Empire Test Pilots ' School The Empire Test Pilots ' School ( ETPS ) is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineer s of fixed - wing and rotary - wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire , England . It was established in 1943 , the first of its type . The school moved to RAF Cranfield in October 1945 , to Royal Aircraft Establishment , Farnborough in July 1947 , before returning to Boscombe Down on 29 January 1968 . Its motto is " Learn to test ; test to learn " . ETPS is run by the MoD and defence contractor QinetiQ under a long - term agreement . History . In 1943 , Air Marshal Sir Ralph Sorley formed the " Test Pilots ' Training Flight " at RAF Boscombe Down after many pilots died testing the many new aircraft introduced during the Second World War . On 21 June 1943 , the unit became the " Test Pilots ' School " within the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment ( A & AEE ) at Boscombe Down . The school was " to provide suitably trained pilots for testing duties in aeronautical research and development establishments within the service and the industry " . It graduated one group of students , the Number 1 Course , which began in the summer of 1943 and formally ended on 29 February 1944 , before the school ' s name was changed to the " Empire Test Pilots ' School " ( ETPS ) on 28 July 1944 . The first training course , held by the Commandant , Wing Commander Samuel " Sammy " Wroath with G . Maclaren Humphreys , a civilian , as Technical Instructor , was initially attended by 18 pilots , drawn largely from the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) and the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy but included three civilian attendees ( all from the Bristol Aeroplane Company ) . Five students found the standard of maths required on the course to be too high and left within the first week ; the 13 students who completed the first course comprised 11 from the RAF ( including one American , Sqn . Ldr . J . C . Nelson , who was serving with one of the Eagle Squadrons ) and two from the FAA . Of those who attended No . 1 Course , five eventually died testing aircraft . Due to the rapid growth of the A & AEE , at Boscombe Down , the school moved to RAF Cranfield in October 1945 . On 12 July 1947 , it was attached to the Royal Aircraft Establishment , Farnborough , where it remained for almost 21 years , flying a wide variety of aircraft types , before returning to Boscombe Down on 29 January 1968 . Until 1963 , the course catered to both fixed - wing and rotary - wing pilots , with the latter specializing late in the course . In 1963 , a separate rotary - wing course was established , followed in 1974 by a course for Flight test engineer s . The school also offers a number of short courses " to meet specific Air Test and Evaluation ( AT & E ) training needs of the wider flight test community " . 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 soon followed by other similar schools , such as the U . S . Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base , California in 1944 , the United States Naval Test Pilot School in Maryland in 1945 and the EPNER in France ( École du Personnel Navigant d ' Essais et de Réception ) in 1946 . Other schools in India ( Indian Air Force Test Pilot School in Bangalore ) and Japan were established in later years . Some of these schools operate exchange programmes , which expand the variety of aircraft the students have available to them for gaining flight test experience . In addition to such student exchanges , British , French and American schools share access to their aircraft , so that students can experience a wider range of aircraft types during their respective courses . E . T . P . S . Commandants . Note : Commandants ' names prior to 1968 are taken from the ETPS 25th anniversary brochure ( see References below ) . Further names , up to and including 1988 , are provided by Wing Commander " Robby " Robinson in his book " Tester Zero One " . The term " Commandant " was succeeded in 1976 by " Chief Instructor " in 1976 and from 1980 by " Officer Commanding " . Aircraft . The ETPS currently ( 2013 ) uses the following types of aircraft : Notable ETPS graduates . This table contains details about ETPS graduates who have made significant contributions to aviation and / or space exploration . Note : To collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " ; to expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Name column header . Course Trophies and Awards . Note : Recipients ' names prior to 1968 are taken from the ETPS 25th anniversary brochure ( see References below ) . Others up to and including 1983 , unless otherwise stated , are taken from Rawlings and Sedgwick ( 1991 ) , Appendix Four , pp . 124 – 136 ( see References ) In the tables of trophy winners the following abbreviation are used in the course names : Legend < br > McKenna Trophy . In memory of the second Commandant of the School , Group Captain J . F . X . McKenna , AFC , who was killed in a flying accident while serving in that post . Initially the school awarded the McKenna Trophy to the best fixed - wing student , but it is now open to the rotary - wing course as well . Note : To expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Year column header ; to collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " . Edwards Trophy . This trophy is awarded by the Edwards Air Force Base in California to the student who makes the greatest progress on the course . Note : To expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Year column header ; to collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " . Hawker Hunter Trophy . This trophy , a model of the Hawker Hunter , was first awarded in 1960 by the Hawker Aircraft Company . It was originally awarded to the student who wrote the best Preview Handling report on the course . Since 1966 the Preview Exercise has been carried out by syndicates of two or three students ; the trophy is awarded to the best team . Note : To expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Year column header ; to collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " . Patuxent Shield . This trophy , instituted in 1961 , is awarded by the U . S . Naval Test Pilot School , Patuxent River , to the runner - up for the McKenna Trophy . Note : To expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Year column header ; to collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " . Westland Trophy . The Westland Trophy , originally presented by Westland Aircraft Limited in 1963 , is awarded to the best all - round student on the Rotary Wing Course . Note : To expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Year column header ; to collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " . Sir Alan Cobham Award . Presented to ETPS in 1974 by Michael Cobham , son of Sir Alan Cobham , this trophy is awarded to the fixed wing student who demonstrates the highest standard of flying during the course . The trophy is a silver model of a Short Singapore II flying - boat , which was originally awarded to Sir Alan and his wife in 1928 " in commemoration of their epic circuit of Africa flight in 1927 in such a flying - boat " . Note : To expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Year column header ; to collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " . Dunlop Trophy . The Dunlop Trophy , initially awarded by the Dunlop Rubber company in 1974 , is awarded to the best student on each Flight Test Engineers ' course . Note : To expand the collapsed table , click on " show " in the Year column header ; to collapse the expanded table , click on " hide " .