The Society took the opportunity to hold a networking social event to coincide with the CASA Flight Test Seminar held in Brisbane on 8 February 2024. Much to everyone's surprise, the seminar ended early, thanks to Doug Mathie's efficient coverage of the topic, allowing the attendees to move the short distance to the Grand Central Hotel. As the evening progressed, the numbers swelled with flight testers from the Brisbane area and even Ron Haack from Nelson Bay in NSW, joining in.

This was a good opportunity to meet CASA's new test pilot Jim Holden.

Flight Test Safety

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 organisations presently comprise the FTSC. The FTSC aims to initiate and sustain a flight test-related safety organisation intended to promote flight safety, reduce the risk of mishaps, promote risk reduction management and continually improve the profession's communication and coordination.

Flight Test Safety Fact Newsletter - July 2024

The July 2024 Flight Test Safety Fact is now available for download.

Flight Test Safety Podcast Channel

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RAeS Audio & Visual Archive

Thank you to our Historical Officer Bob Richardson for discovering the Royal Aeronautical Society's Audio and Visual Archive. These are mainly audio recordings of interviews with major players in aviation including many test pilots and engineers. Of particular interest are those of a very famous UK Aircraft Registration Board TP from 1949 to the 1980s, D.P. Davies who died in 2004. His spoken voice is superb, and his very forthright comments on civil aircraft handling qualities are quite riveting if you haven’t heard him before. He’s far more complimentary about the 707 and 747 family than about most British RPT aircraft, but his castigation of those responsible for the B727 stall certification in UK, US (and Australia) in the last 5 minutes of the second interview below is pretty powerful stuff.

• Testing the Comets, Boeing 707, Britannia & Brabazon
• Boeing 747, the Trident, VC10, One Eleven & the Boeing 727

Also of interest is Chuck Yeager, (now 96YO!). The last 20 minutes of Yeager’s interview talks about his NF104 rocket flights above 100,000ft, especially the great detail of his lost control and ejection are very good.