws - BEAR CLAW.

The project is aimed at obtaining preliminary data leading ultimately to have an unmanned aerial vehicle conduct air-to-air refueling.

"It's a joint program with our customers being two different AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory) groups within the Air Vehicles Directorate," said Sharlene Lim, USAF TPS Plans and Programs deputy director. "One was the Automated Aerial Refueling group and the other was the Automatic Collision Avoidance Technology group."

The TPS BEAR CLAW team used the school's one-of-a-kind VISTA (Variable stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft) F-16 to serve as the UAV.

The VISTA can be configured to fly and behave like any aircraft, from a UAV to a C-17 Globemaster. It also has enhanced data recording capabilities.

Although the VISTA F-16 can be remotely piloted, this phase of the testing required one of the project team members to pilot the VISTA with data collection being the priority.

On March 17, the BEAR CLAW team gathered data by having the VISTA approach a KC-135 tanker to refuel during one of four flight tests.

"Before a UAV can approach a tanker we have to have safety trips in place for the flight control systems that allow a UAV to enter the pre-contact position for the tanker," said Capt. Gary Beisner, TPS Class 10B student and BEAR CLAW project manager.

"It's basically the software flight-control laws required for a UAV to go up and come in contact with a tanker and be able to fuel air-to-air."

"To be able to build those safety trips we need to understand what the flight control systems are doing in terms of pitch and lateral commands throughout the envelope, so we have to really characterize what a basic flight profile is around a tanker," said Captain Beisner.

The project required a little more logistical planning than usual because local KC-135 tankers were tied up with their own flight tests.

Maj. John A. Mikal, BEAR CLAW team member and TPS Class 10B student, just happens to be a tanker pilot and used his connections to get a KC-135 for the project.

"When we got the project, we figured out there weren't enough tanker assets here so I contacted my previous base, Altus Air Force Base, Okla.," said Major Mikal. "I called them and we were able to work out a deal where they could come out here and support us. Since they're an Air Education and Training Command schoolhouse, it was a fantastic opportunity for them to support the test pilot school."

Major Mikal said the team had six scheduled flights but only needed to conduct four because a good amount of data was recorded during the first flights. This allowed the BEAR CLAW team finish the project under budget.

After all the data is collected and analyzed, about six to 12 months in the future, they will expand the flight testing and possible remotely pilot the VISTA (with a human on board for contingency purposes) to see how it handles air-to-air refueling.

"With the force-multiplying capabilities UAVs bring to the United States military, it's an even greater capability for us to be able to extend their reach and time of flight," said Captain Beisner. "To be able to give the U.S. that added surveillance and reconnaissance capability, this is the next step in that process; to be able to hopefully allow UAVs to have more loiter time."