DEFINITION:

The testing in flight of an aircraft or item(s) of aircraft equipment. The aims of that testing can be very diverse: they may be to investigate new concepts, to provide empirical data to substantiate design assumptions, or to demonstrate that an aircraft and/or its equipment achieve specified levels of performance, etc. Thus flight testing covers a broad spectrum of topics, the common feature of which is that there is a degree of novelty in the aircraft, its equipment or its intended usage, which requires assessment in flight. (Flight-testing is of course, usually preceded by appropriate Ground testing). (Ref.: AGAR Dograph Flight Test Techniques Series 300 Vol. 14: “Introduction to Flight Test Engineering”, NATO, Paris, ISBN 92-836-1020-2).

(Source: ACARE Domain 604)

SUBDOMAINS:

1. Test planning: Test plan, Flight plan, Test schedule
2. Test specification: Test cards, Performance, Flight Control, Runway performance, Weapon (integration), Reliability & Maintainability, Interior Noise, Exterior noise, Logistics, Navigation and Communication, Air Data, Flight envelope, Propulsion, Environmental extremes, Avionics, Antenna patterns, Handling qualities, Aero-elasticity/Flutter, Human factors, Ground-Vibration, Pre-flight, Airframe systems, Simulator data gathering
3. Hazard analysis/Safety: Safety of flight, Recovery, Minimum crew, Risk assessment, On board safety provisions, Engine failure, Deep stall, Flight test safety monitoring, EMI-EMC, Crew safety training, Safety procedures
4. Test conduct: Test cards / Responsibility distribution /  Procedures / Briefing and Debriefing / Test report
5. Instrumentation system: Measurement , Data Acquisition and Recording equipment, Calibration
6. Data processing and analysis: Data archiving, Data reduction, Engineering units, Data retrieval , Flight Test Data Base, Telemetry, Ground monitoring
7. Logistics support: Spares, Repair, Maintenance, Training
8. Certification & Qualification: Certification reports, Airworthiness authorities, Certificate of Airworthiness