Book Synopsis
This flight test guide presents the essentials of safe and technically sound flight testing to the amateur-builder pilot community in a practical, easy to understand way. The flight test topics deemed important to amateur-builder flight testing derive directly from NTSB recommendations and latest FAA guidance. They represent a mixture of test philosophy and “how to do it” flight test techniques subjects with an overall emphasis on best practices and safe test conduct.
About The Author
Terrence J. Donovan is President and Chief Scientist/Research Pilot at Southern Waypoint Research Corporation. Most recently he was Chief Scientist and Test Pilot Instructor at the National Test Pilot School and a former FAA Designated Engineering Representative - Flight Test Pilot/Flight Analyst. His main professional interests lie in Airborne and Flight Sciences, Special Mission Aircraft, and certification of civil aircraft. Terry has over 35 years of research and test flying. He completed U.S. Geological Survey pilot training with the U.S. Army and is an Airline Transport Pilot with ratings in Single Engine Land and Sea, Multiengine Land and Sea, and Helicopters in addition to FAA Certificated Flight Instructor - Airplane, Multiengine, and Instruments. As a Scientist/Research Pilot he oversaw airborne science research and development operations at the U.S. Geological Survey Flagstaff Center for Astrogeology and was a Department of Interior Office of Aircraft Services Check Pilot. Following government service, he was a Research Scientist at the University of Illinois Aviation Research Laboratory before joining the National Test Pilot School where subsequently he held a concurrent research appointment at the University of Denver Research Institute. He earned a doctorate in geosciences from UCLA, is a graduate of the National Test Pilot School, and is an Associate Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
George Cusimano, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Vector LLC aviation consulting services, is a flight test engineer and educator with more than 40 years of experience in research, development, and test of important leading edge technologies. He has flight-tested complex systems, such as the F-117, B-2, DarkStar UAV and X-35 (Joint Strike Fighter prototype). In addition to multiple postings as a flight test engineer, George was: the Director of Test and Evaluation for the F-117 System Program Office; the Chief of Flight Test Engineering for the B-2 Combined Test Force; the Deputy Director of Joint STARS Combined Test Force; the Director of Flight Test at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works; and a Technical Advisor to the U.S. Air Force. George has also taught at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and the National Test Pilot School. He is a Commercial Pilot with Airplane ratings in Single Engine Land, Multi-Engine Land, Instrument, and is an Airplane and Glider Certificated Flight Instructor. George holds a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and a master's in industrial engineering from Arizona State University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and a Fellow of the Society of Flight Test Engineers.