Society of Experimental Test Pilots

Seventeen pilots attended the first organized meeting of the "Testy Test Pilots Society" on September 29, 1955. This name was to be short-lived, however, as it was changed to The Society of Experimental Test Pilots at the second meeting on October 13, 1955.{{cite web |title= SETP History |url=http://www.setp.org/about-setp/history.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=March 25, 2014}}{{cite web |title=Astronaut Armstrong Recalls the Origins of Test Pilot Society |url=http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/armstrong_speech.html |publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date=May 26, 2014}}

The first officers of the society were instated on October 25, 1955, and consisted of Ray Tenhoff, President; Scott Crossfield, Executive Adviser; Dick Johnson, Vice-President; Joe Ozier, Secretary; Lou Everett, Treasurer; and Al Blackburn, Legal Officer. Once the organization and bylaws were established, the society incorporated in the state of California on April 12, 1956.{{cite book |title= Scientific, technical, and related societies of the United States |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_3C8rAAAAYAAJ |publisher=National Academy of Sciences |location=Washington D.C. |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_3C8rAAAAYAAJ/page/n173 165] |year=1971 |edition=9th |isbn=0-309-01860-9}} The insigne of the society was designed by C. A. "Al" McDaniel and officially adopted for use in 1956.{{cite book |title= The Society of Experimental Test Pilots, History of the First 20 Years |date= 1978 |publisher= Taylor Publishing Company |location= Covina, California |page=15 |lccn= 78-62089}}

The first Awards Banquet was held on October 4, 1957, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. It was at the second such banquet, however, that the tradition of the Iven C. Kincheloe Award began. This annual award honors the member who has done the most proficient test work during the previous year. James Gannett of Boeing and Joseph John "Tym" Tymczyszyn of the Civil Aeronautics Administration won the first Kincheloe Award for their work toward certification of America's first turbojet airliner' the Boeing 707. They have been followed each year by the most notable contributors to aviation history.

In 1969, Bob Hoover was president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), and he had been a personal friend of Charles Lindbergh since the early 1950s, when the reclusive Lindbergh was using the pseudonym "Mr Schwartz". Hoover persuaded Lindbergh to attend the SETP annual symposium and banquet at the Beverley Hilton, as his guest. At the top table, they were joined by Neil Armstrong, who had just been released from quarantine after the Apollo 11 mission. Hoover introduced both Lindbergh and Armstrong, to the surprise of the press and other attendees, and many photos were published of Hoover's wife Colleen flanked by both 'heroes' of aviation. The story of the occasion was later narrated by Hoover in the 2014 documentary film Flying the Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project.{{cite web |last1=Novell |first1=Robert |title=A Living Legend |url=https://www.robertnovell.com/a-living-legend-july-15-2016-2/ |website=robertnovell.com |publisher=Robert Novell |access-date=22 October 2023}}

As of December 31, 2023, the Society had 2,479 members{{cite web |title= SETP Membership |url= http://www.setp.org/about-setp/membership-statistics.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=June 8, 2022}} from various countries.{{cite web |title=SETP Vision |url=http://www.setp.org/about-setp/our-vision.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}

The society publishes a quarterly known as Cockpit that contains technical articles on flight testing. In addition to Cockpit, the society publishes the proceedings of the annual symposium in Los Angeles to provide a permanent record of flight test progress reports. A periodic newsletter is also provided to members.{{cite web |title=SETP Newsletters |url=http://www.setp.org/newsletter/ |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}

The Society holds a number of conferences annually:{{cite web|title=SETP Symposia |url=http://www.setp.org/table/symposium/ |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228083453/http://www.setp.org/table/symposium/ |archive-date=December 28, 2009 }}

• Los Angeles Symposium and Banquet
• San Diego Symposium
• East Coast Symposium
• Northwest Symposium
• European Symposium
• Southeast Symposium
• Central Symposium
• Great Lakes Symposium
• Southwest Symposium
• Flight Test Safety Workshop

The Society annually presents a number of awards to recognize notable members of the flight test community. These are:

• Iven C. Kincheloe Award—Outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight testing{{cite web |title=Iven C. Kincheloe Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/iven-c-kincheloe-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• James H. Doolittle Award—Outstanding accomplishment in technical management or engineering{{cite web |title=James H. Doolittle Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/james-h-doolittle-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award—Significant achievement in flight test safety{{cite web |title=Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/tony-levier-flight-test-safety-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award—Outstanding technical paper published in Cockpit magazine{{cite web |title=Herman R. Salmon Technical Publications Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/herman-r-salmon-technical-publications-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• Ray E. Tenhoff Award—Outstanding technical paper presented at the annual SETP symposium{{cite web |title=Ray E. Tenhoff Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/ray-e-tenhoff-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• Jack Northrop Award—Outstanding technical paper presented at the annual SETP San Diego symposium{{cite web |title=Jack Northrop Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/jack-northrop-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• Leroy Grumman Award—Outstanding technical paper presented at the annual SETP East Coast symposium{{cite web |title=Leroy Grumman Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/leroy-grumman-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• Friend of the Society—Exceptional and notable contribution to the operation and the objectives of the Society{{cite web |title=Friend of the Society |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/friend-of-the-society.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
• Spirit of Flight—Significant contribution to the spirit, technology, manufacture, safety and flight test of home-built/sport/classic aircraft{{cite web |title=Spirit of Flight Award |url=http://www.setp.org/criteria/spirit-of-flight-award.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}

In 1967, the Society created a foundation to provide for scholarships and other forms of educational assistance to children of deceased or disabled Society members.{{cite web |title=Scholarship Foundation |url=http://www.setp.org/scholarships/scholarship.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}} As of 2020, the scholarship foundation has granted over US$3.5 million in educational assistance to more than 178 students. Approximately 12 students per year attend school with Society assistance.

Membership in the Society is divided into six grades:

1. Honorary Fellow (HF)—Distinction in the aerospace field and an experimental test pilot at some time during their career
2. Fellow (F)—Distinction in experimental flight testing and an Associate Fellow for at least one year
3. Associate Fellow (AF)—Association with experimental flight testing for ten years, experimental test pilot for five years, Member for at least two years{{cite web |title=Join SETP |url=http://www.setp.org/about-setp/join-setp.html |publisher=Society of Experimental Test Pilots |access-date=January 15, 2010}}
4. Member (M)—Experimental test pilot not less than one year or crewed space vehicle pilot
5. Associate Member (AM)—Experimental test pilot or co-pilot from between six months to two years depending on the type of testing
6. Corporate Member—Organization that has a common interest with the Society in the advancement of crewed aerospace

The following is an incomplete list of notable individuals who are or were members of the society:

{{Main|List of SETP Members}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.setp.org/ SETP Homepage]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Aviation-related professional associations

Category:Organizations established in 1955

Category:Test pilots

Category:1955 establishments in California