Testing Times

摘要

Celebrated as a centre of excellence for both military and flight-test engineers, the US Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS) has achieved a level of recognition and acclaim that goes beyond the shores of the United States. Its home is the famed Edwards AFB in the high desert of California, with the school itself in an area that's strong in military aviation history: the Rogers Dry Lake adjacent to Edwards has been used since the very early days of manned flight due to its exceptional weather and scarce population, making for ideal conditions for carrying out experimental flying activities. The USAF TPS reports directly to the 412th Test Wing of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC), housed at Edwards. Compared to its heyday when it was brimming with exotic types, today the TPS has just a handful of aircraft on its books. Most of those used on the modern-day course are borrowed from either the resident test wing or hired in from civil operators.