Week 15 - April 18 to 24

Last week, we began the checkrides. Although the first team was cancelled/delayed several times, mainly because of the strong wind, they finally flew on friday. In the next weeks, all pilots will have to do their performance checkrides and their fighter checkrides, along with a practice for each. FTE/Ns only have the perf one. The performance practice happens in the C12, so their isn't much to discover, but the acutal checkride will happen in the HU16 Albatross.

We also began the flights in the Learjet VSS (Variable Stability Simulator) : it is modified with a digital FCS that allow us to "feel" different aircraft handling qualities in only one flight. And even to fly fictious configuration, like neutrally stable on the pitch axis (change the angle of attack, release the stick, it stays there), or directionnaly unstable (trying to keep the aircraft flying straight requires a lot of concentration). This came along with several hours of "handling qualities evaluation" class with T. Twisdale.
Aside from that, we finally got our patch (we atually got it a couple weeks ago but i forgot to mention it) :

We also had a naming for all of us FTE that did not already have a callsign :
Jeremey - Leeroy
Daryl -  Hammer
Joe - Ham
Tomo - Hatrick
Jessica - Stab
Javier - Motor
Jean - Sheldon
Chris - Norm
Dean - Doser
Francois - G-arf

Next week : more practice checkride. The HU16 should be here, so we will also get the first performance checkrides. Some glider demos if the weather permits, more Learjet, photo safety chase for those left behind.
On the academics, we will have structures and aero-servo-elastic coupling. We will also get a 4 hours class on Test safety. This will be the first of a long series of classes that will taught us everything we need to know to organize a flight test. TMPs (test management projects) are getting closer !

Week 14 - April 11 to 18

Last week was not very enjoyable since we had to take three exams : analog FCS, digital FCS, and last but certainly not least, Trim and stability.
As for the flights, the T-38 group finsihed their data rides, the C12 should be shortly behind but the F16 guys still have many rides to do. It seems that F16 availability is better during afternoon so we will undergo an experiment in may with all flying days but also all academics day. Some also had a chance to do the photos/safety chase flight. If that is routine for the fighter pilots, it was new to many FTEs, and we enjoyed it !!!
We also got our group assignements for the HQ phase : we are now divided into four groups (instead of 3 for the perf phase) and will have the task to report on the handling qualities of the T-38.
Finally, many people finished their Human Factor cockpit evaluation reports, as well as their Aeromodelling reports.
Next week, we will study "handling qualities" testing and begin the first of the HQ flights with the Variable Stability Simulator Learjet (VSS). More on that next week ...... We will also see the first of the practice checkrides, some will continue with their data rides, photo/safety chases, and so on.

Week 13 - April 4 to 10

On the academic side, we had more analog FCS (Flight Control System), then digital FCS, and the beginning of trim and stabilty. No doubt about it, we are fully in the FQ (flying qualities) academic phase. But not for the flights. More performance data rides, mainly cruise and aeromodelling. Most of us have two reports to write (aeromodelling and human factor cockpit eval). We also had the brief for the C12 practice performance check ride.
Next week, we will have more trim and stability, three tests (Digital FCS, Analog FCS, Trim and stability), and a get a couple FTT briefs.
We will also start the photo/safety chase demo flights ! That is going to be exciting !!!

Week 12 - march 28 to april 3

Last week, we kept on flying on studying. Nothing really new, we continued doing our turn performance, level acceleration and sawtooth climbs to prepare for our performance evaluation oral reports. The pilos had a demo on how to do aeromodelling, which involves doing split-S (start inverted and level, and pull toward the ground to increase g's while keeping the Mach number constant), Roller-Coaster (speaks for itself, push, pull, up, and down, ....) or wind-up turns. We also had a brief on the coming photo and safety chase. They are going to be very intersting flights, but very demanding as well.
On academics, we had a break from aeronautics with T&E (test and evaluation, or everything you may want to know about the acquisition programs in the DoD), and we started " analog flight control system". Bode plots, root locus, gain margin and open loop transfer functions were the main subjects of the week.
Next week, we will have a brief for the oncoming practice checkrides, finish Analog FCS and move on to digital FCS, and start the cruise data rides. The first teams will also have to turn in the human factor cockpit evaluation reports.

P.S : sorry for the late post.