What You'll Learn

The course is intended for any engineer, scientist, researcher, or manager who engages in the planning, execution, analysis, and/or reporting of flight test activities.

  • Test Foundations

    Understand the importance of flight test and fundamental components to plan, execute, analyze, and report on a flight test program.

  • Real-World Examples

    Flight test scenarios throughout the course demonstrate test planning and risk identification from recent programs, including F-16 Automatic Collision Avoidance System (ACAS), RQ-4 airworthiness, and many more.

  • System Engineering Approach

    Learn problem decomposition, requirement traceability, test planning, risk identification, and resource provisioning.

  • Student Project

    Learn to apply these concepts by planing, executing, analyzing, and reporting on a automobile cruise control and speedometer test project.

  • Test Communication and Test Conduct

    Learn how to apply test methodology, communication plans, determination of safety abort parameters, and use of test execution tools.

  • Flight Test Engineering Tools

    Design principles and best practices for the creation of test execution tools, including development of control room screens and test cards.

  • Analysis

    Flight test analysis methods will be introduced with methods for accessing, processing, and saving aircraft flight data with sample data sets and basic analysis tools provided.

  • Reporting

    Detailed technical reporting concepts, including technical writing basics, presentation of data, and technical presentation techniques.

  • Scenario

    The culmination of the course will entail a problem decomposition project where test planning, risk identification, risk management, and resource provisioning are applied to a real-world test scenario.

Recent Student Reviews

5 star rating

A superbly written and presented course

Josh Hawken

This course was simply outstanding and more than worth the investment in both time and money. The explanation of both basic and highly advanced techniques wa...

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This course was simply outstanding and more than worth the investment in both time and money. The explanation of both basic and highly advanced techniques was well pitched with great context for an aerospace professional with an undergraduate engineering background. The practical examples given of test programs were both fascinating on their own and well integrated into the course material. The wealth of written resources provided will be of use to me for years to come. The course provided this student a large boost to my skillset and a suite of tools I can apply to my job as a Technical Pilot/Manager at a major airline.

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Your Instructor

Instructor Flight Test Engineer Jessica Peterson

Jessica “STING” Peterson has over 18 years of experience in Flight Test Engineering on fighter, bomber, trainer, and unmanned aircraft. She is a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) and has logged over 500 hours in 40+ aircraft types as a Flight Test Engineer, primarily in the T-38, F-16, and C-12 aircraft. She is currently a Ph.D. student and Research Assistant for the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Nevada Reno, primarily interested in autonomy, human-machine teaming, and flight controls. Prior to returning to graduate school, she worked as a DoD Civil Service employee for the United States Air Force (USAF) in flight test for 18 years, conducting flight test on fighter, bomber, and unmanned aircraft. Her most recent position with the USAF was as the Technical Director for the 412th Operations Group and as an Instructor Flight Test Engineer for the US Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) at Edwards Air Force Base. As an instructor at USAF TPS, she instructed hundreds of flight test and space test professionals and advised on numerous research projects. She holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the Naval Postgraduate School, respectively, and a Master's degree in Flight Test Engineering from USAF TPS. The highlight of her career was to shake the hand of a pilot whose life was saved by a system she helped develop and test, the F-16 Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS) -- a system that has saved 13 military pilots' lives to date.

Course curriculum

    1. Course Welcome

    2. Before we begin... a pre-course survey.

    3. Introduction to the Importance of Flight Test

      FREE PREVIEW
    4. Importance of Flight Test - Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS)

    5. Program Requirements and Mission Need

    6. Plan-Execute-Analyze-Report (PEAR) Flight Test Process

    7. Example project: Evaluation of an Automobile

    1. Introduction to Systems Engineering for Flight Test

    2. Scientific Method for Flight Test - Predict Test Validate

    3. Systems Theory for Flight Test - Abstraction and Modeling

    4. Real world example - Automatic Air Collision Avoidance System (Auto ACAS)

    5. Systems Theory Applied to Auto ACAS

    6. Example Systems Engineering Project

    7. Flight Test Tech Talk: Systems Engineering Applied to a Real-World Project

    1. Introduction to Planning for Flight Test

    2. Test planning resources and key concepts

    3. Test Plan Content: Test Objectives

    4. Test Plan Content: Measures of Performance

    5. Test Plan Content: Evaluation Criteria, Test Methodology, and Real-World Examples

    1. Introduction to Safety Planning for Flight Test - Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS)

    2. Flight Test Risk Management

    3. Flight Test Safety Resources

    4. Flight Test Safety Process: Hazard Identification

    5. Flight Test Safety Process: Mitigations, Corrective Actions, and Documentation

    1. Introduction to Flight Test Execution

    2. Concepts for Test Conduct

    3. Communications Plan

    4. Preflight Predictions and Flight Test Continuation Criteria

    5. Diving Maneuvers and Time Safety Margin

    1. Test Card Design Principles

    2. Test Card Content

    3. Control Room Screen Principles

    4. Control Room Screen Design

About this course

  • $1,195.00
  • 46 lessons
  • 14.5 hours of video content

Hear what former students are saying about Flight Test Foundations:

"This course has been invaluable in applying principles of flight testing engineering and test piloting to my current role. I eagerly anticipate more learning opportunities from Jessica in the future. As the saying goes, "Flight test engineering is an art, science, and economics," and I am committed to contributing to the future of Aerospace with the knowledge and experience gained." 

- Aerospace Engineer/ Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer (UAVs)


"An absolutely amazing, well structured and informative course. So glad I was part of it. Hoping for more in the future" 

- Private Pilot and Engineering Intern


"I recently completed a course on Flight Test from Jessica Peterson. It was very enlightening and engaging. It's already been impactful in my research. Thanks Jessica "STING" Peterson for a great course!" 

- PhD Student

"Thank you for sharing such a vast amount of knowledge on flight testing. Especially the concept of TSM (Time Safety Margin) has been eye opening, and very relevant to display flying." 

- Airshow Specialist and Management


"I really enjoyed the class, you presented a ton of info in a short time and had great course materials and visuals. I learned a lot!" 

- Air Traffic Control Specialist


"Thank you so much Jessica "STING" Peterson ! I really enjoyed all of the material, and I found the sessions about Test Card Preparation and Data Analysis Methods super helpful. I hope to take another course with you soon" 

- Aerospace Engineer

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Learning Objectives

The “Flight Test Foundations” course provides an understanding of the fundamental components involved with planning, executing, analyzing, and reporting on a flight test program. The course will begin with a real-world flight test vignette, introducing the importance of flight test and the plan/execute/analyze/report (PEAR) cycle. Next, a systems engineering approach will be presented, introducing the concept of problem decomposition, requirement traceability, test planning, risk identification, and resource provisioning. To apply these concepts, students are given the opportunity to plan, execute, analyze, and report on a simple automobile cruise control and speedometer test project. The course continues with a detailed look at test planning and risk identification, providing real-world flight test examples. Next, flight test execution and test conduct will be covered to include test methodology, communication plans, determination of safety abort parameters, and use of test execution tools. Design principles and best practices for the creation of test execution tools will be detailed for development of control room screens and test cards. Flight test analysis methods will be introduced with methods for accessing, processing, and saving aircraft flight data with sample data sets and basic analysis tools provided. Finally, the course will detail technical reporting concepts to include technical writing basics, presentation of data, and technical presentation techniques.

  • Understand the various phases of a flight test program, Plan/Execute/Analyze/Report, from program initiation to final technical reporting.

  • Explain the key concepts for successful test planning to include the importance of requirement traceability, the elements of a test plan, and the composition of a test team.

  • Understand the elements of test safety planning, risk identification and management, and hazard mitigation.

  • Gain experience with test conduct concepts to include test methodology, communication plans, monitoring safety parameters, and test execution tools such as control room screens and test cards.

  • Gain foundational skills for analyzing flight test data by applying basic tools for accessing, processing, and saving aircraft flight data.

  • Learn the ability to communicate technical content through data presentation, verbal reports, and written technical reports.

  • Apply a Systems Engineering philosophy to problem decomposition and risk identification for a sample real-world flight test vignette.

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Previous Customer Organizations for Flight Test Foundations

Flight test leaders from these organizations have already received this training:

NAVAIR
Lockheed Martin
Sikorsky
AIAA
Federal Aviation Administration
Amp-Aero Technology
Wing Aviation
British Airways
American Airlines

This course includes:

  • Ongoing access to instructor for questions

  • Over 25 hours of on-demand video

  • Practical instruction from a leading expert in flight test engineering

  • Access on mobile device, tablet, or computer

  • Test plan and test card templates with example test scenarios

  • 22 references, including "Introduction to Flight Test Engineering", "Flight Test Safety and Risk Management ", and many more

  • Certificate of completion

What's it like to learn with Daedalus Aerospace

Interact with your instructor, ask questions, and learn at your own pace.

Daedalus Aerospace provides training and tools for aerospace professionals, with on-demand courses in flight test planning/execution, risk management, and data analytics. Our courses communicate the same concepts taught at accredited test pilot schools and used by leading flight test centers. Learn the principles, tools and processes used by flight test professionals, without the travel and high cost of in-person training. Few have opportunity to attend a test pilot school, but you and your team can benefit from the same knowledge. 

Why Choose This Course?

  • Expert Instruction: Taught by a leading flight test engineering instructor.

  • Comprehensive Curriculum: Covering all the fundamental flight test concepts.

  • Flexible Learning: Access course modules on-demand to learn at your own pace.

  • Practical application: Directly relevant to developing the future of flight.

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