OVERVIEW

This course provides a focused and practical treatment of aircraft performance and flight test practices for transport category airplanes, with an emphasis on real-world application and certification-driven testing.

Building on foundational performance theory (covered in the accompanying AIAA textbook), the course concentrates on how performance is actually measured, validated, and operationalized during flight test programs. Participants will learn how to translate regulatory requirements into executable test plans, select appropriate instrumentation, and acquire high-quality data in a flight environment where variability and uncertainty must be actively managed.

The course follows the lifecycle of a performance program, from early test planning through data reduction, model development, and certification compliance, highlighting the interaction between engineering analysis, flight crew execution, and regulatory expectations. Special attention is given to understanding data scatter, improving test efficiency, and ensuring that results are robust enough to support certification and operational use.

Operational applications are a central theme throughout. The course demonstrates how flight test results are transformed into usable performance information for pilots, including limitations, procedures, and dispatch criteria. Participants will also gain insight into how certification requirements embed safety margins and how these margins influence both aircraft capability and operational flexibility.

By focusing on practical methods, lessons learned, and proven industry approaches, this course equips participants with the tools needed to design, execute, and interpret aircraft performance testing programs for modern transport category airplanes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Review the requirements that must be met for certification
• Review basic aircraft performance theory
• Determine what needs to be tested to build performance models
• Determine the required instrumentation to best measure airplane performance
• Understand the scatter normally expected during flight testing and how appropriate feedback from engineering helps the flight crew minimize this scatter
• Develop performance models to match flight test results
• Understand the safety level built-in certification requirements and their impact on airplane performance
• Understand how to show compliance to the certification authorities
• Learn how to present the aircraft performance information to the flight crew
• Understand how to set operational limits to ensure continued operational safety
• [Detailed outline below]

AUDIENCE: This course is intended for professionals responsible for defining, executing, or interpreting aircraft performance in a certification or operational context. It is particularly suited for:

• Flight test engineers and performance engineers working on transport category programs
• Certification engineers and regulatory authority personnel involved in compliance demonstration
• Flight sciences and program engineers bridging analysis, flight test, and operations
• Flight test crew and pilots seeking a deeper engineering understanding of performance

The course is especially valuable for those transitioning from theoretical performance analysis to real-world flight test execution and certification. It is also relevant to military personnel and educators seeking a practical, industry-focused perspective.

COURSE FEES (Sign-In To Register)
- AIAA Member Price: $1,095 USD
- AIAA Student Member Price: $595 USD
- Non-Member Price: $1,295 USD

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OUTLINE:

The course is divided into 5 major parts, each with two sections.

· Part 1 – Air Data

o Section 1

§ Hour 1: Administration

§ Hour 2: Atmospheric Models

o Section 2

§ Hour 1: Position Errors

§ Hour 2: PE Free Stream Methods

· Part 2 – Lift and Drag

o Section 1

§ Hour 1: Stall Speed Definitions and Flight Testing

§ Hour 2: Stall Speed Data Reduction

o Section 2

§ Hour 1: Drag and Thrust

§ Hour 2: Flight Testing for Excess Thrust

· Part 3 – Cruise and Climb Performance

o Section 1

§ Hour 1: Cruise Performance

§ Hour 2: Flight Testing for Cruise Performance

o Section 2

§ Hour 1: Climb Performance

§ Hour 2: Flight Test for Climb Performance and WAT limits

· Part 4 – Takeoff and Rejected Takeoff

o Section 1

§ Hour 1: Takeoff Performance

§ Hour 2: Takeoff Performance Testing

§ Hour 3: Abuse Takeoff Testing

o Section 2

§ Hour 1: Rejected Takeoff

§ Hour 2: Rejected Takeoff Testing

§ Hour 3: AFM preparation for Takeoff Performance

· Part 5 – Landing Performance, Performance Margins

o Section 1

§ Hour 1: Landing Performance

§ Hour 2: Flight Testing for Landing Performance

o Section 2

§ Hour 1: Turning Performance

§ Hour 2: Obstacle Clearance

o Section 3

§ Hour 1: Contaminated Runways

§ Hour 2: Energy Reserves for Electric Aviation

· Final Q&A and Discussion

INSTRUCTOR

MARIO ASSELIN is co-CEO of Asselin, Inc. (www.AsselinInc.com) and co-CEO of The AirCraft Company (www.TheAirCraftCompany.org), developer of the Pangea® hybrid-electric regional airliner family. He is an FAA Flight Analyst DER for Part 23 and Part 25 aircraft, specializing in aircraft performance, flight testing, and certification of transport category airplanes.

Mr. Asselin has held senior leadership roles across multiple aircraft programs, including Director of Engineering, Operations, and Quality at the Bombardier Flight Test Center in Wichita, where he led flight test engineering and operations for transport category aircraft certification. He was also an Engineering Fellow at Bombardier, Senior Manager of Flight Sciences and Flight Test Engineering & Operations at Honda Aircraft Company, and Vice President of Engineering at Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation.

His experience spans the full lifecycle of performance—from analysis to flight test to operational certification—and includes work on high-speed and supersonic flight test programs, as well as the development of performance methodologies used in certification and operations.

Mr. Asselin has taught aircraft performance and flight sciences at the Royal Military College of Canada, McGill University, École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), Concordia University, and the University of Kansas. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and a Master of Applied Science in aerothermodynamics from École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Classroom Hours / CEUs: 24 classroom hours, 2.4 CEU/PDH

Course Delivery and Materials

• The course lectures will be delivered via Zoom.
• All sessions will be available on-demand within 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.
• All students will receive an e-book copy of the instructor’s AIAA textbook Operational Aircraft Performance and Flight Test Practices
• Between lectures, the instructor 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 7 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 questions about the course or group discounts (for 5+ participants).

Frequently Asked Questions