Flight Test Safety Committee

The Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC) was formed jointly in November 1994 by members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). These and numerous additional organizations presently comprise the FTSC. The purpose of the FTSC is to initiate and sustain a flight test related safety organization intended to promote flight safety, reduce the risk of mishap, promote risk reduction management and continually improve the profession's communication and coordination.
About FTSC

Flight Test Safety Fact 20-01

Welcome back! The new year brings a new format and a new podcast, both of which you can see inside this issue.

Turning the page on the calendar gives us another important opportunity: the chance to reflect.  Stop and think about how long you've been in this profession.  Then think about the new test pilots, FTEs, and project managers that are entering the profession with bright eyes and lots of energy.  When you see them, congratulate them.  Think about your first day on the job. 

This profession is a journey with lots of starts and stops, with many stages.  Take a minute to read the reflections herein and think about how to apply them in your life, whether you are welcoming someone new to the team or you are new to team. 

Sincerely,
Mark Jones Jr.
Editor

PS For added convenience and security, you can access and download the newsletter here.

The Flight Test Safety Committee has a Podcast Channel Now!

 

The Flight Test Safety Committee has begun producing a monthly podcast to share valuable, relevant, and helpful information across our audience of SETP, SFTE and AIAA members and anyone who is interested in safety. Each podcasts will contain information from the latest issue of our digital publication the Flight Test Safety Fact and include a special topic of the month. These Specialty topics will include presentations from recent Symposia, interviews, panel discussions and much more. Click the links below to listen and follow our channel!

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Podbean

Listen on Spotify

 Listen on Google Play Music

Flight Test Safety Fact 19-12

 

Did you know that there are almost 200 people in our Societies that do not have email?! (At least we know they did not provide their email address to their Society.) I found that out while counting how many "new" people have received this newsletter over the past year.  In this issue we report to you on the progress towards our goal, as the end of 2019 looms large and the new year approaches.  

In 2020, we will, almost certainly, hear more news about self-driving cars and urban air mobility (UAM) together with the autonomous air taxis needed to make UAM a reality.  This issue introduces the topic of Artificial Intelligence and Flight Test by sharing presentations from those flight test professionals who work with it and sharing news that gets beyond marketing hype and includes technical details.  At least one of these presentations will truly surprise you.

Self-driving cars also made safety headlines, and Chairman Tom Huff addresses this topic head on. He also applies the lessons learned to the safety culture in our organizations.

Finally, we share a great safety resource from SFTE that will help you as you continue to cultivate your safety culture.

As we head to next year, I'd like to hear from you on any and every one of the topic above.  Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your articles and technical papers, your suggestions, and your Reach Everyone reports.

 

Sincerely,

Mark Jones Jr.
Editor, Flight Test Safety Fact

For convenience and added security, you can download the complete newsletter here.

Flight Test Safety Fact 19-11

It’s been over a month since SETP’s Annual Symposium, so I’ve had time to dig through the program, papers, and slides.  Unfortunately, the news cycle doesn’t stop, so I’ve split my time between corresponding with those who presented at and attended the symposium and watching the headlines.  You will find samples from both of these domains in this month’s newsletter.  

The Chairman introduces the Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) and encourages you to read it, but he also applies some of its findings to our field, raising some poignant questions.  Additionally, you’ll read the observations from one of our newsletter’s past subjects; he attended the Symposium for the first time. The last section is a paper presented at the Symposium, but before I introduce it, let me explain why I selected it. 

While reading some research about crew resource management, I came across this finding:
“No differences were found between the severity of the errors made by effective and ineffective crews; rather, it was the ability of the effective crews to communicate that kept their errors from snowballing into undesirable outcomes” [1].
This finding is simply astounding.

Our words have the power of life and death.  I think you have heard me say that before, but the topic of communication will continue to appear in these pages often.  That’s on purpose. In this newsletter, we’ve published a paper that not only addresses an important technical test but also illuminates the communication challenges encountered by the test team.  Communication is hard, and getting it right is worth the effort. That’s why you will find Roger Hehr’s paper included in this newsletter. An excerpt is reprinted herein, and the entire paper is *attached* inside the newsletter together with the Chairman’s Annual Flight Test Safety Committee report.  You can find both of these by selecting the paper-clip icon inside your pdf reader.

As a reminder, a future issue of the FTSF will address the topic of AI, so send your questions, suggestions, links and papers about the topic to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to the Chairman.

Sincerely,
Mark Jones Jr.

For convenience and added security, you can download the complete newsletter here.

Reference:
1. J. Bryan Sexton and Robert L. Helmreich, “Analyzing Cockpit Communication: The Links Between Language, Performance, Error, and Workload.”