Commandants of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
File:USAF TPS PAM 36-7 22 June 2007.png
The commanding officer of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is known as its Commandant. The commandant leads the school which combines Air Force Materiel Command's (AFMC) most complex flying unit encompassing nearly 4,000 flight hours in over 30 aircraft types annually, and Air University's (AU) most demanding Master of Science degree encompassing over 50 credit hours.{{Cite web |title=Air University (AU) > Registrar > Air University Academic Catalog |url=https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Registrar/Air-University-Academic-Catalog/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.airuniversity.af.edu}} The position is usually held by a colonel selected by the AFMC commander although this authority may be delegated to the commander of the Air Force Test Center (AFTC).{{cite book |title=Department of the Air Force Instruction 99-107, Test Pilot School |date=May 31, 2024 |page=9}} The commandant oversees all flying training, academic instruction, budgeting, and curriculum administration at the school.{{cite book |title=Department of the Air Force Instruction 99-107, Test Pilot School |date=May 31, 2024 |page=12-14}} The commandant also chairs a board of officers that selects the school's students. The selection board consists of flight test squadron commanders with a majority of the board members being TPS graduates.{{cite book |title=Department of the Air Force Instruction 99-107, Test Pilot School |date=May 31, 2024 |page=17-18}} Every three years, the commandant conducts a review of the school's curriculum with participation from flight test squadrons, the U.S. Naval TPS, and operational squadrons.{{Cite book |title=Department of the Air Force Instruction 99-107, Test Pilot School |date=May 31, 2024 |pages=15}}
The school's mission is to "create test leaders, develop school staff and conduct test research to accelerate multidomain capabilities to the warfighter." Its vision is "testers, leaders, thinkers and innovators in the mold of Jimmy Doolittle." Its ethos is "credible, adaptable, warfighter-focused." The school has three courses: the Flight Test Course (FTC), the Space Test Course (STC), and the Enlisted Test Course (ETC). The FTC develops Experimental Test Pilots, Experimental Flight Test Engineers, Experimental Test Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilots, and Experimental Test Combat Systems Officers.{{Cite book |title=Department of the Air Force Instruction 99-107, Test Pilot School |date=May 31, 2024 |pages=5}} The STC develops Space Test Engineers and the ETC develops Enlisted Testers across a wide range of Air Force Specialty Codes. In total, the school graduates approximately 90 students each year.
The school was established on September 9, 1944 as the Flight Test Training Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) in Dayton, Ohio.{{cite web | title = U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School History | url = http://www.edwards.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6586 | access-date =2017-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231218/http://www.edwards.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6586 |archive-date=2016-03-03 | publisher=United States Air Force}} To take advantage of the uncongested skies and superb flying weather, the school was moved on February 4, 1951 to its present location at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Edwards AFB is the home of the Air Force Test Center and has been an integral part of flight testing since the 1940s.{{cite web |title = Edwards' History |url = https://www.edwards.af.mil/About/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/393907/edwards-history/ |date=2009-11-23 |publisher = United States Air Force |access-date = 2020-11-02}}
Between 1962 and 1972, the Test Pilot School expanded its role to include astronaut training for military test pilots.{{cite book | title = USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond | page = 233}} Thirty-seven TPS graduates of this era were selected for the U.S. space program, and twenty-six went on to earn astronaut's wings by flying in the X-15, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs.{{cite book | first = J | last = Young | title = Forging Aerospace Power for America | pages = 3–4}} Although the school no longer trains astronauts, many TPS graduates since 1972 have been selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for duties in space. The school encourages applications from civilians, personnel from other U.S. military services, and individuals from foreign countries.{{cite book |title = USAF TPS Graduate Course Catalog |page = 19}} An exchange program allows selected students to attend other test pilot schools including the United States Naval Test Pilot School, the United Kingdom's Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS), and France's École du personnel navigant d'essais et de réception (EPNER).{{cite book | title = USAF TPS Graduate Course Catalog |page = 18}}
Commandants
The following list provides a complete list of commandants of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. The table contains their name, rank, dates as commandant, the TPS class from which they graduated (if applicable), and notable events that occurred during their tenure at the school.
= Key =
| class="wikitable" style="width:78%;" |
| rowspan="1"|Rank
| align="center" | Military rank | The rank shown is at the time the individual served as commandant. |
|---|
| rowspan="2" |Class
| align="center" | Year/Letter | The year and order in which a class started. For example, 07A was the first of two classes to start in 2007.{{cite book | title = USAF TPS Graduate Course Catalog |page = 8}} |
| align="center" | Roman Numeral
| Four Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) classes designated I, II, III, and IV, that prepared students for manned spaceflight operations. These classes were dropped when the USAF lost its manned spaceflight mission.{{cite book | title = USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond |page = 50}} |
| rowspan="1"|Events
| align="center" | "introduced" | Indicates an aircraft type was first made available for use by TPS students. This date is usually much later than the aircraft entered USAF service. |
=List of Commandants=
File:Colonel Steve Cameron 2001.jpg
File:USAF Colonel Ken Chilstrom 1961.jpg]]
File:USAF-EP-Deatrick-by-F-104-1968.png]]
File:James H. Doolittle III TPS Commandant 1994-96.jpg
File:Colonel Joe Guthrie Jr USAF.jpg
File:Col. Ralph C. Hoewing.png
File:George-Kailiwali-Sept-2008.jpg
File:MGen Michael Kostelnik 2001.jpg
File:Col Mike Luallen 2008.JPG
File:USAF Colonel James Valpiani 2024.jpg
File:Colonel Charles Webb USAF October 22. 2014. 141020-F-IW159-006 - cropped.jpg
File:Charles Yeager photo portrait head on shoulders left side.jpg]]
File:Col Noel Zamot USAF TPS Retires 20120619 120613-F-CX978-076.jpg
{{color box|#e3d9ff| * }} Individual was killed in an aviation-related accident.
Notable alumni
{{main|List of U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School alumni}}
USAF TPS has produced many notable alumni including astronauts, record-setting aviators, and senior Air Force leaders.
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
- {{cite web
| title = Air Force Instruction 99-107, Test Pilot School
| publisher = Secretary of the Air Force
| date = 2013-01-17
| url = http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_te/publication/afi99-107/afi99-107.pdf
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140327044836/http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_te/publication/afi99-107/afi99-107.pdf
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = March 27, 2014
| access-date = 2015-02-21}}
- {{cite journal
| last = Allen
| first = Clifford H. Jr.
|author2=Arthur B. Doty Jr. |author3=Everett C. McCormick
|date=June 1966
| title = Space Flight Simulator for U.S. Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School
| journal = Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets
| volume = 3
| issue = 6
| pages = 793–9
| publisher = American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
| issn = 0022-4650
| doi = 10.2514/3.28539| bibcode =1966JSpRo...3..793A
| url = https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/3.28539
| format=PDF
| access-date = 2017-04-17
}}
- {{cite book |last=Burgess | first=Colin
| author-link=Colin Burgess (author)
|author2=Kate Doolan |author3=Bert Vis
| title= Fallen Astronauts: Heroes Who Died Reaching for the Moon
| publisher= University of Nebraska Press
| year= 2003
| isbn=1-56098-457-0
}}
- {{cite web
| title = Graduate Course Catalog and Student Handbook, 2007-08
| publisher = USAF TPS Curriculum Standards Division
| date = 2007-06-22
| url = http://www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-071001-069.pdf
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120915122153/http://www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-071001-069.pdf
|archive-date=2012-09-15
| access-date = 2017-04-17}}
- {{cite book |last=Lopez | first=Donald S.
| author-link=Donald S. Lopez, Sr.
| title= Fighter Pilot's Heaven: Flight Testing the Early Jets
| publisher= Smithsonian Institution Press
| year=1995
| isbn=1-56098-457-0
}}
- {{cite book | last = Marrett | first = George J.
| author-link = George J. Marrett
| title= Contrails Over the Mojave: The Golden Age of Jet Flight Testing at Edwards Air Force Base
| publisher= Naval Institute Press
| year=2008
| isbn=978-1-59114-511-0
}}
- {{cite book |title= USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond |publisher=Privately Published |year=1994 }}
- {{cite web | first =James O. | last = Young
| title = Forging Aerospace Power for America
| publisher = U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center
| year = 2007
| url = http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080117-028.pdf
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121012075524/http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080117-028.pdf
| archive-date = 2012-10-12
| access-date = 2015-02-21}}
External links
- {{cite web |title = USAF Test Pilot School official website |url = https://www.edwards.af.mil/Units/USAFTPS/ |publisher = United States Air Force | access-date = 2024-09-10}}
- {{cite web |title = Odd Sisters: B-2 Spirit/Calspan NC-131 |url = http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6367141 |publisher = NameMedia, Inc. |access-date = 2015-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011015237/http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6367141 |archive-date=2008-10-11}}
- {{cite web |title = The Pioneers: "Jackie" Parker |url = http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/parker.html | publisher = Monash University |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240724092856/http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/parker.html |archive-date= 2024-07-24 |access-date = 2008-09-07}}
- {{cite web |last=Patrick |first=Bethanne Kelly |title = Doolittle's son and grandson dedicate Tokyo Raid exhibit |url = http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent?file=ML_doolittle_bkp |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170417154840/http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent?file=ML_doolittle_bkp |archive-date=2017-04-17 |publisher = Military Advantage |access-date = 2019-08-23}}
USAF Test Pilot School commandants