The UK Ministry of Defence has contracted a consultancy group to conduct a one-year analysis of its future flight-test training needs; a process that is expected to have implications for the future output of its current Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) mechanism.
Launched two months ago, the study could recommend changes to the ETPS's core fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters and its additional training facilities, suggest school officials. "We are confident that the study will underline the need for the school," says Roger Beazley, ETPS and Qinetiq aerospace adviser.
Qinetiq officials have identified a requirement for new-generation training platforms to support the increasingly systems-intensive syllabus of ETPS, but stress that a decision to acquire such a capability is some way off. Advanced strike aircraft are among replacement platforms being sought by the school.
"We need access to systems-capable aircraft such as the [Qinetiq-owned] VAAC Harrier and the [Saab] Gripen," says John Thorpe, course development manager and flying tutor for ETPS's fixed-wing aircraft.
In addition to providing a closer link with types now in service, or designs such as the Eurofighter Typhoon now entering frontline use with the armed forces which use the facilities at Boscombe Down, such aircraft feature digital avionics that enable more rapid modifications than the analogue technologies on its current core aircraft, such as the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet and Sepecat Jaguar.
"Our current flying delivers good results, but in 10 yearswe'll have worn out our fleetand it won't be relevant either," says Thorpe.
Beyond possible changes to its core fleet of aircraft, Qinetiq is also looking to expand its training portfolio and ETPSsyllabus to meet the changing requirements of its test and evaluation user community. "Increasingly, releasing people for one year can be a problem for some nations," so the school could introduce additional short courses in specialised areas of testing.
With an eye on an increasing area of military aviation activity, ETPS is also looking into the possibility of becoming involved in flight test training activities linked to the airworthiness clearance of unmanned air vehicle systems.
Source: Flight International
