The new developmental test professionals representing nine different military organizations are now the pilots and engineers for development test and evaluation of their respective organization’s aircraft and aircraft systems.
U.S. Navy photo by Todd Frantom.
NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, Patuxent River, Md. — The United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) held a graduation ceremony for Class 163 on December 14, 2023. 28 students successfully completed the intense 11-month course of instruction and received their designations as Engineering Test Pilots, Engineering Test Flight Officers, and Test Project Engineer.
U.S. Army Col. David Phillips, Assistant Program Executive Officer for Redstone Arsenal’s Program Executive Office for Aviation in Alabama, delivered the keynote address. Col. Phillips graduated from USNTPS in June 2006 as a member of Class 129.
The graduation ceremony took place at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department in Hollywood, Maryland. Graduates included members of the Israeli Air Force, Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare), Italian Navy (Marina Militare), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), U.S. Air Force (USAF), U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Aaron Kia, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Commanding Officer, and Dr. John Tritschler, Chief of Academics, presented diplomas and offered congratulations to the new testers.
Lt. Lucas Papadakis earned the Capt. Willie McCool Outstanding Student Award for the top performing student in the categories of academics, flight performance, and technical report writing.
Lt. Marius Bernotas earned the Developmental Testing Thesis Award for the best final capstone report.
Cmdr. James Brodtmann earned the Capt. Syd Sherby Leadership Awar, named after the founder of the test pilot training division, now USNTPS. The Capt. Syd Sherby Award recognizes the student who displays exemplary leadership in the class.
Twenty students completed the requirements for the engineering test pilot course, seven students completed the engineering test flight officer course, and one student, the first enlisted graduate for USNTPS, fulfilled the requirements for the test project engineer course.
USNTPS trains pilots and engineers for development test and evaluation of aircraft and aircraft systems. United States Naval Test Pilot School is a component of Naval Test Wing Atlantic, the developmental test wing under the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) in Patuxent River, Maryland. NAWCAD advances capability and operational readiness for Naval Aviation.
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