The University of Flying (part 2 of 2)

In 1943 Air Marshal Sir Ralph Sorley, who had been concerned at the high rate of fatalities during testing of new aircraft, formed the "Test Pilots Training Flight" at Boscombe Down. In 1943 the first training course was held, finishing in early 1944. The scheme was a success, and the training flight soon became an institution in its own right - the ETPS. In 1963 the course diversified into the teaching of rotary wing testing, followed by a course aimed at flight test engineers rather than pilots in 1974.

In 2001, ETPS was included with those research departments sold off by the Government to Carlyle Group during the formation of QinetiQ. It is now run as a partnership between QinetiQ and the UK MOD.

The Empire Test Pilots' School was the first of its kind, and was followed by other similar schools, such as EPNER in France (École du Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Réception), The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Maryland, and the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Some of these schools operate an exchange programme, which expands the variety of aircraft the students have available to them for gaining flight test experience.

Category:

Education

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• 1943
• Air
• Marshal
• Sir
• Ralph
• Sorley
• testing
• new
• aircraft
• Test
• Pilots
• Training
• Flight
• Boscombe
• Down
• WWII
• airplane
• fighter
• experimental
• jet