Virtual Skies

Career Radar

Job Title:

Research Pilot

Related Job Title:

aeronautical flight research, test pilot, research test pilot, experimental test pilot

Job Description:

As a general rule, research pilots are experienced pilots and aeronautical engineers with an excellent mechanical knowledge of aircraft. Their flying and engineering skills are used broadly in projects ranging from the development of new aircraft ("X" planes) to the writing of regulations and aircraft specifications that govern the operations and design of all aircraft. They combine the knowledge form their years of varied flight experiences along with their insight into human-cockpit interactions and aeronautical engineering knowledge to provide researchers and aircraft designers with the insights needed to develop a safe and efficient aircraft. In flight, the research pilot performs precise maneuvers and makes careful observations of how the aircraft reacts during these procedures. The pilot makes observations not only about the aircraft, but also about the pilot's ability to interact with the machine. For each hour in the air the research pilot spends many more hours on the ground assessing the aircraft's performance and drafting detailed reports. Some of this ground time is also spent in flight simulators testing everything from new software programs to new cockpit controls. The pilot must routinely confer with the team of researchers working on each project. Relaying important information can be critical to the success of a new design. Once a project is completed, the test pilot will also participate in drafting technical papers presented to government agencies, private industry and aeronautical engineers.

Areas of Expertise:

• Flying skills that can easily and quickly adapt to all types of aircraft and flight scenarios
• Aeronautics
• Structure and function as it relates to aircraft design and performance

Interests and Abilities:

• Love of flying all types of aircraft
• Intrinsically motivated to get work done
• Excellent critical thinking and observation skills
• Demonstrates consistently sound judgment under stress and by keeping safety first.
• Detailed oriented and capable of following a step-by-step procedure completely.

Suggested Topics to Study in School:

• Mathematics: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus
• Physics
• Aeronautics and the science of flight
• Technical drawing
• Auto shop/basic mechanics
• Computer science
• English composition

Education and Training Needed:

• Private to commercial pilot's license with preference given to military flight training
• Intense training in a variety of aircraft over an extended period of time
• Minimum Bachelor's degree all the way to a Ph.D. in aeronautics or aeronautical engineering or mechanical engineering
• Graduate from a military or civilian test pilot course

You might want to further explore this career by checking out the resources given below:

• Read the magazine Aviation Week and Space Technology
• Check out the NASA aerospace research Web sites (start with Dryden Flight Research Center and then look at Ames Research Center) to learn more about research aircraft and "X" planes
• Society of Experimental Test Pilots
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• AHS International

What can I do right now?

• Attend a camp session of Space Camp or Aviation Challenge.
• Take a ground school course.
• Visit an aviation museum and take in the different types of aircraft.
• Start designing your own paper airplane models to see which ones fly the farthest, the longest, the highest, etc.
• Learn to fly model aircraft.
• Join an organization like Civil Air Patrol (CAP).
• Check out the Web site Foil Sim at the Glenn Research Center Web site and learn about aeronautics.
• Take a flight in as many different types of aircraft as possible to see how you like it.
• Participate in a NASA Quest Web cast or chat, and pose questions to the research pilots featured there.
• Attend the annual symposium of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots to get an idea of who has gone before you, what kind of people they are, and what kind of work they do.

Aviation Research
Virtual Skies Main Menu