May 2010 covers_Covers.qxd - World Airnews

PROFESSIONAL FLIGHT TESTING IN
SOUTH AFRICA
By: Des Barker
FOLLOWING ON from the news
reports of the recent loss of the
prototype Sling to a spin accident
during the certification programme,
some media reports incorrectly referred
to the pilots as “qualified test pilots”
while others more correctly, referred to
the pilots as South African Civil Aviation
Authority (SACAA) approved Class II test
pilots. There is a major difference.
The Sling had achieved world-wide
fame and it did not take long for inquiries
from overseas to media reports that
“qualified test pilots baled-out from an
unrecoverable flat spin”. Questions were
asked which included: “Why did the ‘test
pilots’ get it wrong?”.
The explanation is that the so-called
“test pilots” were not test pilots, but
rather SACAA-approved pilots to conduct
critical exploratory flight testing, raised serious
questions as to “what are you guys
up to in South Africa?”
Questioning the flight testing standards
in South Africa was rather sad and unfortunate,
considering that the country has
developed a reputation for compliance
with international best practice when it
comes to flight testing.
Since the 1970s when the South African
Air Force (SAAF) first sent its pilots for
formal test pilot training, the family of
experimental test pilots has performed
exceptionally in putting South Africa “on
the map” as a reputable, professional
group, complying with the stringent
standards required universally and having
completed thousands of flight test
programmes and flown thousands of
flight test hours, safely and professionally.
Such is the recognition of South African
flight testing standards that several test
pilots and engineers have taken their skills
and experience to other countries such as
the USA, Canada and Australia.
Such is the quality of South African test
pilots, that several of the test personnel
are currently involved in providing professional
flight test services to other countries
in which such expensive resources do
not exist.
24 WORLD AIRNEWS, MAY 2010.
So You’re A Test
Pilot Are You?
THE TENETS expressed in this article
are those of the author and are not
necessarily supported by World
Airnews or its publisher.
The issue of an SACAA approval as a
test pilot, does not necessarily make
one a test pilot! If you are not a graduate
of one of the internationally recognised
flight test schools, you are
legally, not a Test Pilot.
Exception was taken by the test pilot
community to claims by the Airplane
Factory’s owners that their pilots involved
in the loss of the Sling, were
“qualified test pilots”
PROBLEM DEFINITION
So what is the problem? Well, the use of
SACAA Class II test pilots to conduct critical
and exploratory flight testing which
lies in the domain of experimental test pilots,
is a serious problem.
In addition, SACAA Class II “test pilots”
and in some cases, even Class I “test pilots”,
have been approved by the authority
without having any formal flight test
training. Such ratings have been dispensed
by the SACAA without the requirement
for demonstrating flight test
competency, knowledge or experience.
These are the very criteria the SACAA
uses for the regulation of general aviation
pilot’s licences and what Courts of Law
use to determine competency.
If anything, this unnecessary accident
revealed the true state of ignorance existing
in general aviation of flight testing requirements
and exactly what is the role
and function of a test pilot.
n What a Test Pilot is not! A test pilot,
contrary to the images conjured up by the
movie, “The Right Stuff”, is not necessarily
the best “stick” in the world; does not
“walk on water”; does not have all the answers;
is not a mathematical genius; does
not necessarily go around winning
“medals for bravery” or any other of the
melodramatic portrayals of the super hero
in the movies.
n What a Test Pilot Is! He or she is an experienced
aviator who has successfully
graduated from an internationally recognised
flight test school and been certified
as an experimental, engineering or research
test pilot. Such schooling is only
provided in the USA (USAF Test Pilot
School and United States Navy Test Pilot
School), the UK (Empire Test Pilot School),
France (EPNER) and Russia (Russian Test
Pilot School).
The only active civilian flight test school
is the National Test Pilot School, at
Mojave, in the USA, which essentially
follows the USAF Test Pilot School syllabus
and is staffed by former military flight test
personnel, but has a slight shift in
emphasis, additionally focussing on both
FAA certification standards in addition to
the military standards.
SACAA LICENSING
SACAA regulations enable an approved
Class I test pilot “to act as pilot-incommand
of an experimental, prototype
aircraft which is engaged in experimental,
developmental or investigative test flying
in accordance with the test schedule
approved by the Commissioner, for the
purpose of experimental test flying,
development, certification, type certification,
or for the purpose of issuing,
validating or rendering effective a
certificate of airworthiness of such aircraft
provided that he/she is the holder of a
valid class rating”.
A Class II approved SACAA test pilot is
essentially authorised for the same scope
of testing provided it is under supervision
of an SACAA Class I test pilot. It could be
argued that the SACAA, by allowing ‘unqualified’
pilots to operate in the realm of
exploratory flight testing, is irresponsible
and by doing so, is probably in breach of