TPS students must have the passion and skills for flying that are necessary to shoulder the immense responsibility of testing aircraft. They attend 11 months of training within one of three curriculums. The Fixed and Rotary Wing curriculums train pilots and engineers to evaluate aircraft performance and flying quality. The Airborne Systems curriculum instructs flight officers and engineers in airborne mission systems test and evaluation. Each provides instruction in academics, flight test preparation, flight test conduct, data collection, data reduction and test report preparation.
All curriculums teach students to think beyond the skin of their aircraft.
Testing aircraft requires time and meticulous attention to detail. Students work long days with few breaks. They typically spend the first half of the day in academic labs, developing the technical background that will support the flight program. The second half of the day is devoted to flying. Students work late writing reports, studying and filing paperwork.