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Test Foundations for Flight Test – Online Short Course (Starts 6 April 2026)
- From 6–29 April 2026 (4 Weeks, 8 Classes, 16 Total Hours)
- Every Monday and Wednesday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
- This course introduces the components involved with planning, executing, analyzing, and reporting on a flight test program. Concepts such as test planning, risk identification and management, test conduct, data analysis, and technical reporting are presented with real-world flight test examples.
- All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.
Description
OVERVIEW
The “Test Foundations for Flight Test” 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, attendees will 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.
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.
The “Test Foundations for Flight Test” 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, attendees will 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.
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.
- 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.
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. The course is a broad overview and best suited to those with less than 10 years of experience or limited formal education in flight test engineering.
COURSE FEES (Sign-In To Register)
- AIAA Member Price: $945 USD
- Non-Member Price: $1145 USD
- AIAA Student Member Price: $595 USD
- AIAA Member Price: $945 USD
- Non-Member Price: $1145 USD
- AIAA Student Member Price: $595 USD
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INSTRUCTOR
OUTLINE
Class 1 – Introduction and Flight Test Examples- Introduction to flight test
- Real-world test vignette – Importance of flight test
- Plan/Execute/Analyze/Report (PEAR) Process
- Systems theory and scientific method applied to flight test
- Problem decomposition and generation of test requirements
- Project application – evaluation of an automobile cruise control and speedometer
- Elements of a test plan
- Test objectives and measures of performance
- Test methodology and test point matrix
- Real-world examples – test planning
- System safety
- Hazard identification and mitigation
- Risk assessment
- Real-world examples - case studies
- Test control and personnel roles
- Communication plan
- Pre-flight predictions
- Test safety risk reduction tools – monitoring safety parameters
- Control room display principles
- Test card design principles
- Introduction of sample test vignettes from various programs
- Accessing data and data formats
- Analysis methods
- Data presentation - Sample data analysis problems
- Results from evaluation of an automobile cruise control and speedometer
- Technical writing concepts
- Verbal presentation skills and example presentation formats
- Problem Decomposition Project - Application of test planning, risk identification, risk management, and resource provisioning
INSTRUCTOR
Ms. Jessica “STING” Peterson has over 19 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 over 500 hours in 40+ aircraft types as a Flight Test Engineer, primarily in the T-38, F-16, and C-12 aircraft. The highlight of her career was when she got 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). As an instructor at USAF TPS, Jessica has taught Test Foundations to hundreds of flight test and space test professionals. Currently, she is both a part time instructor at USAF TPS and a Graduate Research Assistant and PhD student at University Nevada Reno (UNR). This course, based on real-world flight test examples, makes the foundational concepts of flight test accessible to a wide range of expertise and backgrounds.
CLASSROOM HOURS / CEUs: 16 classroom hours / 1.6 CEU/PDH
COURSE DELIVERY AND MATERIALS
- The course lectures will be delivered via Zoom. Access to the Zoom classroom will be provided to registrants near to the course start date.
- All sessions will be available on-demand within 1-2 days of the lecture. Once available, you can stream the replay video anytime, 24/7.
- All slides will be available for download after each lecture. No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted, unless for course participants. All rights reserved.
- Between lectures during the course, the instructor(s) will be available via email for technical questions and comments.
Cancellation Policy: A refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 5 days before the start of the event. After that time, no refunds will be provided.
Contact: Please contact Lisa Le or Customer Service if you have any questions about the course or group discounts (for 5+ participants).Courses in package:
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