On Saturday, November 12, 2022, a B-17 and Bell P-63 Kingcobra collided in mid-air at a Dallas airshow. The accident resulted in the loss of all six people on the two aircraft. The topic of Airshows first appeared in the
Letter to the Editor In response to the last newsletter, FTE Jeremy S. sent photographs of Aussie instrumentation he had worked on over the past decade. The only real Frankenstein aircraft we had in recent years was our classic Hornet
Sometimes we have so much to learn, that we must spend the first two years organizing and planning how we will navigate through the material, as seen in this quote from scientists following the Apollo expeditions. From The Apollo Spacecraft
Just this week, all of the FTEs flew north for the winter (I mean…annual symposium in London, Ontario), and a week earlier, the international Flight Test Safety Workshop ended in the UK. Both meetings resulted in countless discussions that deserve
I spent part of the holiday on Monday shooting sport clays with a shotgun. Before we started, I was talking to one of the instructors who learned the skill while hunting ducks. That’s a tough way to learn on the
The other day I ran into my stats professor, and I said, “what are the chances?” Almost unbelievably, I happened upon my geography teacher from elementary, and she said, “small world.”** I joke, but understanding the limitations of the 2d
What is the first thought that goes through your mind when you read about a flight test accident? That’s probably the kind of question we all feel comfortable asking, but do we ever consider what goes through our hearts when
Words have the power of life and death. With a single word, we can command the abort of a dangerous flight test maneuver, but the power of our words extends beyond the cockpit and the control room to the cubicle
December is finally here, and we are bringing you an early present, the final issue of Flight Test Safety Fact for 2021. This issue has headlines from the past year, recommendations for podcasts, and even an award winning symposium paper.
Ever wonder what life is like as a hang glider test pilot? (I’m not sure I had that particular thought, but I’ve often imagined what it would be like to fly a hang glider.) This month’s feature article is written